Interesting Points.....I wonder if DIRAUX will weigh in on behalf of certifying Auxiliarists?

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Feds To Restrict Volunteers At Disasters US & World
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Sep 1, 2007 1:38 pm US/Eastern

Feds To Restrict Volunteers At Disasters
(AP) NEW YORK Retiree Gene O'Brien hurried to the World Trade Center site after Sept. 11, 2001, as a volunteer helping to shuttle supplies to police and fire workers. Some days, his only ID to get into the disaster site was a tattoo on his forearm.

"A couple times I showed them my Marine tattoo, and they said go ahead," recalled O'Brien, adding that he and other volunteers also came up with their own makeshift identification cards.

"We didn't forge anything, we just made them up with our own pictures and at one point we copied a UPC code off a Pepsi can and they were as good as gold," said the Scarsdale resident.

It might not be so easy the next time disaster strikes.

In an effort to provide better control and coordination, the federal government is launching an ambitious ID program for rescue workers to keep everyday people from swarming to a disaster scene. A prototype of the new first responder identification card is already being issued to fire and police personnel in the Washington, D.C., area.

Proponents say the system will get professionals on scene quicker and keep untrained volunteers from making tough work more difficult.

But they also know it is a touchy subject, particularly for those devoted to helping in moments of crisis.

"Wow, how in the world do we say this without love and respect in our hearts?" said deputy assistant U.S. Fire Administrator Charlie Dickinson.

"Everybody wants to come to the fight, so to speak, and no one wants to step back and say 'No, I can't do this.' The final coup de grace was the World Trade Center. Hundreds came that were never asked," Dickinson said. "Good intentions, good hearts, and it was extremely difficult for the fire department and the other departments to deal with them."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency came up with the idea after the World Trade Center attack and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when countless Americans rushed to help — unasked, undirected, and sometimes unwanted.

Many of those volunteers angrily dispute the notion they were a burden. They insist that in many instances they were able to deliver respirators, hard hats, and protective boots to workers when no one else seemed able.

Ground zero volunteer Rhonda Shearer and her daughter launched a fast-moving supply system that bypassed regular channels, often infuriating city officials.

Even as she delivered box trucks packed with supplies over months of recovery work, she increasingly ended up in a cat-and-mouse game with New York City's police and emergency management agency.

Shearer, 53, said the experience convinced that agencies are ill-equipped to handle major disasters — but don't want outsiders pointing out their failings.

Similar frustrations arose after Katrina, when people were shocked that the government struggled to take basic supplies such as water to the worst areas.

"They're more worried about keeping volunteers out than doing an analysis of what really went wrong," said Shearer. "Independent citizens need to be involved, where we have no ax to grind or cross to bear. But we will tell the truth, and we will tell what we see and bear witness to the incompetence."

Dickinson, the federal fire official, said the government is not trying to discourage volunteers, but he thinks there should come a time, within a few days of a disaster, when civilians step back and let the professionals take control.

Supporters say the ID cards could be checked at a disaster area with a card-reader device and used to verify a person's unique skills. For example, if police officers have been trained to handle hazardous materials, officials at the scene could deploy them to an area where their skills would be best put to use.

For reasons ranging from general safety to protection from lawsuits, construction and demolition companies want to see a disaster ID card program succeed.

Mike Taylor, executive director of the National Demolition Association, said his industry is talking with aides to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about putting it in place in his state.

"If California goes ahead and does that, it will flow across the country. This is a really smart idea by someone in the Bush administration to be able to control access to the site and frankly, make sure there are no untrained people," said Taylor. "If somebody goes running down to the site, you have to stop and ask them, wait, are they certified to do this work?"

This is part of a larger DHS program to standardize training and certification of those participating in various types of emergency response. We talked about this a while back but I think the thread is gone. Possible implications for Aux boatcrews and aircrews as well.

That's what the new and soon-to-be-announced "super DO status" will be for... The story is that AUXAIR personnel have already been granted the designation through the AIRSTAs.

The best way for AUXIES to serve following a disaster is to fill the void created at home by your station active duty and reserve personnel vacancies as they are deployed to the disaster scene -- rather than holding out hope that the decision makers will want to deploy Auxiliarists. In the case of post-Katrina NOLA-type of event (combined with civil unrest), you'd be more likely (some more likely than others due to age and condition) to become an additional casualty...

Regarding actual disasters you are right, but there is some question in my mind how far some of this stuff will soak down into more routine Aux ops.

We've already dealt with the requirement for the 4 main ICS courses -- with a lot of trouble and decertifications of those who didn't take them.

No "trouble" in my mind... They should have taken the ICS courses --they're not that difficult. The access to the courses is readily available. No compliance -- no participation. That will always be the norm as new requirements are enacted.

We seem to be headed in the direction of volunteer certification and licensing -- that's it, "Licensed Good Samaritans." That would be a shame, and would lead to even more citizen apathy. It brings to mind the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in Kew Gardens, NY -- where nobody answer her cries for help, or even called the police. Are we going back to that??

The courses were easy enough, but it is hard to say that implementing the requirement to take them wasn't a pain for the organization and that it did result in a loss of qualified people in return for almost no gain in operational capability.

Overprofessionalism, pure and simple. I was ordered off a disaster scene a few months ago by an arrogant Fire Captain who interupted me every time I tried to say something. I finally left, and he had to wait for the key to the gate that I was trying to open for him to come from the school board. Cost him about fifteen minutes before he could get his vehicle inside the schoolyard I was trying to open for him. He apparently didn't believe some guy in shorts and running shoes would be important enough to have the key to opening that gate.

