In the wake of the Woolsey Fire there’s been a significant jump in participation of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) classes in Malibu. As many as 60 residents signed up for classes that began two weeks ago, with more than 30 in attendance to learn disaster preparedness and how to assist the community in an emergency. And now city leaders are doing what they can to back up the team’s importance and recognition by law enforcement.
Even though a recently-published city report does not fully address the many problems Malibu CERT had during the Woolsey emergency, city leaders acknowledge the team was not recognized by law enforcement when critically needed to assist and not allowed past roadblocks.
“We’re going to rectify that immediately,” Council Member Rick Mullen—mayor at the time of the fire—said.
“We need to do more with the sheriff’s department to get them to fully embrace and recognize credentialed CERT members for any future disasters,” Mullen continued. “I think it’s very important. The roadblocks were a very serious source of ire for the citizenry. Certainly, something that should happen is a full recognition by law enforcement of our CERT team members because they’re going to be working with them and assisting them. That was the major source of disappointment for me and anyone associated with CERT—how that manifests itself in the future remains to be seen.”
Mullen acknowledged that more needed to be done to make CERT function as it is intended.
“In general, CERT is very well recognized by the fire department and it should also be by the sheriff’s department. It’s something we’re definitely going to improve upon if I can have any influence at all,” Mullen stated. The council member, who is a fire captain as well as a CERT trainer for the fire department, has arranged for a CERT mud and debris flow class to take place for local CERT participants.
The director of Malibu CERT, Richard Garvey, also acknowledged complaints over the failure of CERT to be recognized during the Woolsey Fire.
“The stories you heard are completely true,” according to Garvey. “Some CERT members couldn’t get back in after evacuating.” The Point Dume resident of nearly 40 years said even he struggled following the fire.
“I had a huge amount of problems getting through roadblocks,” he said. “With CERT, we are all volunteers. It’s very difficult to provide assistance to the community as a CERT member when you are under mandatory evacuation and your house is in jeopardy. In fact, four CERT members lost their homes. Since many of us evacuated, the sheriffs were not letting anyone in.” Garvey, even with his CERT ID and as an official registered city disaster service worker, was not able to cross barricades—especially for the first few days after the fire. When making a welfare check on a resident that hadn’t been heard from, Garvey said he got the third degree from the sheriff’s department and followed to the residence.
“After a few days, things improved—thanks to Lt. Jim Royal, who tried to get the word out to everybody that CERT people are performing a valuable service to the community and should be allowed in,” the director recalled. “He was apparently overruled sometimes and couldn’t always help. It got better after a few days when more sheriffs found out what CERT was. At the beginning it was, ‘CERT? Who’s that?’ Fire was great. It was the sheriffs and highway patrol that was a problem.”
When roughly 20 members were allowed back, they handed out dust masks, gloves and other useful supplies from emergency bins scattered throughout Malibu. Some of the bins were filled with “things that were older or largely more geared to an earthquake, because that’s a typical event that CERT would prepare for—even though we have many fires,” Garvey said. “We’re in the process of updating and increasing the supplies. It takes time to get funding and figure out the best things to put in them.” Garvey initially opened bins and started ferrying water “which was the most appropriate supply that seemed to be needed at that time.” He brought it to lifeguard headquarters, Fire Station 71, Point Dume Elementary and other stops at Zuma Beach. While driving around Point Dume and surrounded by flames, he finally saw a fire truck at Zumirez, but at that point it was too late for many homes after the fire crossed Pacific Coast Highway.
As the leader of CERT, Garvey pointed out, “There’s a gigantic difference between people who have taken the CERT course or who were a member at one time and anyone that’s active and current. You have to maintain those skills.”
Mullen just went to a meeting of recruits for the new CERT class and “told them how much I appreciate them stepping up and that the CERT program had the full support of the council.”
