Volunteers & Training
Providence Emergency Management Agency
Become a PEMA Volunteer
PEMA recruits and maintains a cadre of highly trained volunteers to assist with our mission! Volunteers are trained in disaster preparedness and response, first aid, shelter operations, basic search and rescue, damage assessments, crowd management and more.
At PEMA, volunteer opportunities are for people interested in emergency preparedness, disaster response and recovery efforts, and community outreach. Opportunities include assisting PEMA during emergencies (severe weather monitoring, Emergency Operation Center support, Points of Distribution/Dispensing) and city-wide events (PVDFest, National Night Out, Pride, Touch-a-Truck).
Volunteer meetings are held monthly to keep our program robust. These meeting consist of trainings from internal and external partners, development of practical skills, and more. We encourage all to participate in our volunteer program – all ages (18+), physical abilities, and educational levels have the opportunity to help their community!
Training Opportunities
UNTIL HELP ARRIVES
Life-threatening emergencies can happen quickly, and first responders aren’t always nearby. Learn what simple actions dan provide immediate care to help save someone’s life – you are the help until professional help arrives!
Until Help Arrives (UHA) is a 3-hour class that offers students the opportunity to learn initial incident response, bleeding control, tourniquet use, proper interaction with 911, mass casualty response, and comforting the injured.
To be notified of an upcoming training, please contact the Preparedness Coordinator at preparedness@providenceri.gov.
CPR
Anyone can learn CPR and be prepared to act in the event of a cardiac emergency. This Hands-Only CPR class will equip you with the tools and confidence you need to transform yourself from the role of bystander to lifesaver!
ACTIVE THREAT
Do you know what to do in an active threat situation? PEMA and the Providence Police Department have developed a training that covers the three steps to staying safe during an active threat incident; Run, Hide, Fight. This 2.5 hour-course covers identifying and preventing active threats, Police response, recovering from an incident, and tactical first aid.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a nation-wide initiative to promote disaster preparedness within the whole community. This is a free 4-week course, consisting of 8 units taught by subject-matter-experts. Classes are typically held twice a week in the evening.
Did you know that is it expected that every household is able to sustain themselves for 72 hours after an incident?
The course covers materials that range from general disaster preparedness to first aid skills, to light search and rescues, disaster psychology, utility controls, and more. The class ends with a practical exam, also known as a “rodeo” where the students have the opportunity to practice the skills they learned in class.
The Statewide Rodeo is hosted by RIEMA in the spring where all CERTs from around the state join together for a day of enhancing and refining their skills. It’s a great opportunity to meet other CERT members and keep up-to date on training!
To be notified of the next class, please contact the Preparedness Coordinator at preparedness@providenceri.gov.
PEMA Radio Civil Emergency Services (RACES) Club
The Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) in cooperation with local amateur radio enthusiasts has established a Radio Civil Emergency Services (RACES) Club with the mission of providing amateur radio emergency communications support to the City of Providence during a disaster.
RACES is a national reserve organization that provides a pool of trained communication volunteers that can be called upon in time of need. The PEMA RACES Club’s main function is to provide amateur radio communications support for the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Mission
The mission of the PEMA RACES Club is to provide trained licensed Amateur Radio volunteers to provide the City with emergency communications in accordance with FCC rules and regulations during a time of crisis.
Volunteer Responsibilities & Training
The RACES Club will meet on the first Saturday of each month. Furthermore, a monthly RACES radio net will be held on the repeater bi-weekly on a day to be determined by the RACES Club Officer.
Amateur Radio Equipment
The club presently has one Kenwood TS-2000 HF/VHF/UHF Mode Multi Bander located in the EOC Communications Room. The Club also uses two antennas; an Alpha-Delta DXCC 6-80m and a Diamond Tri-Band V-2000 (6-2M-440).
Call Sign & License
Call Sign: KK1PMA
Station Privileges: CLUB
Grant Date: March 14, 2013
Expiration Date: March 14, 2023
FCC Registration Number: 0022527030
Qualifications for Membership
- U.S. Citizen
- 18 years of age
- Valid Rhode Island / US Driver’s License
- Able to pass basic background check
- Speak English as a Primary Language; bi-lingual is a plus
- Have a valid Amateur Radio License or have the ability to obtain an Amateur Radio license