History

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History
Following the tragic events that occurred on Sep.
11, 2001, state and local government officials
increased opportunities for citizens to become an
integral part of protecting the homeland and
supporting local first responders. In Jan. 2002,
the President of the United States launched
Citizen Corps, to capture the spirit of service
that emerged throughout our communities following
the terrorist attacks and to help answer two key
questions being asked by citizens, What can I
do? and How can I help?. Citizen Corps was
created to help coordinate volunteer activities
that will make our communities safer, stronger,
and better prepared to respond to any emergency
situation. It provides opportunities for people
to participate in a range of measures to make
their families, their homes, and their
communities safer from the threats of crime,
terrorism, and disasters of all kinds.
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Why Involve Citizens?
In 95 of all emergencies, bystanders or victims
themselves are the first to provide emergency
assistance or to perform a rescue.
Source Los Angeles Fire Department
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Less than 1 percent of the U.S. population is an
emergency responder

• That means
• 1 firefighter for every 265 people
• 1.1 million firefighters, of which 750,000 are
  volunteers
• 1 sworn officer for every 334 people
• 436,000 sworn law enforcement personnel
• 291,000 sworn sheriffs office personnel
• 1 EMT/paramedic for every 325 people
• 890,000 people to provide all levels of
  pre-hospital services Basic EMT, intermediate
  EMT, paramedic

Sources Journal of Emergency Medical Services
(2004) National Fire Protection Association
(2003) National Law Enforcement Officers
Memorial Fund (2003)
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Why Citizen Corps?

• The first responder on the street may not even
  be the police or fire it's the guy who's there
  when the accident occurs.
• The Citizen Corps, followed by the local first
  responders, followed then by the national
  officials can make a real difference in our
  community.
• Robert Eckels, Harris County Judge
• U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental
  Affairs
• September 28, 2005

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Citizen Corps Mission
To harness the power of every individual through
education, training, and volunteer service to
make communities safer, stronger, and better
prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism,
crime, public health issues, and disasters of all
kinds.
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We all have a role in hometown security
Citizen Corps asks you to embrace the personal
responsibility to be prepared to get training in
first aid and emergency skills and to volunteer
to support local emergency responders, disaster
relief, and community safety.
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Everyone can do something to help make our
families and our communities safer
through Personal responsibility Developing a
household preparedness plan and disaster supplies
kits, observing home health and safety practices,
implementing disaster mitigation measures, and
participating in crime prevention and
reporting. Training Taking classes in emergency
preparedness, response capabilities, first aid,
CPR, fire suppression, and search and rescue
procedures. Volunteer service Engaging
individuals in volunteer activities that support
first responders, disaster relief groups, and
community safety organizations. Everyone can do
something to support local law enforcement, fire,
emergency medical services, community public
health efforts, and the four stages of emergency
management prevention, mitigation, response and
recovery efforts.
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Citizen Corps National Strategy

• Citizen Corps functions as the Federal Emergency
  Management Agencys only comprehensive effort to
  connect federal, state and local governments with
  non-governmental groups and the private sector to
  support all aspects of citizen and community
  preparedness.
• The program focuses on cultural change People
  need to take more responsibility for individual
  and community preparedness, and emergency
  responders need to include the citizens in
  emergency planning, education, training, and
  exercises.

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Citizen Corps National Strategy

• The Citizen Corps mission is accomplished through
  a national network of 2,300 state, local, and
  tribal Citizen Corps Councils. These Councils
  build on community strengths to implement the
  Citizen Corps programs and carry out a local
  strategy to have every American participate.
• Collaboration with the 32 national partner and
  affiliate organizations and countless local
  organizations is integral to accomplishing the
  Citizen Corps mission.

They are the key element. The real first
responders are our citizens. We can't do our job
without them. - Chief Ed Plaugher
Arlington Co. Fire Dept. 2001
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Citizen Corps Partners
Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) works to
enhance the capacity of state and local law
enforcement to utilize volunteers.
Neighborhood Watch/USAonWatch incorporates
terrorism awareness education into its existing
crime prevention mission.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
program educates and trains citizens in basic
disaster response skills.
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Program helps
medical, public health, and other volunteers
offer their expertise.
Fire Corps promotes the use of citizen advocates
to provide support to fire and rescue
departments.
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Citizen Corps Affiliates

• To be considered for official, national
  affiliation with Citizen Corps, programs and
  organizations must
• support the mission of citizen participation in
  making America safer,
• be non-profit or government sponsored and
  nationwide in scope,
• be non-partisan, and
• not be listed on any Federal or State registers
  of financial non-responsibility.
• Affiliate programs and organizations provide
• materials and resources for public education or
  training
• volunteer service opportunities to support first
  responders, disaster relief activities, and
  community safety efforts or
• represent volunteers with an interest in homeland
  security
• Coordination and mutual support of respective
  activities

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Citizen Corps Affiliates
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Other Citizen Corps Partnerships

• Citizen Corps also works closely with the
  Corporation for National and Community Service to
  promote volunteer service activities that support
  homeland security and community safety.
• Citizen Corps works closely with Ready.gov to
  help everyone in America get a kit, make a plan,
  and be informed about disasters.

