2. Prepared by: David Auterson/The New Jersey Community Resource Center, Inc.
Copyright 2007, all rights reserved
Citizens Corps/NVOAD Pilot Project – New Jersey
Executive Summary
Our Pilot Project will help launch a tiered approach to building better emergency
readiness capacity in and among the faith community and concentrate on better
management of unaffiliated volunteers. The metrics of our project will be the completion
of rudimentary emergency management training, including operation of Volunteer
Reception Centers, and interest in further specialized training in volunteer management
systems. This project will be initiated through local Christian congregations and our
test/pilot churches will be in the Assemblies of God. However, we believe the program
will work with any/all faith groups and it will be promoted to others based on the
experience and success of our Pilot Project.
Our overall plan calls for local faith groups (churches) to be equipped for response
according to the following protocol:
1. Basic Level
• Pastor/leader completes introductory response training called “Pastoral
Crisis Intervention” (“pastoral” here is not synonymous with clergy)
• Church/FBO forms at least one trained CERT team
2. Mid-Level
• Basic level requirements met
• Congregation/FBO initiates annual emergency awareness program
3. Top Level
• Basic and mid-level requirements met
• Church/FBO trains and prepares in one of more of three advanced areas
a) Sheltering
b) Unaffiliated Volunteer Management via “Volunteer Reception Center”
c) Donations Management including a “Drop Site”
Our Pilot Project specifically addresses the “Basic Level” but also will include training
for managing volunteers in disaster response and recovery by offering Volunteer
Reception Center training, normally addressed in “Top Level” training. The goal of the
pilot project will be completed training/preparation. Church Leadership will be exposed
to the nature of disaster and given response and intervention tools through the
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) course called “Pastoral Crisis
Intervention.” Volunteers from the congregation will be organized as CERT Teams with
emphasis given to volunteer management by establishing Volunteer Reception Centers.
These trainings and their efficacy are widely recognized and endorsed. FEMA states
“CERT teams have an important role to play in extending the response capability in their
neighborhoods and workplaces.”
3. Prepared by: David Auterson/The New Jersey Community Resource Center, Inc.
Copyright 2007, all rights reserved
Our work will be done in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police who
manage the CERT program. We hope to supplement their “Urban 15 Initiative” whose
goal is to develop CERT‘s in the fifteen largest cities in New Jersey. Twelve are now
functioning with Camden, Trenton and Bayonne still without teams. Our project will
target these three cities and accomplish our training objectives in at least one of them. In
the unlikely event that we cannot develop programs in those specific cities, we have
access to more than 200 Assemblies of God congregations across the state and many have
shown interest in emergency readiness training.
By offering training for CERT Team(s), our pilot project will specifically address
unaffiliated volunteer management by highlighting and preparing for the implementation
of the Volunteer Reception Center model (VRC). Local houses of worship are ideal for
this and will be more likely to open a VRC once they have a trained cadre of volunteers
(CERT Team) to help in their operation.
We will inform/include the NJ Volunteer Centers, NJ Emergency Management, NJ
Citizens Corps/CERT, and NJ VOAD of our project and our progress. Representatives of
these organizations will be invited and encouraged to attend the Volunteer Reception
Center training(s).
It is our understanding that the State of New Jersey does not have a plan for managing
Spontaneous Unaffiliated Volunteers (SUV’s). We have had informal talks with
NJVOAD and members of the State OEM about our project and will work hard to keep
them apprised of our efforts. Also, we intend to pursue MOU’s with these and other
appropriate agencies so that our role will be clearly defined in advance of need. Our goal
will be that our system of trained FBO’s will add to state EM capacity and avoid
duplication of services based on ignorance of our presence and capabilities.
Similar organizations in New York State will also be notified and invited to observe and
participate as they are able.
An additional part of our plan is to survey all Assemblies of God churches in the state to
discover assets that can be used in disaster response. Real property, vehicles and human
assets will be catalogued and incorporated into a separate and larger emergency readiness
plan.
Outcomes
It is commonly understood in the disaster response community that faith groups are
among “the first in and last out.” It is our expectation that our Pilot Project will address
these major goals:
1. Unaffiliated volunteers will be mitigated as local churches channel members and
their networks via the volunteer management structure (VRC) into existing and
recognized agencies and programs.
4. Prepared by: David Auterson/The New Jersey Community Resource Center, Inc.
Copyright 2007, all rights reserved
2. Local churches will become educated about existing emergency readiness
resources and structures.
3. Local churches will be equipped to respond to the emergency situations faced by
parishioners and their communities.
4. Local churches will become active participants in the Disaster Response
community and increase state capacity.
Implementation
1. Direct Mail to all A/G churches and Pastors in the state to introduce the project
and to solicit interest.
2. Web-based survey will be conducted and hard copies mailed upon request to
those without internet capability.
3. Presentations will be made at regularly planned meetings of groups (sections) of
A/G Churches.
4. Pastors in target cities will be actively recruited.
5. Training schedule will be developed, launched and successfully completed:
• 1 two day “Pastoral Crisis Intervention” training,
• 1 CERT Completion program of eight one-night training modules
• 1 “Volunteer Reception Center” training will be conducted.
We have experienced certified trainers who will lead these training efforts.
Many elements of this project were being planned prior to being incorporated into this
Pilot Project. This selection and recognition by Citizens Corps and NVOAD will
broaden the scope and outcome of our work and provide much needed funding.
We believe this will enable us to enlarge this program, secure additional funding, and
deliver a much needed volunteer management system to our state.
Respectfully Submitted,
David Auterson
