History

quake-photo

Photo: Deanne Fitzmaurice
1989 Earthquake
In spite of its distance and limited power, the Loma Prieta earthquake seriously strained the resources of the police, fire fighters and paramedics. In response, the Oakland Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Services developed CORE as a citizen emergency response program to help our community become more self-sufficient in disaster situations.

fire-photo

Photo: Berkeley.edu
1991 Fire, Severe Weather, Chemical Accidents
The tragic Firestorm of 1991 reminded us that Oakland was vulnerable to other hazards as well. CORE’s focus was then expanded to include fire prevention and suppression as well as preparedness and response to severe weather and chemical accidents.

Funding
Originally CORE received most of its funding though a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). But when funds ran out, the Fire Suppression District and the City of Oakland became responsible for its financial support.

General Program:

CORE is a free training program that is available to individuals, neighborhood groups and community-based organizations in Oakland. The underlying premise of the program is that a major disaster will overwhelm our first responders and leave many of our citizens on their own for the first 72 hours after the emergency. CORE teaches self-reliance skills and helps neighborhoods establish response teams to take care of the neighborhood until professional emergency personnel arrive.

Over 5,000 Oakland residents have received CORE training since the program started. We're proud to be awarded the Outstanding Service Award by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

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Photo: Deanne Fitzmaurice	1989 Earthquake In spite of its distance and limited power, the Loma Prieta earthquake seriously strained the resources of the police, fire fighters and paramedics. In response, the Oakland Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Services developed CORE as a citizen emergency response program to help our community become more self-sufficient in disaster situations.
Photo: Berkeley.edu	1991 Fire, Severe Weather, Chemical Accidents The tragic Firestorm of 1991 reminded us that Oakland was vulnerable to other hazards as well. CORE’s focus was then expanded to include fire prevention and suppression as well as preparedness and response to severe weather and chemical accidents.
Funding Originally CORE received most of its funding though a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). But when funds ran out, the Fire Suppression District and the City of Oakland became responsible for its financial support. General Program: CORE is a free training program that is available to individuals, neighborhood groups and community-based organizations in Oakland. The underlying premise of the program is that a major disaster will overwhelm our first responders and leave many of our citizens on their own for the first 72 hours after the emergency. CORE teaches self-reliance skills and helps neighborhoods establish response teams to take care of the neighborhood until professional emergency personnel arrive. Over 5,000 Oakland residents have received CORE training since the program started. We're proud to be awarded the Outstanding Service Award by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.