Mission Statement
The Community Disaster Preparedness Foundation is dedicated to promoting disaster preparedness by organizing, training, and equipping neighborhood disaster response teams.
We will work in conjunction with and support Community Emergency Response Team programs, coordinators, volunteers, and teams to design supplemental training for the public and improve team organization, training, and communications.
Our goal is to introduce and promote community training, organization, preparedness, and disaster radio communications.
To do so, we will put on first-aid, other classes, and drills aimed at improving community and volunteer training.
We also work with neighborhood councils and other partners to obtain and maintain a range of community radio repeaters and neighborhood caches of disaster supplies and equipment.
Furthermore, we will create opportunities for community members to purchase relevant radio equipment and preparedness supplies at discounted prices to better their communication and response abilities in a disaster.
Meet the Team
Our board of directors are volunteer CERT Coordinators from the Los Angeles. Our goal is to help other CERT Coordinators develop and build teams in their areas using the systems and drills we’ve developed for our own areas.
Patrick Botz-Forbes
Executive Director
Patrick is a CERT Central Bureau Coordinator, Member of the LAFD Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) (FCC General License Ham Radio Operator), EMT, and a SSG (CA) in the California State Guard.
His goal is to build self-sufficient and trained neighborhood teams in each community so that when a disaster occurs, team members know where to go and what to do without the need for a defined command structure to do so.
Glenn Dollar
Secretary
CERT Battalion 15 Coordinator, EMT
Chin Thammasaengsri
Vice President
CERT South Bureau Coordinator
Tom Wirth
Board Member
Tom is a LAFD CERT Battalion 2 Coordinator and has been a CERT Coordinator since 2000. He is an EMT and the LAFD Auxiliary Communication Service Planning Section Officer. Tom has 33 years of government service, at LAX as a COOP Planner for Customs and Border Protection.
He wants to develop a usable template that CERT and non-CERT neighbors can use to work together during the first hours of a crisis. His plan is to bring together key neighbors to refine the template and make it work where they live. The template isn’t creating anything new, it fills the gaps between the Red Cross, CERT and LA EMD. This leads to the development of self reliant neighborhood teams.
How Can We Help You?
Contact us and let us know how we can help you develop your Neighborhood Team.