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Santa Paula Community Emergency Response Team Association
By-Laws
ARTICLE 1 – NAME
1.1 The name of the organization is the Santa Paula Community Emergency
Response Team Association in the County of Ventura formed March 15th,
2006. The Santa Paula Community Emergency Response Team Association
is a non-profit organization that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
1.2 The terminology “CERT” used within this document shall stand for
Community Emergency Response Team. The terminology “Association”
used within this document shall refer to the Santa Paula CERT Association.
ARTICLE 2 – OBJECTIVE AND MISSION STATEMENT
2.1 The objective of the Association is to assist State, County, and City
Emergency Services in any and all emergencies and to assist the general
public in such emergencies as trained.
2.2 The mission of Santa Paula CERT Association is to educate the citizens of
Santa Paula to be prepared and to care safely for themselves, families, friends
and neighbors in the event of a disaster of any type until additional
emergency help can arrive and to establish CERT as an emergency
management resource to continue to provide training, education and support
to volunteers in basic disaster response skills such as fire fighting and safety,
light search, and rescue and basic disaster medical skills and to participate in
non-emergency projects that promote and improve safety of the City of Santa
Paula.
ARTICLE 3 - LOCATION
3.1 The Association’s office and principle place of business and general
meetings shall be at Logsdon's Restaurant, 824 E. Santa Maria Street, at the
Santa Paula Airport. Street, Santa Paula, California, 93060.
ARTICLE 4 – MEETING DATES AND TIMES
4.1 The Association’s General Membership shall meet at least annually to elect
officers and representatives to the Board of Directors and conduct any other
meetings deemed necessary to facilitate the business of the Association.
General Membership Meetings shall be open to the Association’s membership.
4.2 The Association’s Board of Directors Meeting dates and times shall
normally be on the third Wednesday of each month at 1900 hours. Board of
Directors Meetings shall be open to the Association’s membership.
4.3 Other meetings deemed necessary to facilitate the business of the
Association may be conducted and reports summarizing the activities and
proceeding presented to the Board of Directors monthly meetings.
ARTICLE 5 – BUSINESS
5.1 The conduct of the Association’s business shall be vested in the Board of
Directors to be carried out in accordance with mandate of the membership.
ARTICLE 6 - MEMBERSHIP
6.1 General membership in the Association shall be open to all those who are
18 years of age and have satisfactorily completed CERT course, and are
willing to serve their community in the CERT program on a volunteer basis.
6.2 Associate membership in the Association shall be open to all those who
have an interest and willingness to sponsor and participate in CERT activities
that provide training and education. Associate members do not have the
same privileges as general members and are non-voting members of the
Association.
ARTICLE 7 – GOVERNMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION
7.1 The government of the Association shall be by the General Membership,
Board of Directors, Officers and committees.
7.2 The Association’s General Membership shall elect annually the officers
and membership representatives by majority vote to the Board of Directors
and conduct any other business of the Association. Election of the
Association’s Board of Directors and officers shall be scheduled during
General Membership Meeting in March. Business conducted by the
Association’s General Membership shall be through the medium of voting and
placing business on the agenda by the use of motions in regular business
meetings. Questions, issues or motions voted upon by the Association shall
be determined by a majority vote of members present at the meeting.
7.3 The Board of Directors established by the Association’s General
Membership shall conduct and direct any business and activities of the
Association, manage and control finances, and provide and maintain a trained
membership.
7.3.1 The members of the Board of Directors shall be elected annually in
March. The Board of Directors shall consist of nine (9) members – five (5)
elected officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant-
of-Arms) and four (4) elected membership representatives. The elected
officers shall serve a term of one (1) year beginning 1 May to 30 April of the
next year. The elected membership representatives shall serve a term of two
(2) years beginning 1 May to 30 April of the second year. The elected
membership representatives shall be divided equally as may be into two
groups where one group is elected in even years and the other group is
elected in odd years.
7.3.2 Business conducted by the Board of Directors shall be through the
medium of voting and placing business on the agenda by the use of motions
by board members in business meetings. Questions, issues or motions voted
upon by the Association shall be determined by a majority vote of members
present at the meeting. A majority of five (5) board members must be present
in order for the business of the Association can be conducted. The Board of
Directors may hold other meetings outside of regular business meeting as
deemed necessary and serve on committees to facilitate the business of the
Association.
7.3.3 The Board of Directors at their discretion may convene the General
Membership to present proposals, issues or hold special elections. Special
elections may be held to elect new officers or membership representatives
when officers or membership representatives resign or vacate the position.
The newly elected officer or membership representative will serve out the
remaining term of the position.
7.4 The elected officers of the Association shall be responsible for carrying
out the daily business of the Association as directed by the Board of Directors
and are voting members on the Board of Directors. The officers shall report
status and summaries of activities to the Board of Directors.
7.4.1 President – The duties of President shall include convening and
conducting all Santa Paula CERT Association’s General Membership and
Board of Directors Meetings, have overall coordinating authority of any
Association’s activities, and work closely with the State, County, and City
Emergency Services.
