CERT & Residential Care Facilities (RCFS)

1. CERT & Residential Care Facilities (RCFS)

2. Learning Objectives • Energize your CERT Teams • Discover local resources and locate where RCFS are in your area • How to collaborate between CERT & RCFS • Powerful techniques that will assist you in connecting with your special needs community

3. Defining “RCFS” As defined in Section 1502 of the Health and Safety Code, shall mean any family home, group care facility or similar facility determined by the director of Social Services, for 24-hour nonmedical care of persons in need of personal services, supervision, or assistance essential for sustaining the activities of daily living or for the protection of the individual. Such facilities include small family homes and social rehabilitation facilities.

4. The Situation • Small % of Firefighters & Police officers on shift each day for local communities • Generally a large % of RCFS who don’t have support during a large scale disaster • Time to get prepared and now align CERT for it’s purpose… Responding to our Community

5. The Program To take two existing programs and merge them to benefit the greatest good for the greatest number. Thus allowing CERT members to help high risk populations that surround them in their neighborhoods.

6. Energize your CERT Teams

7. Back to the basics • Relationships with your CERT Teams • CERT feeling needed & wanted • Our elderly population being prepared • Creating opportunity

8. A recipe for Success • Have CERT members visit the RCFS 2-4 times a year • During communication drills have RCFS call in to ICP’s • Create a Newsletter that goes out 2x a year • Allow your CERT Teams to create ideas that they can put into action

10. A Note on working together…

11. Resource…

12. How can you find RCFS? • Website link here: http://www.ccld.ca.gov/docs/ccld_search/ccld_search.aspx

13. How can you find RCFS? • Local Fire Departments/Districts can help • Building Departments • Police Departments

14. Collaborate…

15. Collaborating with RCFS • Creating a relationship and maintaining it with RCFS • Letters to introduce yourself or check in • Working with your local Code Enforcement person • Creating events that benefit both parties • Awareness or approvals are a must 

16. Powerful Techniques…

17. What benefits everyone? • Consistency • Creating Rapport • Tangibility • Ease…

18. Remember • Relationships are the key to opening the doors to the RCFS • You have the internet and local FD/PD Resources to find RCFS in your area • Creating events with CERT & RCFS to strengthen longevity • People who build together generate synergy

19. Questions? “It is better to be two years too early in your emergency planning, than one minute too late.”