Community Hazards Emergency Response-Capability Assurance Process (CHER-CAP) Fact Sheet
(CHER-CAP) Fact Sheet
The Community Hazards Emergency Response-Capability Assurance Process (CHER-CAP) is offered by Regional Offices of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist local communities and tribal l governments in obtaining a greater understanding of community hazard risks, identifying planning deficiencies, updating plans, training first responders, and stimulating and testing the system for strengths and needed improvements. CHER-CAP is offered as an additional tool for state and local governments to use as they develop and enhance preparedness and response capabilities that will address any hazards that communities will face throughout our Nation.
As a voluntary program, CHER-CAP uses the skills and resources of federal, state, tribal, and local governments, and industry partners, to identify community hazard risks and address local jurisdictions' preparedness needs. It also enhances a community's ability to operate within the National Response System, as described in the National Contingency Plan.
FEMA's experience shows that jurisdictions significantly improve their all-hazards preparedness and response as a result of using CHER-CAP.
CHER-CAP Purpose
CHER-CAP's purpose is to:
Identify opportunities for plan revisions
Identify communication needs
Identify resource needs
Improve coordination
Comply with training requirements
Clarify roles and responsibilities
Improve individual performance
Serve as a Train-the-Trainer initiative for additional jurisdictions
Test plans and systems in a comprehensive HAZMAT exercise
Motivate public and private officials to support emergency programs
Increase general awareness of proficiency and needs
Improve federal , state , tribal
How CHER-CAP Works
Originally developed and implemented by FEMA's Region VI, CHER-CAP involves the commitment of people from responder agencies at the federal, state, local and tribal levels and from industry. These participants include both paid responders and volunteers. CHER-CAP is conducted in phases spanning four to six months. Communities interested in undertaking CHER-CAP notify their state emergency management agency. The state then identifies jurisdictions for participation. To gain maximum benefit from the CHER-CAP methodology, identified communities at the minimum will have:
An active LEPC with an emergency response plan;
A commitment to participate by a local industry partner in the jurisdiction; and,
The commitment and involvement of a key first responder agency in the jurisdiction to take the community lead.
Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and Industry Commitment
Once a community is identified for CHER-CAP participation, an initial meeting is held between the CHER-CAP facilitator and the LEPC to discuss the scope of the planned CHER-CAP and the general timeframe that will be needed to conduct it. The community then commits to undertake the CHER-CAP prescribed methodology. Information gathered during the CHER-CAP includes: the LEPC plan; existing mutual aid agreements; agency-specific standard operating procedures; existing data on hazardous substances in the community; documentation regarding training previously undertaken; and training needs.
Most CHER-CAP initiatives eventually include fire, police, emergency medical services, public works, health and environmental agencies, public officials, and hospitals, in addition to industry.
After discussions of the plan and SOP review, communities then choose to implement any suggested modifications they deem appropriate. Local, tribal government, and state agency officials, industry, and the FEMA representative or other CHER-CAP coordinator identifies available training programs based on identified needs. Tabletop exercises also may be conducted prior to the full-scale exercise. The full-scale exercise scenario and staging considerations are developed with the LEPC and other participating entities as part of the training so that agencies prepare to test and demonstrate their skills in the final no-fault, full-scale exercise.
The Exercise
The final phase of CHER-CAP, a full-scale exercise, is staged with "live" props, such as tanker trucks, railcars, or fixed facilities, with simulated smoke and leaking (dyed water) liquid and simulated casualties. CHER-CAP exercises involve a mass casualty scenario. The CHER-CAP exercise, typically involving 100 to 300 participants, is tailored to the specific hazard risks the community confronts. The evaluation is based on the objective criteria outlined in FEMA's HAZMAT Exercise Evaluation Supplement which include:
Emergency Response Teams
Emergency Operations Center
Fire, Rescue and HAZMAT
Incident Command System
Law Enforcement
Emergency Medical Services
Medical Facility
Resource Management
Direction and Control
Facilities, Equipment and Displays
Communications
Public Information
Population Protective Actions
Population Protection/Relocation Centers
Re-entry and Recovery
Post Exercise Analysis
Peer evaluators observe the exercise and record their observations. Fire operations are observed by evaluators from other fire departments; police by police; hospitals by other hospitals, etc. The exercise takes approximately four hours followed by a post exercise analysis. A final report is submitted to participants following the exercise.
FEMA believes that communities must be better prepared to assess hazards in their communities, including technological hazards, terrorist attacks as well as natural disasters. FEMA offers CHER-CAP as a voluntary, comprehensive preparedness effort to address All-Hazards. For more information regarding CHER-CAP, contact your FEMA regional office or state emergency management office.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 08-May-2007 16:04:31 EDT