Neighborhood Response Structure

Sector Captains & Co-Captains

The City has been divided into 8 sectors. Each sector is headed by a volunteer captain and co-captain. These volunteers will be in possession of 2-way radios and will be the primary contacts with the City's Emergency Command and Control which is located in the Emergency Operations Center at:
401 Lafayette Street 3rd Floor
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Sector co-captains are responsible for:

  • Coordinating sector volunteers, materials, and supplies.
  • Developing a phone tree to communicate within their sector.
  • Holding sector meetings.
  • Identifying and working with at-risk individuals.
  • Maintaining sector sustainability and self-sufficiency during emergencies.

CERT-Trained Volunteers

CERT-trained volunteers are City residents who have taken the 30-hour, official CERT training. These federally approved courses train volunteers in:

  • Disaster Psychology
  • Disaster Response
  • Disaster Simulation Exercises
  • Fire Safety
  • First-Aid
  • Light Search and Rescue
  • Sheltering

These training sessions are held at the Fire House and other sites throughout the city. These trained volunteers will work with the sector co-captains and with the City during and after emergencies.

Amateur Radio Operators

Each sector has one or more amateur radio operators (HAMS), who are willing to assist with internal sector communication, sector-to-sector, and with the City. These volunteers are licensed to communicate on the 2-way radio system. They will work closely with each sector captain to provide back-up communication when needed. 

Neighborhood Representatives / Contacts

Neighborhood representatives are the primary neighborhood contacts for the sector captains from the various neighborhoods within each sector. They may be the spokespersons or designees for their own neighborhood association, organization, or neighborhood watch group (where there are no associations). In neighborhoods that have a neighborhood watch group, these volunteers work cooperatively with their sector captains and co-captains (neighborhood security, assistance, etc.).