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National Policy Guidance

• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8
• National Preparedness Strategy Goal (8th
  Priority!)
• Target Capabilities List / Capabilities
  Assessment
• Integration required in State Strategies
• Homeland Security Grant Program
• National Response Plan and Planning Guidance
• CPG 101 and EOPs
• Nationwide Plan Review / Homeland Security
  Exercise and Evaluation Program
• Coordination with national standards like NFPA
  1600

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Citizen Corps Local Strategy and Implementation
Increased collaboration between government and
community leaders
P R E P A R E D C I T I Z E N S

• Neighborhoods /
• HOAs
• Schools/Univ
• Places of worship
• Critical Infrastr
• Private Sector
• Public Sector
• Military Bases
• Recreation
• Shopping Malls

• Terrorism

S P E C I A L N E E D S

• Collaboration Planning
• Public Ed
• Outreach /
• Alerts-Warnings
• Training and
• Exercises
• Volunteer
• Opportunities

• Crime

• Medical

Emergencies

• Public Health

x

x

• Natural Hazards

• Household

Emergencies
(Year round and in crisis)

• All Hazards

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Citizen Corps Councils
As of 4/1/09 2,369 Councils in all 50 states and
5 U.S. territories Fire Corps 687 ? Neighborhood
Watch 14,791 VIPS 1,892 ? MRC 805 ? CERT
3,230
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Citizen Corps CouncilsMembership

• First responder/emergency management
• (law enforcement, fire service, EMS/EMT, public
  works)
• Elected officials
• Service organizations - voluntary, non-profits
• Business leaders and for-profit sector
• School reps and youth organizations
• Critical infrastructure transportation,
  utilities
• Media representatives
• Faith-based leaders
• Military
• Special needs representation
• Representatives of language and culture
  communities
• Leadership of community civic groups

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Citizen Corps CouncilsResponsibilities

• Promote and strengthen the Citizen Corps
  programs, partners and affiliates, at the
  community level
• Provide opportunities for special skills and
  interests
• Develop targeted outreach for the community,
  including special needs groups
• Provide opportunities of training in first aid
  and emergency preparedness
• Organize special projects and community events
• Encourage cooperation and collaboration among
  community leaders
• Capture smart practices and report
  accomplishments
• Create opportunities for all residents to
  participate

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Citizen Corps CouncilsActivities

• Citizen Preparedness
• Help to educate residents about important
  preparedness measures
• Developing a household disaster plan and disaster
  supply kits for the home, workplace, and vehicle
• Learning about emergency plans for schools,
  workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities
• Understanding alerts, warnings, and local
  emergency services
• Conducting drills
• Observing home health and safety practices
• Implementing property damage prevention measures
• Participating in crime prevention and reporting.
• Citizen Corps Councils conduct public education
  and outreach efforts to provide critical local
  guidance on these actions.

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Citizen Corps CouncilsActivities

• Training and Exercises
• Provide training to improve citizen preparedness,
  prevention, and response capabilities
• First aid cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
  and automated external defibrillators (AED)
• Crime prevention and terrorism awareness
• Learning about the Incident Command System
• Skills included in Community Emergency Response
  Team (CERT) training, such as fire safety, search
  and rescue procedures, and disaster medical
  operations
• Councils also promote the importance of drills in
  the home, workplace, and school, and help
  coordinate citizen participation in community
  disaster response exercises.

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Citizen Corps CouncilsActivities

• Volunteer Service
• Coordinate volunteer opportunities that support
  local emergency responders, disaster relief
  groups, and community safety organizations.
• Everyone can do something to support local
  emergency management, law enforcement, fire
  service, emergency medical services, and
  community public health efforts.
• Citizen Corps volunteer programs include
  Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Fire
  Corps, Medical Reserve Corps, Neighborhood
  Watch/USAonWatch, and Volunteers in Police
  Service.
• Councils also coordinate additional volunteer
  opportunities as appropriate for the community
  and for people with special skills and interests.

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Citizen Corps CouncilsCommunity Benefits

• Greater sense of security, responsibility, and
  personal control
• Builds community pride, unity and patriotism
• Promotes risk reduction, mitigation, and
  preparedness practices
• Prepares us all for helping others in a crisis

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Citizen Corps CouncilsBenefits for Emergency
Responders

• Year round support through volunteer programs
• Reduces burden on first responder services by
  promoting mitigation and preparedness measures
• Creates well trained, better informed, and better
  prepared citizens to take care of themselves and
  others during times of crisis -- allowing first
  responders to address the most critical needs

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Accomplishments

• The Citizen Corps programs have experienced
  steady growth since FY 2002 and Citizen Corps
  Councils now serve 78 of the U.S. population.
• Integration of non-governmental groups into all
  phases of government preparedness at local,
  state, tribal, territorial, national level

• Integration of Citizen Preparedness and
  participation into
• Policy
• Planning
• Training
• Exercises
• Disaster Response

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