7.4.2 Vice-President – The duties of the Vice-President shall include assisting
the President with the daily business of the Association and act as President
in the absence of the elected President in full capacity of that position.
7.4.3 Secretary – The duties of the Secretary shall include taking minutes of
the Association’s General Membership and Board of Directors Meetings,
maintaining a database of members, training records, instructors, and
resources of any kind, and act as President in the absence of the elected
President and Vice-President in full capacity of that position.
7.4.4 Treasurer – The duties of the Treasurer shall include responsibilities for
administration of the Association’s funds, disbursement of funds, maintaining
accurate records, be subject to an audit of all financial records annually and
as necessary upon request of the Board of Directors, and act as President in
the absence of the elected President, Vice-President and Secretary in full
capacity of that position.
7.4.5 Sergeant-of-Arms – The duties of Sergeant-of-Arms shall include
ensuring and maintaining order during the proceedings of the Association’s
General Membership and Board of Directors Meetings and act as President in
the absence of the elected President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer
in full capacity of that position.
7.5 The Board of Directors may establish or dissolve standing or ad hoc
committees at anytime to facilitate the business of the Association and shall
determine the committee’s purpose, structure, composition, membership, and
business practices unless otherwise specified below. The Board of Director
shall establish the following committees:
7.5.1 Advisory Committee – The Advisory Committee is consist of subject
matter experts who may or may not be member of the Association and provide
opinions and recommendations to the Board of Directors and participate in
Board of Director Meetings by offering motions for the Board of Directors to
consider. The Board of Directors shall decide the type of subject matter
experts to serve on the Advisory Committee. The Santa Paula Emergency
Preparedness Coordinator shall be a permanent member of the Advisory
Committee.
7.5.2 Nomination Committee – The Nomination Committee shall nominate or
recommend candidates for positions in the Association directly to the Board
of Directors. The Nomination Committee shall consist of three (3) members
that may include the President, Vice-President, and one other Board of
Directors member.
7.5.3 Hearing Committee – The Hearing Committee shall review the conduct of
members and report directly to the Board of Directors. The Hearing
Committee shall consist of seven (7) members that include at least one officer
and six (6) other Board of Directors members. The Hearing Committee
Chairperson will be the Association’s ranking officer present.
7.5.4 Planning and Training Committee – The Planning and Training
Committee shall plan and coordinate activities, events, training and exercises.
7.5.5 Information and Administrative Committee – The Administrative
Committee shall plan, develop, and coordinate media activities and releases,
support fund raising events, maintain records and inventory lists, and provide
administrative resources to CERTs.
7.5.6 Operations and Communications Committee – The Operations and
Communications Committee shall plan, develop, and coordinate
communication activities and resources, provide communication training,
maintain communication resources and records, and provide communication
links to CERTs.
7.5.7 Medical Committee – The Medical Committee shall plan, develop, and
coordinate medical activities and resources, provide basic medical training,
maintain medical resources and records, and provide medical resources to
CERTs.
7.5.8 Search and Rescue Committee – The Search and Rescue Committee
shall plan, develop, and coordinate search and rescue activities and
resources, provide search and rescue training, maintain search and rescue
resources and records, and provide search and rescue resources to CERTs.
7.5.9 Logistic Committees – The Logistic Committee shall plan, develop, and
coordinate logistic activities and resources, provide logistic training, maintain
logistic resources and records, and provide logistic resources to CERTs.
7.6 The Board of Directors may establish or dissolve CERTs at anytime,
ensure teams are consistence with and comply with CERT training and
guidance, and shall determine the team’s area of responsibility, membership,
structure, and operations practices.
ARTICLE 8 – RULE OF CONDUCT
8.1 As an organization formed to assist and train the general public, and to
serve State, County, and City Emergency Services, the membership of this
Association will so conduct themselves in a professional manner, and will not
discredit this or any other organization intentionally.
8.2 Any member discrediting this organization or any other organization
intentionally will become subject to an internal hearing within this Association
on the charges made against them. Any criminal charges brought upon the
member shall be handled in accordance with the laws of the State, County, or
City.
8.3 Any member found guilty of charges of misconduct shall be expelled from
the Association without any recourse, and the Association or any of its
members will not be held liable for any of the charges of the one being
expelled.
ARTICLE 9 – BY-LAW AMENDMENTS
9.1 When, and if the By-Laws are revised or added to in any way the revisions
or additions will not be valid until a majority vote on those changes or
additions is made by the Board of Directors of the Association present at the
regular Board of Directors Meeting.
ARTICLE 10 – DISSOLUTION
10.1 Upon dissolution of the Association, any remaining assets shall be
distributed to the Santa Paula Emergency Preparedness Services. Any
remaining funds may be used at the discretion of the Santa Paula Emergency
Preparedness Services for the purpose of supporting Santa Paula community
emergency preparedness.
