Background
and
Mission
Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) and its name is self-explanatory. CAER advances community safety through communication, education and awareness. CAER efforts also include assisting the community in becoming better prepared for all kinds of emergencies – chemical, transportation and natural.
Purpose of Steele County CAER
The purpose of Steele County CAER is to provide a coordinated approach to disaster awareness and mobilization because disasters overwhelm the resources of any single community, organization or individual.
Steele County CAER Mission Statement
Steele County CAER is a group of county organizations and citizens that provide a comprehensive approach to public education, planning, prevention, emergency response and recovery in the event of natural or man-made disaster. Steele County CAER will function as the Steele County Citizen Corp.
CAER Background
CAER was established in 1988 by the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) as part of Responsible Care. The purpose of Responsible Care was to respond to public concerns about the manufacture and use of chemicals.
The original objective of Responsible Care was to assure emergency preparedness and to foster community right-to-know. The code has two major components:
- To assure that facilities that manufacture, process, use, distribute or store hazardous materials initiate and maintain a community outreach program to openly communicate relevant, useful information responsive to the public’s questions and concerns about Environmental Health and Safety (EHS).
- To help protect employees and communities by assuring that each facility has an emergency response program to respond rapidly and effectively to emergencies Steele County CAER.
CAER Objectives
In Steele County, CAER is a collaborative effort involving Public Safety organizations and industries. The core objectives of Steele County CAER are:
- Safe Industrial Facility Operations
- Coordinated Emergency Response
- An Effective Safety Sharing Forum
- A Trust-Based Relationship with the Community
CAER Mission
The mission of CAER is a safe and informed public. To achieve its mission, CAER will:
- Facilitate the cooperative safety improvements of industrial plant operations
- Promote coordinated mutual emergency aid
- Provide emergency preparedness and response training to the public
- Openly communicate and respond to the public’s concerns about safety of industrial facility operations
- Offer credible facts and analysis on the efficacy of public policy related to public safety issues and safe facility performance
- Facilitate community interaction with agencies and industrial entities