03-114 Volunteer Center of Silicon Valleyo3J~~~
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN
THE CITY OF (~UPERTINO
AND THE
VOLUNTEER CENTER ~~F SILICON VALLEY
This Memorandum of Understanding is entered into by and between the City of Cupertino
and the Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley, anon-profit corporation.
Purpose
The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding is to define a cooperative working
relationship between the City of Cupertino and she Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley for
the purpose of registering and referring convergent or spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers
for the City of Cupertino immediately following a major emergency or disaster. This
Memorandum will outline how the Volunteer Center will render assistance to provide this
service following a major disaster to the City of Cupertino.
The Role of the Volunteer Center
When activated, the Volunteer Center has one distinct role in disaster response in Santa
Clara County. As a referral organization working; with 920 of the more than 2500 non-profit
organizations in the Santa Clara County, the Volunteer Center will provide services to
register and refer volunteers immediately following a major emergency or disaster. The
Volunteer Center has developed a disaster response plan to manage a coordinated system for
deploying volunteers to government and nonprofit organizations working closely with the 15
municipal jurisdictions and the county through the Santa Clara County Emergency
Manager's Association.
The Volunteer Center will consider any request t:o activate during both the response and
recovery periods following a major disaster. Representatives of any government Office of
Emergency Services (OES) may request the Volunteer Center to activate, and the Volunteer
Center executive staff will determine activation capabilities based on assessment of available
staff and resources. The Volunteer Center will maintain its independent authority to
determine activation and will make every effort to respond to requests for activation within
24 hours from the time of request.
The Volunteer Center will act as a referral agent only and will not be responsible for
screening volunteers. Any organization utilizing ;~ disaster volunteer referred by the
Volunteer Center assumes liability for working with the volunteer and is responsible for
screening and determining if the volunteer is appropriate for their organization. This remains
true for any organization the Volunteer Center refers volunteers to including all government
and public service organizations.
MOU City of Cupertino and Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley -Page 1
Methods of Cooperation
The Volunteer Center is incorporated into many municipal disaster plans and the county
disaster plan and will support emergency response organizations by providing a system for
referring and requesting convergent and/or spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers (SUVs).
Convergent and/or spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers are those volunteers who are not
pre-trained but come forward at the time of a disaster to offer their services to help with
relief and recovery efforts. If the Volunteer Center Disaster Plan is activated, the Volunteer
Center will set-up a walk-in Emergency Volunteer Operations Center and/or a phone bank
/or a website system to meet these needs throughout Santa Clara County. The Emergency
Volunteer Operations Center will be located on the first floor of the United Way building at
1922 The Alameda in San Jose. If these facilities axe uninhabitable, the county or a local
municipality may offer an alternate site. Based o:1 the scope and location of the disaster, the
Volunteer Center may set-up satellite centers to meet the needs of different regions in the
county.
The City of Cupertino may help the Volunteer Center provide these services by providing
alternate locations, and, if necessary, equipment and supplies for operating an Emergency
Volunteer Operations Center.
The Volunteer Center will communicate with local government EOCs via phone, amateur
radio, messenger and/or in person. In a countywide event involving multiple jurisdictions,
the Volunteer Center may send a liaison to the county EOC or in a localized event, may
send a liaison to municipal EOCs where they wvl function within the Standardized
Emergency Management System Incident Command System and report to the Logistics
Section Chief or Personnel Unit.
This coordination between the City of Cupertino and the Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley
does not impose any administrative authority or fiscal control by government or its
emergency organizations over the Volunteer Center, its policies, volunteers or employees;
nor does it empower the Volunteer Center to encroach upon, invade, or substitute for local
government statutory obligations to plan, prepare for and respond to, disaster situations
within its jurisdictions.
Cost Recovery Section
In the event that the City of Cupertino declares a local emergency, and obtains a
Gubernatorial and/or Presidential declaration, tl~e Volunteer Center may be eligible for
recovery of documented costs beyond normal operating expenses as deemed appropriate by
administering state and federal agencies. The City of Cupertino Office of Emergency
Services will assist with this recovery of documented costs. The City of Cupertino shall not
be liable for any of the operating expenses of the. Volunteer Center, emergency or otherwise.
The Volunteer Center will pay for its own norm<<l operating expenses.
MOU City of Cupertino and Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley -Page 2
Term of Memorandum
This Memorandum of Understanding will be i~1 effect as of the date below and shall
remain in full force and effect for four (4) years from that date, and shall be automatically
renewed for additional four-year terms thereafter. Not withstanding the above, either
party may cancel this agreement upon providing written notice to the other party at least
ninety (90) days in advance of the cancellation date. This agreement may be renegotiated
at any given time at the request of either party.
Indemnification
The parties agree that all losses or liabilities incurred by either Party as a result of the Party's
performance of its responsibilities under this M(~U shall not be shared pro rata but instead
the parties agree that each Party shall indemnify defend and hold the other harmless from
any claim, expense or cost, damage or liability arising out of, or in connection with, the
performances of its responsibilities pursuant to phis MOU.
Amendments
Amendments to the terms and conditions of thi;~ MOU shall be effective only upon mutual
agreement in writing by the parties hereto. The (:ity of Cupertino Office of Emergency
Services has the authority on behalf of the City of Cupertino to execute any amendments
pertaining to the operational issues of this agreement.
Independent Contractor
The Volunteer Center shall be solely responsible for the acts and omissions of its officers,
agents, employees, contractors, and subcontractors, if any. Nothing herein shall be
considered as creating a partnership or joint venture between this local government and the
Volunteer Center. No person performing any of the work or services described hereunder
shall be considered an officer, agent, servant, or employee of a local government, agency, nor
shall any such person be entitled to any benefits available or granted to local government
employees.
Other Agreements
This MOU places no restrictions on either party from participation in similar agreements
and/or activities with other public or private entities.
Insurance
Each party shall maintain it's own insurance coverage, through commercial insurance, self-
insurance or a combination thereof, against any claim, expense, cost, damage or liability
arising out of the performance of its responsibili-ties pursuant to this MOU.
MOU City of Cupertino and Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley -Page 3
Notices
All notices required to be given pursuant this MOU shall be in writing and shall be delivered
in person, delivered by electronic facsimile, or deposited in the United States mail, certified
mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the parties as set forth below:
City of Cupertino
Office of Emergency Services
10300 Torre Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014
FAX (408) 777-3336
PHONE (408) 777-3335
Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley
1922 The Alameda, Suite 211
San Jose, CA 95126
FAX (408) 247-5805
PHONE (408) 247-1126
In Witness Whereof, the City of Cupertino, and the Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley have
executed this MOU on the dates indicated below.
Entered into agreement by:
City of Cupertino
David Knapp
City Manager
Attest:
~~ ~~~(.!
C~-ky GerJ;
Date: ~ ~• C S . 03
The Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley
Ste hen T. Quigley, r.
Executive Director
/~ ~ ~~
D e
MOU City of Cupertino and Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley -Page 4