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| RCCC News Fire Corps has had 7 activations in 2004, 8 in 2005, 16 in 2006, 13 in 2007, and 8 in 2008. CERT has had 2 activations in 2005, 1 in 2006, 2 in 2007, and 2 in 2008. Rowlett Fire Corps places Rehab Support Trailer in service.
After years of faithful service, the RV known as Rehab One was retired and sold in June 2008. We reconfigured a donated trailer and on June 21, 2008 placed it in service as our Fire Corps response vehicle. The 14' trailer has a concession window, refrigerator, generator, radios, coolers, misting fans, etc. just like the RV that was retired. The advantage of this move makes our program more light, fast and able to respond to incidents when needed. We're excited about this new opportunity and look forward to continuing to serve our community in this capacity. 6/21/08 RCCC Celebrates 5 Years of Service
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Regina Chapline May 5, 2008 rchapline@txregionalcouncil.org 512-275-9308 ROWLETT CITIZEN CORPS CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE  Representative Joe Driver thanks the Rowlett Citizen Corps Program for their volunteer service and help in making the City of Rowlett safer and better prepared. On May 3, 2008, the Rowlett Citizen Corps Program celebrated five years of service to their community with an anniversary banquet and volunteer appreciation night at the Rowlett Community Center. The Rowlett Citizen Corps Council was established in 2003 as one of the first programs in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area and sponsors the Rowlett Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Rowlett Fire Corps, Volunteers in Police Service, and Neighborhood Watch programs. RCCC has developed a healthy working relationship with the City of Rowlett, including the City Council and numerous city boards and commissions. Together, they have built a partnership based on public safety with the community. Rowlett Mayor John Harper thanked the Rowlett Citizen Corps for their hard work, dedication and service to the community of Rowlett. Kelley Adams of the One Star Foundation and Representative Joe Driver provided keynote addresses. Former Rowlett Fire Chief Larry Wright was presented with a Pioneer Award, and members of the Rowlett Citizen Corps Council were recognized for their service. Over the years, Rowlett Citizen Corps has trained over 225 citizens in CERT, contributed over 8,600 hours of community service through the CERT Program, responded to 51 Fire Corps activations and 7 CERT activations, and contributed over 1,100 hours of volunteer service in the first full year of operation of the Volunteers in Police Service Program. RCCC jointly published the City of Rowlett Emergency Preparedness Guide, which won first place in the International Association of Emergency Managers Media Awards in 2006, and in 2007, was the recipient of the 24th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Service Award for Community Capacity Building. Rowlett Citizen Corps Council has become a respected leader, mentor and model program at all levels of government, and is frequently sought out by local programs for advice and guidance. The mission of the Rowlett Citizen Corps Council is to harness the power of the citizens of Rowlett, Texas through education, training, and volunteer service to make their community safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and natural disasters. To learn more about the Rowlett Citizen Corps Program, go to www.rowlettcitizencorps.org.
Chief Larry Wright receives the Pioneer Award from Rowlett Citizen Corps Council President Whitney Laning. About Citizen Corps: Citizen Corps offers volunteer opportunities to support local fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and community public health efforts. With the added support of citizen volunteers, emergency service providers have more time to fulfill their highly skilled responsibilities to make our communities safer, stronger and better prepared. To learn more about the Citizen Corps Program, go to www.citizencorps.gov and www.texascitizencorps.org 5/7/08FOR IMMEADIATE RELEASE Contact: Regina Chapline May 5, 2008 rchapline@txregionalcouncil.org512-275-9308 CITY OF MESQUITE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT UTILIZES AREA CERT VOLUNTEERS TO SEARCH FOR YOUNG DROWNING VICTIM.
Director of Security and Emergency Management for Dallas County Robie Robinson and Emergency Management Coordinator Phillip Mongeau provide a briefing to DFW Area CERT Volunteers before searching for a young drowning victim. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) volunteers from Rowlett, McKinney, Dallas, Garland and Coppell, as well as the Mesquite Fire Corps provided critical support to the City of Mesquite in search and recovery efforts during a recent flash flood that claimed the life of one citizen. Mesquite officials noted that “it is unfortunate it takes such events to highlight the importance of regional response teams, but it is such times when we also find the value of that service. No one city can provide for all of the resources needed to meet al l hazards, which is why we are stronger and more effective working together than we are as individual communities.”The City of Rowlett CERT provided significant assistance to their neighboring community of Mesquite during this time. Fire Chief Mark Kerby and Emergency Management Coordinator Phillip Mongeau stated that “the City of Rowlett has long been a regional and national leader in CERT programs. This leadership has helped create an integrated regional response program in North Central Texas which provides an added level of safety for citizens which is unmatched in many other parts of the country.” The availability of such resources made a compelling impression on the Mayor and City Council members of Mesquite during the flood. On April 7, 2008, the Mesquite City Council passed Resolution No. 17-2008, endorsing regional emergency planning and response and officially recognizing agencies that so willingly offered a helping hand. The resolution acknowledges the support of regional partners and encourages other entities to continue to support regional planning and preparedness initiatives in North Central Texas.
