Get Engaged

Individuals and communities can work together to improve preparedness and become more resilient to emergencies and disasters.  Here in San Rafael, there are a number of citizens’ groups that take an active interest in emergency preparedness. Get involved in your community today, to help build capacity and plan for the unexpected. 

Neighborhood Response Groups

Neighborhood response groups, or NRGs, are groups of neighbors that work together to improve their community's disaster preparedness and resiliency. Neighborhood response groups (NRGs) can take many forms, but ultimately exist to help their neighbors prepare for and respond to an emergency. Everyone has something they can contribute. Working together, everyone has a role in keeping San Rafael safe.

Disaster Preparedness and Neighborhood Response Groups in San Rafael

Community Emergency Response Team

The San Rafael Community Emergency Response Team is a city-wide volunteer organization providing leadership, organization, and sharing best practices to recruit, train, connect, and continually engage CERT members within neighborhood groups and in coordination with local first responders. If you live in San Rafael and are looking for more ways to get involved, consider joining CERT!

What are CERT teams trained in?

CERT teams are trained in basic emergency response procedures such as:

  • Conducting an initial size-up of the situation in their immediate area
  • Reducing immediate dangers by turning off utilities, suppressing small fires, and evacuating hazardous areas
  • Performing immediate medical triage and basic treatment of injuries
  • Assessing structural integrity and performing light search and rescue
  • Collecting and recording vital information to be relayed to professional responders on damage, victims, and actions taken or resources needed
  • Providing leadership to untrained volunteers

CERT Goals & Objectives

  • Offer quarterly First Aid for Disaster Response (FADR) classes for San Rafael CERTS in coordination with the Marin Medical Reserve Corps
  • Hold quarterly meetings open to all San Rafael CERTs that refresh and build skills providing for networking opportunities and active engagement.
  • Develop, train and implement a neighborhood communication system that uses non-digital systems to inform residents and City EOC staff during emergencies and power outages.
  • Participate in four large outreach events to recruit new CERTs and increase overall community preparedness.
    • Staff a preparedness booth at the Marin County fair.
  • Support two Basic CERT offerings in San Rafael and work to connect new CERTs with ongoing engagement and training opportunities
  • Develop and host disaster drills that engage CERT and non-CERT members and can easily be repeated in different San Rafael neighborhoods
  • Promote and improve in-person social network sand connectivity among neighbors through events, outreach, and neighborhood response groups

1 Hour 2 Get Ready

The "1 Hour 2 Get Ready" class focuses on easy things you can do at home and with your family to be more prepared for a emergency or large-scale disaster. If you're intimated about getting prepared for a disaster, you won't want to miss this informational class - easy instructions, conversations, and endless questions from residents you likely have yourself. Join us!

Disaster Preparedness for Faith Based Organizations

Faith based organizations (FBO) play an important role before, during, and after disasters. They serve as trusted messengers, provide a variety of resources to the community, offer spiritual and emotional care, and also function as employers. FBO's should

  • Consider how they can help their congregation be more prepared as individuals
  • Have emergency plans in place for their facilities
  • Determine if and how they can support emergency response and recovery

For more information, consider hosting a training or reviewing the material presented in the pilot training in January 2019 available here: Faith Based Organizations Training

Close window