**APHS/CT**

**Remarks to the National Citizen Corps**

**Council Meeting**

**June 01, 2006**

**US Chamber of Commerce**

Thank you, Tracy, for that kind introduction. Thank you also to the many
leaders of the National Citizen Corps Council that are here today. I was
lucky enough to meet some of you during the Hurricane Katrina Lessons
Learned review, and I met others when I came to the Chamber this morning
with President Bush, but please let me take the time to thank you again
for all that you do for our Country. Your work is often under
recognized, but it is never underappreciated. We are safer, better
prepared and stronger because of the dedication of volunteers such as
you. Today, as we enter into hurricane season, we know we will continue
to rely on the vital mission you perform. I thank you. President Bush
thanks you, and your Country thanks you.

As many of you know, I had the benefit of leading the review of the
Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina and reporting on the lessons we
have learned. The Report I gave to the President identified
shortcomings, recommended 125 actions to better prepare our Country for
the next disaster, and also highlighted some of the many things that
went right.

I thought that today I would briefly touch on the steps that we are
taking to enhance our partnerships with the non-governmental and
volunteer organizations that many of you are so familiar with, but first
I thought I would share with you a few of the things that went right in
the Katrina response.

While the tragic images of our citizens on highway overpasses without
food or drink, or of our elderly being hoisted from their roofs are hard
to forget, we cannot forget the good that did occur. We must recognize
the countless hours and dollars that citizens like you dedicated to
helping those in need.

I like to think of the Citizen Corps of Harris County, Texas, that
helped provide shelter and care to over 15,000 evacuees. I like to think
of the 14,000 Citizen Corps volunteers from across the country who
actively participated in the response and recovery efforts or of the
faith-based organizations that sacrificed so much and helped so many.

I like to think of ***Christ in Action,*** based nearby in Manassas,
Virginia, that deployed volunteers and mobile kitchens to Gulfport, MS,
and began operations on September 1^st^, serving over 420,000 meals and
repairing over 500 houses in their first 115 days of operation.

I like to think of Dr. Carrie Oliver from Texas, who, with her husband
and her friends, drove three RVs with 16 foot trailers to Baton Rouge
shortly after the storm hit. The RVs were full of the medical supplies,
food, and water that Dr. Oliver had in stock from the clinic she runs in
Texas. She knew her fellow citizens needed her time, money and
equipment, and she gave them all freely.

And our private sector chipped in too. Bob Nardelli, the CEO of Home
Depot, saw a need for the corporate world to do more than simply donate
money, so in the wake of Hurricane Katrina he pulled together a group of
CEOs and they launched a month of corporate service. Home Depot not only
donated over 1.5 million dollars to charity and another 1.25 million
dollars worth of goods to the Gulf Coast recovery effort, but Bob
Nardelli led a multi corporation volunteer effort that resulted in over
75,000 volunteers and more than 850,000 hours of volunteer service.

This volunteer initiative included CEO Daryl Hammond of KaBoom, a
nonprofit which launched Operation Playground, which has already begun
building 100 playgrounds in the Gulf region over 2 years. The effort has
included computer giant SAP where CEO Bill McDermott partnered with
America's First Harvest to lead a volunteer effort to staff food banks
and move 80,000 tons of food.

SAP went on to sponsor "living learning labs" of computer software and
equipment in charter schools across the gulf coast region. This effort
has included adopting 2 schools for which SAP has provided their entire
IT infrastructure and the experts to help them run it.

Citizens across the country knew that it simply was not enough to donate
money or supplies. They knew that the victims needed more than just a
check or a meal. And because of their and your efforts, the devastation
of Hurricane Katrina was mitigated, and many lives were saved.

But there is more to do. Following the hurricane, President Bush pledged
to make us better prepared in the future. The President stated: "where
it's not working right, we're going to make it right. Where it is
working right, we're going to duplicate it elsewhere."

The actions taken by members of the Citizen Corps, including many of
you, are part of what went right. And we are going to duplicate it. We
are going to make it easier for you to help your fellow citizens.

Today marks the beginning of Hurricane season, and I'd like to share
with you some of the many steps we have taken to improve our readiness
before the next step hits.

**First** we are improving the coordination of our response efforts. Our
*Lessons Learned* Report highlighted the need to create a culture of
preparedness in this country. The entire Nation---government, the
private sector, communities, and citizens---share similar goals and
responsibilities for homeland security.

During the unprecedented response to Hurricane Katrina, government
agencies did not always make effective use of the resources offered by
volunteers, charitable organizations, and businesses. Federal, State,
and local governments must engage non-governmental organizations in all
stages of planning and provide them with necessary support.