City of Mesquite Fire Corps Program provide support to first responders searching for a young drowning victim. To find out more about Citizen Corps: Citizen Corps, which includes CERT and Fire Corps,offers volunteer opportunities to support local fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and community public health efforts. With the added support of citizen volunteers, emergency service providers have more time to fulfill their highly skilled responsibilities to make our communities safer, stronger and better prepared. To learn more about CERT, Fire Corps and all the Citizen Corps Programs, go to www.citizencorps.gov and www.texascitizencorps.org .5-5-08 Rowlett’s CERT Team Responds to Flooding ROWLETT, TX - The Rowlett Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) was pressed into service on Tuesday afternoon to assist the City of Rowlett manage street flooding caused by extremely heavy rainfall in the area. “Within an hour of our initial call out, we had 34 members deployed in teams across the City.” said Whitney Laning, President of the Rowlett Citizen Corps Council (RCCC) who sponsors the CERT program. Teams set up and monitored barricades on streets that were impassible due to high water. Driving through high water can have unexpected and harmful results. The National Weather Service (NWS) says, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” when you encounter high water or barricades. Ironically, this week is designated by the NWS as National Flood Safety Awareness Week. Early Thursday morning, 10 members of the Rowlett CERT team responded to the City of Mesquite’s request to join in the search for a missing boy who was swept away by Tuesday’s flood waters. CERT is designed to train citizens to be self-sufficient for up to 72 hours after a major disaster or local emergency, and to provide assistance to their neighbors and community until additional resources are available. Rowlett has embraced and expanded the CERT concept, and activated the program for local emergencies such as searching for lost persons, assisting with evacuations and traffic control, courtesy patrols and even fire watch during fireworks displays at City events. Rowlett will teach a CERT Class on April 5th and 12th, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The course will be taught according to FEMA standards and graduates will have the opportunity to join Rowlett CERT or a group in their local community. For registration or more information, see the RCCC website at rowlettcitizencorps.org, or call the CERT Hotline at 972-463-3906 and leave a message. The class is free to Rowlett and Sachse residents, all others are charged a $15 administrative fee. For more information on the RCCC, its programs, or how to be a part of it all, see their website or email info@rowlettcitizencorps.org. 3/25/08 Rowlett’s Citizen Corps Celebrates 5 Years of Service ROWLETT, TX - Imagine for a moment that a tornado strikes and pummels your neighborhood. You wait to hear sirens, but instead all that’s there is an eerie silence. Thirty minutes go by and you start to see people wearing green helmets, backpacks and lime green vests searching house to house on your street. One of them makes their way to you and says, “I’m from the Rowlett CERT team and I’m here to help. Are you okay?” This year the Rowlett Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program celebrates its fifth anniversary along with the Rowlett Citizen Corps Council (RCCC). Rowlett CERT volunteers are trained to assist public safety professionals in disasters, local emergencies and crisis situations where additional resources may make a difference. According to Whitney Laning, RCCC President, “CERT teams are trained to be self-reliant for 72 to 96 hours without additional assistance. In a major disaster, they can help bridge the gap between the initial event, and the time additional resources are able to respond. As we learned from Hurricane Katrina, that may be a relatively long time. The program is fundamentally about neighbors helping neighbors.” CERT teams also assist with searches for missing persons, evacuations, fire watch and courtesy patrols at City events. Since 2003, Rowlett CERT has been activated for local emergencies five times. The Rowlett Citizen Corps Council sponsors five core programs: Rowlett CERT, Rowlett Fire Corps, Explorer Post 1, Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), and Neighborhood Crime Watch. The Citizen Corps Council is a non-profit, charitable organization whose mission is to make Rowlett safer, stronger and better prepared for any emergency or disaster. They promote volunteerism, community service, preparedness education and family safety through Citizen Corps and other programs. With over 125 active members across all programs, they are one of the largest volunteer organizations in Rowlett. “Volunteers are our lifeblood. Without the selfless dedication, commitment and sense of service from our members, we would not have seen the types of success we have achieved in such a short time,” said Laning. Last summer the group was recognized by Governor Rick Perry with the 2007 Governor’s Volunteer Award for Community Capacity Building in the public/government sector. This high honor is