Emergency Outreach

SMCCCD Employees: Disaster Service Workers

 

As a public employee within the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) and the broader community, your daily responsibilities have a direct impact on the well-being of individuals who reside, work, and engage in activities within the district. In the event of an emergency or disaster, you may be called upon to modify your usual duties or routines to address unforeseen needs as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW). It is important to note that all SMCCCD employees and city, county, and state employees are designated as Disaster Service Workers according to state law.

By familiarizing yourself with the information provided on this page, you can better understand your role as a Disaster Service Worker and take proactive steps to prepare yourself and your family for potential emergencies or disasters.

Examples of Local Emergencies

• Public Safety Power Shutoffs
• Public Health Emergencies
• Inclement Weather
• Earthquakes
• Flooding
• Local/Non-Local Fires
• Tsunamis
• Large Scale Evacuations

State Law: California Government Code

Under State law, Title I, Section 3100 of the California Government Code, all public employees are declared Disaster Service Workers who can be called upon in any emergency. This means that all SMCCCD employees have a responsibility to help in a disaster. Employees will perform duties as described in the Emergency Operations Plan for their respective programs, or other duties as assigned.  Every effort will be made to permit employees time to check on and secure the safety of their families. Once the employee has ensured their families are secure, they may be required to report back to work immediately following a disaster. With this in mind, employees are encouraged to follow the steps to form an Emergency Response Plan for Home and Family to prepare their families for unexpected disasters. If an employee must leave the work site to check on their family, prior to leaving the employee should work out a plan with their supervisor or designee regarding when they should return to work and how they should be contacted. 

Roles and Responsibilities of the Public Employee

Recent events around the world and here in California have increased awareness of the need for teamwork and preparedness for all emergency incidents, hazards, and disasters. In an emergency, non-essential public employees (those not required for continuity of operations) may be released from their usual duties and reassigned to assist any agency or organization in carrying out its emergency response duties. This means that when the Chancellor, City, County, or State declares an Emergency, employees may be required to serve as DSWs in support of the response and recovery efforts. Should you be contacted, you are required by law to report and serve. The SMCCCD Department of Human Resources and Office of Emergency Management will work with the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management (SMCDEM) to deploy needed DSWs. If you are being deployed, SMCCCD or SMCDEM will contact you, typically by RAVE notification, to advise you of your assigned role, and when and where to report.

The California Government Code states that: "All public employees are hereby declared to be Disaster Service Workers subject to such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.” All of our advanced preparation and planning can only succeed if we are ready, willing, and prepared to continue our responsibility to serve the public even in the face of crisis.

Employees acting as DSWs will be assigned duties within their scope of training, skill, and ability. Leadership will make every effort to assign you to roles based on the work you do every day, or special skills you possess. You will never be asked to perform duties that you do not know how to do or for which you have not received adequate training. Examples of DSW responsibilities may include:

• Registering people at a shelter or mass prophylaxis clinic
• Serving food to emergency staff or to vulnerable populations
• Translating for non-English speaking individuals
• Acting as a messenger at a designated site
• Other tasks as needed

SMCCCD Building Captains may perform extended duties, such as:

• Triage
• Rendering First Aid
• Advanced Bleeding Control

SMCCCD Subject Matter Experts & Supervisors may perform leadership duties, including tasks related to:

• Business Continuity
• Instructional Continuity
• Health Guidance and Policy

During a disaster, some departments will respond in their traditional roles (such as police and fire). Other departments may be required to perform their day-to-day tasks in addition to other duties to support the activities of the SMCCCD Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Employees who do not have a specific disaster assignment, and who have not received specific training, may be asked to perform other duties as assigned. These duties will normally be non-technical, such as:

When working in your role as a Disaster Service Worker, always remember to:

• Keep detailed records. For example, activity logs, expenses, assignments, names and contacts. Record your expenses, your DSW assignments, and the name of your DSW manager.
• Always sign in and out from work, and track your work hours. 
• Always report your whereabouts to your command supervisor so that you can be easily located if needed.
• Keep your emergency contact information up to date.

Rights and Responsibilities

When can you be exempted from Disaster Service Work?

• There may be times when family commitments or other pressing needs during an event will supersede you being able to work. Examples: care of elderly parents/relatives, care of children, or residing in the affected emergency zone.

How long might you be relocated?

• The standard request is for a DSW to be available to work for 14 days. While the goal is to provide relief for someone after a week, in a catastrophic event (e.g., earthquake) this might not be possible.
• Out of pocket expenses for travel and per diem will be paid according to your bargaining unit provisions.
• Overtime will also be paid according to your bargaining unit provisions. If travel is required for prolonged periods, arrangements will be made for payment.

There are two Government Codes that protect DSWs:

California Government Code 8657: Provides immunity from liability for both the worker and the agency, absent willful or criminal acts.
California Government Code 8659: Provides protections for healthcare providers, absent the event of a willful act or omission.

Emergency orders executed by the Governor could add additional requirements and/or benefits for Disaster Service Workers.