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TRUE COPY CERTIFICATION ON LAST PACE J.R. SMITH, CLERK program that uses multiple resources from the widely varied fields of emergency management, and with differing delivery methods, so as to bring information, training, assistance to the largest number of county residents possible. We will create a CERT program that is resident -centric. This means, understanding, and making the program flexible to the needs of individual neighborhoods and communities, rather than a cookie - cutter, one -size -fits -all implementation. In Indian River County, we have neighborhoods that are HOA governed and gated, non -HOA and open, within and outside city limits, large and small, affluent and underserved, aged and younger. We have diversity in our neighborhoods, just as with our county's residents, and our program must be flexible enough to work for all of them. After level -setting each CERT member with basic skills training, the program will then allow CERT members to tailor their neighborhood teams to respond to the specific needs of their own community. Some neighborhoods may need greater first aid capabilities for example, while others may want to concentrate more on damage assessment and communications. Each neighborhood team will be unique to its own environment, with reach back to the CERT program coordinators and county emergency management programs for assistance, guidance and additional training. The revitalized CERT program will foster knowledge and empowerment of all Indian River County residents through the CERT volunteers. CERT members know their neighborhoods and their neighbors' needs better than anyone. Prior to disasters or emergencies, the tailored neighborhood programs run by neighborhood -based CERT teams can create neighbor -to -neighbor enthusiasm around activities that encourage all residents to participate in, learn about, and contribute to improving their own neighborhood's resiliency to disasters, emergencies, and hazards, in ways best suited to the neighborhood. Neighborhood CERT volunteers can, for example, plan for and help deliver emergency readiness and disaster preparedness education classes and trainingin their own neighborhoods. They might invite. subject matter experts from emergency management partners in the surrounding community to give presentations or conduct the training themselves depending on their situation. Topics might include: e Creating household disaster plans and emergency kits o How to stay safe if evacuation is not an option o Understanding different hazards and disasters, and how to prepare for them o The disaster is over...what now...How to recover from disaster Neighborhood CERT members can encourage even greater resident participation by first ensuring that the needs of neighborhood residents are clearly understood. Soliciting ideas and information from neighbors regarding their interests in specific topics, conducting voluntary surveys to establish a neighborhood disaster readiness database, and obtaining feedback at each event or activity to assess its effectiveness and value to the community, are all ways to gain a greater understanding and to garner support and enthusiasm from residents. CERT. members and neighborhood teams will also be vital to Indian River County's ability to respond as a community to disasters and emergencies. Using CERT volunteers to help assess a neighborhood's situation and report on damage and injuries in the immediate aftermathof a disaster will allow emergency management professionals from the IRCES Department to prioritize its limited resources, and can help relief agencies, such as the United Way, the American Red Cross, and other SAFER member