Community Preparedness - Citizen Participation

There are many opportunities for individuals to help make their communities be better prepared for disasters. After September 11, 2001, the federal government developed an umbrella organization and the concept of local councils to help citizens find avenues for participation and assist the various volunteer programs with planning and recruiting. That umbrella is called Citizen Corps, and the councils are called Citizen Corps Councils.

Citizen Corps has several charter programs, but other programs that engage citizens in community preparedness can be brought under the umbrella. Some of the programs may be available in your community even if there is no Citizen Corps Council.

You can engage in making your community safer in a number of ways:

Join a Citizen Corps Council in your area. Find Councils. If one does not exist, speak to your state of local director of emergency management or homeland security to see if you can help start one.
Join one of the Citizen Corps Council charter programs (see below). If one does not exist in your community, consider starting one.
Volunteer with any of the organizations in your community that are active in disasters. e.g., the Red Cross, a faith-based group, or perhaps a volunteer group affiliated with the Cooperative Extension Service. Check to see if your local program is affiliated with Citizen Corps.

		Citizen Corps Councils helps drive local citizen participation by coordinating Citizen Corps programs, developing community action plans, assessing possible threats and identifying local resources.

		The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, and disaster medical operations. CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event and can take a more active role in preparing their community. The program is administered by DHS.

		The Fire Corps promotes the use of citizen advocates to enhance the capacity of resource-constrained fire and rescue departments at all levels: volunteer, combination, and career. Citizen advocates can assist local fire departments in a range of activities including fire safety outreach, youth programs, and administrative support. Fire Corps is funded through DHS and is managed and implemented through a partnership between the National Volunteer Fire Council, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

		An expanded Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP) Program incorporates terrorism awareness education into its existing crime prevention mission, while also serving as a way to bring residents together to focus on emergency preparedness and emergency response training. Funded by DOJ, Neighborhood Watch is administered by the National Sheriffs' Association.

		The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Program strengthens communities by helping medical, public health and other volunteers offer their expertise throughout the year as well as during local emergencies and other times of community need. MRC volunteers work in coordination with existing local emergency response programs and also supplement existing community public health initiatives, such as outreach and prevention, immunization programs, blood drives, case management, care planning, and other efforts. The MRC program is administered by HHS.

		Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) works to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers. VIPS serves as a gateway to resources and information for and about law enforcement volunteer programs. Funded by DOJ, VIPS is managed and implemented by International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Descriptions of CERT, Fire Corps, Watch, Medical Reserve and VIPS were copies from the www.citizencorps.gov website.

The EDEN National Preparedness Month materials were developed with funding from the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture under CSREES/USDA Agreement No. 2004-37620-14644. Any opinions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA Non-Discrimination Statement