just one of several awards the RCCC and its programs have been recognized with in its short history. RCCC programs continue to have a measurable and positive impact in our community. Teams from the Rowlett Fire Corps program have responded to over 50 major incidents in Rowlett and Sachse to provide critical rehabilitation and canteen services for our professional public safety personnel during crisis situations and fires. The VIPS program provided over 1,100 hours of community service last year and looks to double its volunteer personnel this year. The VIPS have also just started providing vital assistance to the City of Rowlett with code enforcement sweeps throughout the city. The newly formed Explorer Post 1 is off to a great start focusing on emergency management themes and is accepting applications from interested teens 14 to 20 years of age. There is a place for everyone who wants to contribute to their community through RCCC programs. Recently the RCCC jointly sponsored a poster contest to promote Severe Weather Awareness Week in February. The contest had 168 entries in three age groups. Winners were announced during the March 4th Rowlett City Council Meeting where they were presented with prize packages and had their artwork displayed for all to see. This is just one of the ways the RCCC is involved in the Rowlett community outside of its sponsored programs. On Saturday, May 3rd, the RCCC will celebrate their fifth anniversary with a banquet and volunteer appreciation night for their members. “This will be a very special evening for those that attend with special speakers, door prizes, awards, and dinner,” said Laning. “It’s well deserved for the volunteers who actively participate in our programs.” The RCCC is seeking sponsors for the evening to help defray the cost of the event. “Our organization depends heavily on the generosity of others for our financial support.” The RCCC recently published its 2007 Annual Report, which highlights its accomplishments and gives details on all their programs. The report is posted on the RCCC website at rowlettcitizencorps.org. For more information on the Council, its programs, the anniversary banquet, or how to be a part of it all, see their website or email info@rowlettcitizencorps.org. 3-20-08
News Release For Immediate Release: March 4, 2008
______________________________________________________________________________________ Contact: Donna Huerta | Public Engagement Manager/PIOCity of Rowlett | 4000 Main St., 75088 or P.O. Box 99 | Rowlett, TX 75030-0099o 972.463-3954 | c 214.325.1269 | f 972.412.6279 | dhuerta@rowlett.com
Severe Weather Week Poster Contest Winners Announced
ROWLETT, TX – Most children in Rowlett know what a storm looks like andthey know what damage severe weather, high winds, tornados and hail can leave on a community. With their imaginations and the stroke of a pen or paint brush, they are now trying to raise the awareness of being prepared for severe weather events.
This year, 164 Rowlett children ages preschool through the eighth grade participated in the Severe Weather Week Poster Contest sponsored by the Rowlett Citizen Corps Council (RCCC), the City of Rowlett Office of Emergency Management and the Artists ‘Round Texas for Severe Weather Awareness Week, which was February 24 - March 1.
“We are extremely pleased with the amount of participants in this year’s Severe Weather Poster Contest,” said Rowlett’s Emergency Management Coordinator Robert Lafaye. “Awareness is the first step, knowing what the threats are then encouraging families to building a kit and making a family disaster plan all create a safer community. Basic preparedness begins at home, as disaster can strike at any time. “
All entries are currently on display at the Rowlett Community Centre, 5300 Main Street. These amateur works of art depict some extremely creative art that send visual messages about severe weather awareness.
Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Rushing, representing all three of the sponsoring organizations, will present the winners and participants will all receive prizes from Rowlett businesses at the March 4 City Council meeting. The winners’ artwork will be posted on the City’s web site at Rowlett.com and featured on RTN16, the City’s cable access channel.
Winners are as follows:
K-2 Category 1st Place – Emily Haynes, Rockwall Christian Academy, for “Tornadoes”
2nd Place – Mfonabasi Owot, Rockwall Christian Academy, for “Storm Outside, Time to Hide!” 3rd Place - Caleb Lohrey, Home-school, for “Weather by Radar”
Grades 3-5 Category 1st Place – Shaun Earhart, Herfurth Elementary, for “Hurricane”
2nd Place – Sarah Pinckley, 5th grade, Herfurth Elementary, for “Texas Hill Country Storm” 3rd Place – Cole Kilmer, Rockwall Christian Academy, for “Houses Don’t Float, Get in the Boat!”
Grades 6-8 Category 1st Place – Sydney Mouton, Rockwall Christian Academy, for “Slow Down!”
2nd Place – Daniel Rorie, Rockwall Christian Academy, for “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!” 3rd Place – Jessica Finster, Coyle Middle School, for “Moonlit Storm”
The RCCC is proud to release the 2007 RCCC Annual Report. Please contact us if you would like a paper copy. 3/2/08 |
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