Posted: 8/20/2012 10:18:19 AM EDT
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I check out my local CERT classes awhile back- mostly for the free first aid and triage training.
But they gave me some paperwork to fill out that wanted personal info and wanted background / criminal history information.  I had a DWI 20 years ago, but I don't even drink anymore. But I don't need my personal info sitting in someone filing cabinet at home.
Is this SOP? or BS? |
| The app will sit around in your file at whatever agency sponsors the CERT folks in your area. The info should not be available to the CERT folks, just whether or not you passed the background. Do not turn in to the CERT folks, turn in to the sponsor agency. If you are concerned about the info sitting in a city/county file somewhere then they already know about you. The CERT folks don't need to know if you have a ccw, what your ssn is, or about that MIP you had when you were 16. |
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They do this not for OPSEC - you can download all the CERT training you want, and can probably request a copy of your county/city disaster response plan. They do this to make sure they're not getting thieves, druggies, pedos, etc. Just think about it. CERT is to help yourself, help your neighbor, and help your community in times of disaster. You wouldn't want a thief doing Search and Rescue after a disaster and going through peoples homes. Or a pedophile taking care of children at an emergency shelter site. CERTs also work at public events for support as well as publicity. It's not good PR to have convicted felons working the booths. I may being making this too simplistic but that's basically what they're looking at and why.
jd1 |
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Quoted: They do this not for OPSEC - you can download all the CERT training you want, and can probably request a copy of your county/city disaster response plan. They do this to make sure they're not getting thieves, druggies, pedos, etc. Just think about it. CERT is to help yourself, help your neighbor, and help your community in times of disaster. You wouldn't want a thief doing Search and Rescue after a disaster and going through peoples homes. Or a pedophile taking care of children at an emergency shelter site. CERTs also work at public events for support as well as publicity. It's not good PR to have convicted felons working the booths. I may being making this too simplistic but that's basically what they're looking at and why. jd1 Yep. |
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I don't think they care about something like a DWI. I think the background check is intended to try to avoid a would be terrorist type training to understand the response plans and preps so they can circumvent them. this Maybe, but also you don't want somebody with a record of pilferage or worse, sex crimes, propensity for violence or with a drug habbit to be given any color of authority. There is just to much access, and venerable people and property after a disaster. The Southern Baptists do it, ARC does it, as do any EMS agency (even volunteer). Even the catholic church does it (for their schools- in an emergency even a part time volunteer could end up being responsable for the class, and the first responders wouldn't know who was who.) I doubt a really old DUI is of concern. A current ofence could indicate a lack of responsability. |
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I haven't seen any type of sponsoring agency. It was a group of mostly older people- only 5 or 6 at the monthly meeting.
I don't know how many people they've certified, or how many they could muster up for an actual emergency. When I asked, they said they hadn't contacted any of te area scouts or churches- so I have a feeling I'd be doing a lot of free work if I signed on with them. I don't care about the DWI as much as my DL# or SSN floating around who only knows where. |
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I haven't seen any type of sponsoring agency. It was a group of mostly older people- only 5 or 6 at the monthly meeting. I'm confused. Who's doing the training/certification? I'd expect your emergency operations center or something along those lines to be involved. |
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CERT Instructor, Program Director here. Background, for safety of crews, victims, perimeters, etc. No felons need to be doing what a well trained crew will be doing. Felons do it all the time. As long as you know they are felons and they are watched, and assigned the right type of work, they are a great force multiplier. Legal or not, I had 2 guys working for me during Ivan (I think it was Ivan) for several days. We handcuffed one arm to the cot at night and they slept with us (We couldn't leave them un supervised for more then 5 minutes) They had the right to be returned to a jail cell at night, but they were Ok with it, and we treated them pretty well. As long as the COs don't get too short staffed from prision closures, they use large groups of prisioners all the time. The guys I got were state prisioners assigned to a county jail with space for rent. They has been talk of using prisioners to clean out chicken houses in a bird flu pandemic, but it's too racially charged (I kind of get it), so the plan is to use fire supression hotshot and hand crews, so no one can say they were forced. |
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When I hire on for one on one training, I make it very clear that the client will be subject to a criminal background check.
Even if I get as much as a bad vibe during the initial consult, I'll decline that contract. I'm not going to aid the "ill intentioned" or the stupid. That's 20% in this neighborhood. |