The California Disaster Corps is a first-in-the-nation effort to harness the power and passion of Californians to ensure our communities are safer, stronger and more resilient. CaliforniaVolunteers developed the Disaster Corps program and the Disaster Volunteer Network to integrate volunteer resources into the state's emergency management system.

What is California Disaster Corps in Riverside County?

• A cadre of 200 government-affiliated volunteers that meet Disaster Corps training, typing, certification, and security screening guidelines.
• Disaster Corps volunteers represent a mutual aid resource that can be utilized statewide.
• All program participants will have received a Department of Justice/FBI background check, First Aid/CPR training, sheltering operations training.
• Disaster Corps volunteers will be registered and sworn in by Riverside County Fire Department, Office of Emergency Services under the Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program, which provides worker's compensation coverage for volunteers.

Disaster Corps Funding

In May 2010, CaliforniaVolunteers released a competitive grant application for California counties to implement the Disaster Corps program. Los Angeles, Riverside , San Bernardino, San Diego, and San Francisco counties received a total of $1.15 million of federal homeland security funding to:

• Hire one volunteer coordinator in each county to:
• • Identify and sign-up local government-affiliated volunteer programs and at least 200 Disaster Corps volunteers per county
  • Work with their local volunteer center to develop a plan to manage spontaneous disaster volunteers
  • Build a network of community and faith-based organization that support disaster response and recovery
• Reimburse costs related to DOJ/ FBI background checks and American Red Cross First Aid/CPR training for up to 1,000 Disaster Corps volunteers
• Develop training, curriculum and annual exercises for Disaster Corps program coordinators and volunteers.

If you are interest in becoming a member with the California Disaster Corps. We want to make the registration process as minimal as possible for all applicants.

At this time, only government affiliated Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers located within the Riverside County Operational Area are eligible for candidacy. To participate in the program, the CERT Program Manager in which you are a member, must nominate you as a candidate for the California Disaster Corps. If you have taken CERT training with Riverside County Fire Department and are not associated with a local CERT program, then Office of Emergency Services would be your local CERT Program. Included in this packet you will find the forms required to complete your membership application.

Each volunteer nomination packet must be completed and submitted timely after nomination. Below is a checklist of items that you must complete in order to be considered as a potential candidate of the California Disaster Corps:

1. Volunteer Application

2. Copy of CERT certificate

Upon completion of the requested items, submit the original application and a copy of CERT Certificate email or mail to the following:

EMAIL:

DisasterCorps@fire.ca.gov

MAIL:

County of Riverside Fire Department, Office of Emergency Services

Attn: Disaster Corps Program

4080 Lemon Street, Basement Room 8

Riverside, CA 92501

Once recieved, the Volunteer Services Program Manager over the CERT Program along with other OES staff will evaluate each application and identify potential candidates for nomination into the California Disaster Corps.