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Question: What is Citizen Corps?
Answer: Citizen Corps is a grassroots
initiative to strengthen America’s communities and increase their resiliency
to the wide array of natural and man-made hazards that threaten our safety
and security. The program was created by the President in 2002 and is
headquartered in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Community
Preparedness Division. Inspired by the vast outpouring of spontaneous
volunteer support after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Citizen
Corps strives to answer the essential questions “What can I do?” and “How
can I help?” in a meaningful way. Citizen Corps does this by providing local
opportunities for Americans of all abilities to prepare, train and volunteer
to help address all types of natural and man-made hazards. Please visit
citizencorps.gov
for more information.
Question: What is the Citizen Corps mission?
Answer: Citizen Corps’ mission is to bring
community and government leaders together to coordinate the involvement of
community members and non-governmental resources in emergency preparedness,
planning, mitigation, response, and recovery.
Question: How does
Citizen Corps work?
Answer: With so many different roles and
functions to play in an emergency, successful response and recovery must be
supported by well-coordinated planning, training, and preparation. Citizen
Corps Councils are designed to bring together government, community leaders,
first responders, emergency managers, businesses, non-profit and volunteer
organizations, and other groups with a direct interest in strengthening
their communities. When disaster strikes, everyone knows what their role is,
who they need to coordinate with, and how to get support where and when it
is needed most.
Question: Where are
Citizen Corps Councils located?
Answer: Over 2,200 State, local, tribal and
territorial governments all 56 states and U.S. territories have formed
Citizen Corps Councils, and every day new Councils are formed in communities
around the country. These Councils help drive local citizen preparedness and
participation by assessing possible threats, identifying local resources,
developing community action plans, and coordinating Citizen Corps programs
to train and exercise volunteers.
Question: What are
Citizen Corps Partner Programs and Affiliates?
Answer: Citizen Corps works with five
national Partner Programs through partnerships with other federal agencies
and national organizations. The five programs—Community Emergency Response
Teams (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Fire Corps, USA On Watch/
Neighborhood Watch (NWP), and Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)—provide
national resources for training and exercising citizens at the state and
local levels. In addition, 25 Citizen Corps Affiliate Programs and
Organizations offer community resources for public education, outreach, and
training; represent volunteers interested in helping to make their community
safer; or offer volunteer service opportunities to support first responders,
disaster relief activities, and community safety efforts. Visit
citizencorps.gov/programs/ for more information.
The Volusia
County Citizen Corps seeks to make communities safer, stronger, and better
prepared to respond to all types of disaster; including terrorism, by
engaging individuals in crime prevention, emergency preparedness and
response through education, training, and volunteer service. It is
sponsored by the Volusia County office of Emergency Management and managed
by the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties.
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