The [*Lessons Learned Report* recommends that all levels of
government]{.underline} work with local Citizen Corps Councils,
non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to integrate
resources into emergency operations plans and mutual aid agreements.
Planning, training, and exercise activities should account for the roles
and responsibilities that non-governmental entities and the private
sector will play. These pre-established relationships pay dividends when
disaster strikes and I challenge you to assist in strengthening this
partnership by working with the Councils in your community, and at your
place of work.

**Second,** we are improving access to, and awareness of, private sector
and NGO resources available during emergency response operations.

The victims of disasters do not care where a life-saving resource comes
from \-- a government or volunteer source. They care that they are being
helped whether they need water, food, shelter, or medicine.

To better provide this help, we are building a national resource
classification and credentialing system that will provide a consistent
and accurate appraisal of *all* available resources. We cannot afford to
discount the resources or capabilities of nongovernmental organizations
during catastrophic events. Emergency managers and non-governmental
organizations need to be "speaking the same language" and working with
common resource and personnel packages if they are to quickly and
confidently scale emergency response and recovery participation levels
from nongovernmental organizations.

We are also measuring our progress. The Department of Homeland Security
has undertaken a comprehensive review of emergency operations plans in
50 States, 6 Territories and 75 urban areas. This Nationwide Review
included a special focus on citizen preparedness and special needs
planning. This review has enabled the Department of Homeland Security to
identify capability gaps and work directly with States and urban areas
to eliminate those gaps. Knowledge of these planning shortfalls also
gives Federal Departments and Agencies an idea of what kind of support
that they or you might provide in the event of another catastrophic
incident, so that time and efforts are not duplicated, or wasted.

**Third**, we must re-emphasize the importance of citizen and community
preparedness. A culture of preparedness is a culture of flexibility and
initiative where individual citizens take measures to protect themselves
and their loved ones. Prepared and vigilant citizens are the foundation
of our homeland security and our first line of defense against danger,
whether a terrorist attack, a natural disaster, or other scenario.
Citizen preparedness means taking practical steps to protect yourself
and your loved ones from the worst case scenario. We should all
encourage families to store enough food and water to be sufficient for
three days following an incident which alone will significantly reduce
the demand for outside resources and allow emergency responders to focus
on a smaller group of victims. Self-sufficient prepared citizens can in
turn help others and assist emergency responders.

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Florida Governor's Hurricane
Conference, with Jeb Bush. In his remarks, Governor Bush stated, and I
agree, that: \"It makes it a lot harder when people line up in their
Lexus' or Mercedes' to get ice and water at a public distribution site
when the Publix is open a block away." Those that are able must prepare
themselves for an emergency and those with the ability to purchase their
own supplies should not rely on the government or the kindness of NGOs.

**Fourth**, we must find ways to lower barriers to personal preparedness
through improved outreach and instruction. Citizen and community
preparedness education will be a long process and it may be difficult to
recognize progress as it is being made. But the results are tangible and
real. The use of seatbelts weren't always a common practice in America.
But as a result of innovative public education campaigns many Americans
now don't think twice before buckling up. We are safer Nation because of
the continued success of seat belt safety campaigns. Our hope is that we
can we can enjoy similar success in informing Americans about their role
in disaster preparedness.

Today, you will each contribute to our understanding of community
preparedness and offer your expertise to the panel discussions in which
you will be participating. However, I ask you to take this one step
further. Take the knowledge and enthusiasm that you are developing here
back to your organizations, your communities, and your families to
improve our national preparedness.

I hope that you will focus your efforts on strengthening coordination
between governmental and non-governmental organizations in the way that
best suits your particular community: whether that means strengthening
your local Citizen Corps Council, ensuring that local organizations are
included in regional emergency operations plans, or simply donating your
time and talent through a volunteer organization of your choosing.
Creating a culture of preparedness is far too immense a task to
accomplish in a day, but far too important to put off until tomorrow.

The four steps I outlined are but a few of the many things we are doing
to ensure that if a storm like Katrina were to hit us today, our
response and recovery efforts would be faster, smoother, and more
complete.

And we rely on you to help us during these response and recovery
efforts. I know you don't do it for credit, I know you don't do it for
fame. But you deserve both, even if you ultimately receive neither. I am
grateful for your service, the President is grateful for your service,
and so is your Nation. Thank you and God Bless You.

I'd like to take the rest of my time to hear from you -- you are the
experts, you are the boots that will be on the ground when the next
catastrophe strikes, and I know I have a lot to learn. With that, I'm
available to answer any questions or comments you might have.