Cupertino ARES/RACES

This section includes:

• Includes activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies.
• Establish mitigation measures such as building codes, zoning ordinances, or land-use management programs.
• Buying flood and fire insurance for your home is a mitigation activity.
• Mitigation activities take place before and after emergencies.

Preparedness is best characterized as a period when no emergency situation exists or none is imminent.

• It includes developing plans or preparations made to save lives and to help response and rescue operations.
• Identify hazards and assess their potential risk to the community
• Determine the community's capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from major emergencies.
• Develop and coordinate preparedness plans.
• Establish warning systems.
• Stock emergency supplies and equipment.
• Educate the public and train emergency personnel.
• Preparedness activities take place before an emergency occurs.

CARES spends the bulk of its time in Preparedness Ops. We take advantage of this time for planning, training, and practice. Members can participate as time, expertise, and interest allow. These activities include:

• Weekly Net check-ins
• Training sessions
• Drills and exercises
• Membership meetings
• Support non-emergency activities

In the event of an "emergency heads-up," CARES directly supports the City by shifting into Increased Readiness Ops and executing these actions:

• Notify members of a potential activation
• Activate the CARES Emergency Net for information-sharing
• Review specific operating procedures
• Perform personal and City equipment readiness checks

Increase Readiness Ops leads to either reverting back to Preparedness Ops or forward to Initial Response Ops.

This activity includes:

• actions taken to save lives and prevent further property damage in an emergency situation.
• Assess damage caused by the emergency.
• Activate response plans and rescue operations.
• Ensure that shelter and medical assistance are provided.
• Stabilize the situation (access, water, power, health & welfare) to ensure an effective response and recovery effort.
• Response activities take place during an emergency.

CARES is formally activated by a local declaration of an emergency by the City's Director of Emergency Services and shifts ito Initial Response Ops. Activities may include:

• Notify all members of the emergency.
• Activate the CARES Emergency Net.
• Deploy the Comm Van, establish communications between the Cupertino EOC, CARES field responders, and County EOC.
• Perform the Preliminary Safety Assessment if required.
• Determine member availability to staff field assignments.

If the activation is extended, CARES shifts to Extended Response Ops. Activities may include:

• Prioritize, allocate, and manage CARES resources in the field.
• Develop extended staffing plans and shift coverage.
• Support City ARKs, mass care, or other facilities with emergency communications.
• Initiate the Infrastructure Safety Assessment if required.
• Staffing creek-watch or ember-watch stations; report on changing conditions.
• Support served agencies with emergency communications.
• Participate in County resource and command nets.

This section includes:

• Actions taken to return to a normal or an even safer situation following an emergency.
• Recovery includes getting financial assistance to help pay for the repairs.
• Recovery activities take place after an emergency.

CARES has accomplished its mission and is directed to stand down. Related activities may include:

• Performing any replenishment and maintenance on personal equipment
• Assisting neighbors, relief agencies, or the city in non-communications recovery activities
• Collect event documentation; compile the after action report submittal to the City EOC Staff.