Coast Side Emergency Corps: Nick Gottuso was the first Coastside Coordinator from 2013 - 2016.  As Director of the 501c3 Non-Profit Coastside Emergency Corps (CEC). Nick organizes training for CEC members and Coastside residents, and works to improve the preparedness of Coastside community organizations.

CEC consists of volunteers with many different emergency services skills, but with one thing in common – a desire to help the community when disaster strikes.  If you have training/skills in emergency services, such as CERT, Large Animal Evacuation, HAM Radio, Red Cross shelter management, medical services, etc., you can join the CEC. 

You will need to have a background check done and be fingerprinted.  The CEC photo ID card you receive will list your skills on the back and identifies you as a person who is vetted and trained, and officials can then admit you to the Coastside Emergency Operations Center in Half Moon Bay (537 Kelly Ave.), an incident in the field, a Red Cross shelter, or wherever your particular skills are needed during an emergency.

The Coastside Zone (and CEC) has been divided into three branches:  Branch I goes from just south of the Devil’s Slide tunnel on Hwy 1 to Frenchman’s Creek Rd.; Branch II is from Frenchman’s Creek Rd. to Tunitas Creek Rd.; and Branch III is from Tunitas Creek Rd. to the Santa Cruz county and South Skyline Area.

CEC volunteers are covered for workers compensation as employees of San Mateo County, which is far better coverage than the state workers comp plan offered to Disaster Service Workers.  This provides CEC members with medical insurance coverage when activated to respond to an emergency or when participating in official CEC training events.

For more information about how YOU can join the Coastside Emergency Corp and become part of this very important group of volunteers, contact Nick Gottuso, at CECPortal1@gmail.com and visit their websiteCECPortal.org.

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