What he hears is music to his ears — and brings a sense of fulfillment to his heart.
Nocera is the volunteer coordinator of Franklin County's Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency. Each Wednesday across Franklin County, Nocera and his fellow volunteers listen for the wail of the emergency sirens being tested so that the sirens will be heard when they are sounded to alert the community to weather dangers and other emergencies.
"In the last nine years, this has been a large portion of my life," said Nocera, 70, of Westerville. "It's an adrenaline rush."
Outside with a walkie-talkie, Nocera hears the siren blare and calls the emergency management office to report that the siren nearest him activated. It blared for 20 seconds, followed by a pause of 40 seconds and another 20-second blast, giving the siren time to rotate and be heard in the opposite direction.
Nocera and his group of volunteers try to ensure that Franklin County's 196 external sirens and 37 inside alarms — which are in places such as an arena where the outside sirens might not be heard — are working. If one isn't, the county office has 24 hours to repair it.
"He gives us eyes on the ground," agency Director Jeffrey Young said of Nocera.
Without Nocera and his cadre of volunteers, Young would have to send out paid staff members to make sure the sirens work. "That's not a good management practice," Young said. "This is a no-cost benefit to our community."
Nocera grew up in New Castle, Pennsylvania. His career in financial services for banks, hospitals and an energy company took him many places, but he has lived in central Ohio for 40 years. He also did volunteer work in many of his jobs. A self-described workaholic, Nocera retired nine years ago after he was ordered to lay off people on his staff.
In retirement, he quickly became bored. "I don't golf. I had to find something to do," Nocera said.
He went online to the county agency's home page and took classes that qualified him for a Community Emergency Response Team certification. Then he showed up at the agency's offices asking how he could use his new knowledge.
"It was something to keep my mind occupied," Nocera said.
Now, Nocera is the leader of the siren watch team. About 45 volunteers on a typical Wednesday are available to monitor sirens. He has about 100 volunteers but needs an additional 300 to cover all the sirens all the time.
After a Wednesday test, he returns to his computer at the emergency-management office and logs the volunteers' emailed or phoned-in reports.
Many of the volunteers also are retirees.
Nocera, who listens to a weather radio at home to be ready in case he's needed quickly, joked that for all his work with the county agency, he has been compensated with a jacket and three agency shirts per year.
The eight to 20 hours he volunteers weekly at the agency are worth it, he said. He sees the staff as family and his work there as a way for him to contribute.
"It gives me the self-satisfaction knowing that I'm giving back to the community," Nocera said.
He has no plan to slow down. "I'm not going anywhere," Nocera said. "I'm not going to let these people down."
To apply to be a volunteer, call 614-794-0213, email swwatche@franklincountyohio.gov or go to www.fcemhs.org.
kperry@dispatch.com
@kimballperry
———
©2017 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio)
Visit The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) at www.dispatch.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
