New Page 2

	The Birth of CERT in Johnson County Kansas Capt. Bill Schneider Olathe Fire Department, Kansas This is the first part in a series of articles that will show the progression of the implementation of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) in Johnson County, Kansas. Johnson County is located just south of Kansas City. The area has grown tremendously in the past ten years and the threat of disasters has not changed. Natural disasters include, but are not limited to; flooding, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and extreme low/high temperatures.
As in many jurisdictions around the country, the demand for emergency services has increased but the availability of resources to answer the “call of duty” has not been able to keep up with that pace. The last time our emergency services were put to the test was in 1998 when major flooding occurred in the North and Central parts of the county. Numerous homes were flooded and motorists on highways & side streets were washed into overflowing creek beds. There have also been small tornadoes and other minor incidents occur in the county, and many people feel that “we are due” for the BIG ONE someday.
As part of the preparedness program set up in the county a decision was made by emergency management officials, in conjunction with local fire chiefs, to start a neighborhood safety program. A CERT committee was created to oversee the delivery of the classes and would create a plan on how the countywide program would be set up. The FEMA CERT curriculum was adopted and for the past two years, the Johnson County Emergency Management Department has been giving Train-the-Trainer classes to local Police, Fire, and EMS Departments.
Also included were members of school districts, gas & electric companies, and the Red Cross. In 1998 Johnson County became a designated FEMA Project Impact community (see http://www.fema.gov/reg-vii/1998/98r7n034.htm). Part of this funding will go towards starting pilot CERT programs in the cities of Olathe and Overland Park. The City of Leawood has already started their CERT program at a local church (see http://www.leawood.org/fire.htm#CERT) The Olathe Fire Department plans on starting pilot programs in a community neighborhood watch group, a local business, an elementary school, and a church group. The program used will be the FEMA curriculum with additional information on city and county emergency services. Once the pilot programs have been delivered, the successive programs will be funded by the City of Olathe Emergency Management budget. The Olathe Fire Department has 12 people trained to deliver the curriculum and they include an Assistant Chief, Captains, Drivers, and Firefighters. It was felt that providing the public different instructors would allow them to meet a wide range of individuals from the department.
	Overland Park Fire Department officials have been meeting with safety personnel with Sprint and there may be plans to start a major CERT program there. Sprint has built a “campus” in Overland Park, which will have over 14,000 employees and 32 large buildings. The CERT seed has been planted, now we’ll see how we can overcome the next hurdle-instruction and interaction!
Bill Schneider is a Captain with the Olathe Fire Department. Currently, he is assigned to the Special Operations Group in charge of Technical Rescue. He is also a certified EMT and HazMat Technician. He is an instructor for the University of Kansas and University of Missouri teaching Confined Space Rescue and Building Collapse. He is also a member of the FEMA USAR Team in Missouri as a Rescue Team Manager. He can be contacted by e-mail at wschneider@olatheks.org

Return to *THE CONNECTION*