Make us learn new skills and I'll probably be fine with it even if the skills aren't essential to our operations. But, I didn't see any real application to the Aux of those requirements.

The funny thing is that they would be very helpful to CAP since it often operates in the sort of multi-agency, large mission environment where ICS is more critical, but they haven't really made any moves towards taking the official classes. Slowly, but surely coming though.

quote:

The best way for AUXIES to serve following a disaster is to fill the void created at home by your station active duty and reserve personnel vacancies as they are deployed to the disaster scene -- rather than holding out hope that the decision makers will want to deploy Auxiliarists. In the case of post-Katrina NOLA-type of event (combined with civil unrest), you'd be more likely (some more likely than others due to age and condition) to become an additional casualty...

I agree.

quote:

Originally posted by skyray33158:
Overprofessionalism, pure and simple. I was ordered off a disaster scene a few months ago by an arrogant Fire Captain who interupted me every time I tried to say something. I finally left, and he had to wait for the key to the gate that I was trying to open for him to come from the school board. Cost him about fifteen minutes before he could get his vehicle inside the schoolyard I was trying to open for him. He apparently didn't believe some guy in shorts and running shoes would be important enough to have the key to opening that gate.

I guess he didn't come from the average, everyday firefighter school. If he had, he would have known to use the firefighters' universal passkey - a set of bolt cutters.

"Keys? We doan need no steenkeen keys..."

quote:

Originally posted by vision2030:


Feds To Restrict Volunteers At Disasters
(AP) NEW YORK Retiree Gene O'Brien hurried to the World Trade Center site after Sept. 11, 2001, as a volunteer helping to shuttle supplies to police and fire workers. Some days, his only ID to get into the disaster site was a tattoo on his forearm.

that's the problem with DHS bureaucrats being put in charge of emergency response. They want to focus on process and rules, instead of getting the job done.

quote:

Originally posted by JerryG:

quote:

Originally posted by skyray33158:
Overprofessionalism, pure and simple. I was ordered off a disaster scene a few months ago by an arrogant Fire Captain who interupted me every time I tried to say something. I finally left, and he had to wait for the key to the gate that I was trying to open for him to come from the school board. Cost him about fifteen minutes before he could get his vehicle inside the schoolyard I was trying to open for him. He apparently didn't believe some guy in shorts and running shoes would be important enough to have the key to opening that gate.

I guess he didn't come from the average, everyday firefighter school. If he had, he would have known to use the firefighters' universal passkey - a set of bolt cutters.

"Keys? We doan need no steenkeen keys..."

I agree totally. However, not only was he overstressed by the requirements of his job as evidenced by his extremely belligerent attitude, he was unprepared, because he didn't have bolt cutters. Maybe that discovery was what made him feel inadequate. Aren't boltcutters a standard item on response vehicles?

The CAC was supposed to help with some of this confusion, but it seems that getting a Presidential directive enacted is more of an "adventure" than....well, nevermind, I don't want to start a war.

--M

The requirement for ICS training is not AUX specific. NIMS and NRP require ICS training for anyone working in a disaster area, both public and private sector.

From the NIMS Integration Center website:

What is credentialing?
As stated in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) document, credentialing involves
“providing documentation that can authenticate and verify the certification and identity of
designated incident managers and emergency responders. This system helps ensure that personnel
representing various jurisdictional levels and functional disciplines possess a minimum common
level of training, currency, experience, physical and medical fitness, and capability for the incident
management or emergency responder position they are tasked to fill.”

Why is a national credentialing system necessary?
A national credentialing system will improve the methods, capabilities and coordination of
emergency responders to deal with domestic incidents. Mandated by NIMS and in accord with
Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 5, Management of Domestic Incidents, this initiative
will allow quick and accurate verification of emergency responders’ identities and qualifications.
Incidents such the Oklahoma City Bombing, the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon, and the recent responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita highlight the need
for a national system to verify the qualifications and identity of emergency responders.
A national credentialing system will not provide automatic access to an incident site. In fact, it can
serve to prevent unauthorized (i.e., self-dispatched or unqualified personnel) access to an incident
and help maintain perimeter control of and access to that incident, while ensuring that those
requested to respond to an incident meet the required criteria for participating in such an effort.

Who can participate in the National Emergency Responder Credentialing System?
Responders from federal, state, territorial, tribal and local agencies, as well as qualified individuals
from the private sector, are encouraged to participate in the National Emergency Responder
Credentialing System. The purpose is to develop an integrated and comprehensive system that will
assist emergency managers in acquiring those qualified resources necessary to deal with an incident
when local resources are overwhelmed.

Unaffiliated volunteers are governed by Emergency Support Function (ESF) 15 Volunteers and Donations.

So the feds are just doing what ICS/NIMS (which they wrote) require them to do.

quote:

The courses were easy enough, but it is hard to say that implementing the requirement to take them wasn't a pain for the organization and that it did result in a loss of qualified people in return for almost no gain in operational capability.

I'm late to the thread.

While we may have lost some "qualified" people, their laziness in not taking a few hours to do ICS would eventually result in people without currency maintenance also.

Not a great loss in my book.

I'm sure that some of the people who didn't do ICS had no intention of keeping their quals current anyway. Impossible to say what those percentages might be.