## CITIZEN CORPS

###### A Guide for Local Officials

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

April 4, 2002

Dear Fellow Americans:

Americans are responding to the evil and horror of the terrorist attacks
of September 11 with a renewed commitment to doing good. In communities
around the country people are serving others in countless ways, from
helping their local fire departments, to volunteering with the local Red
Cross, to joining a neighborhood or community watch program.

To capture the spirit of service that has emerged throughout our
communities, we launched the USA Freedom Corps initiative earlier this
year. As part of that initiative, we created Citizen Corps to help
coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer,
stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation.

Our local mayors, council members, and county commissioners know best
what risks their communities face. They also know how best to use the
talents and the time of their citizens to prevent, prepare for, and
respond to those risks. Because every community is different, we are
asking cities and counties across the country to create Citizen Corps
Councils of their own design, bringing together first responders,
volunteer organizations, law enforcement agencies, and community-serving
institutions, such as schools, hospitals, and houses of worship.

Some Citizen Corps Councils will feature local activities that reflect
new and existing national programs such as Neighborhood Watch, Community
Emergency Response Teams, Volunteers in Police Service, and the Medical
Reserve Corps. Some will include local programs that involve
partnerships with law enforcement agencies, hospitals, first responders,
and schools.

What all Citizen Corps Councils will have in common is that our local
leaders will be working to expand opportunities for their community
members to engage in volunteer service that will support emergency
preparation, prevention, and response. This guide offers a suggested
framework for community activity that will allow local government
leaders to begin their own Citizen Corps Council and activities.

Together, we can protect our communities and make them places where
responsibility and service are reflected in the good we do for others.

Thank you for your service,

George W. Bush

[Table of Contents]{.smallcaps}

**Executive Summary**

**I. Citizen Corps**

-   Overview

-   Components of Citizen Corps

-   Benefits to your Community

**II. Citizen Corps Councils**

-   Organizing a Citizen Corps Council

-   The Importance of Leadership

-   Responsibilities of the Citizen Corps Council

-   Liability Issues

**III. Getting Started**

-   Initial Meetings

-   Developing a Citizen Corps Action Plan

-   Linking Local Activities with the National Effort

-   Information Sharing

-   National Citizen Corps Programs in Your Community

**IV. Available Resources**

**V. Communicating Success**

**VI. Government Roles**

-   Federal Government

-   State Government

**VII. Conclusion**

**VII. Appendices**

A.  Citizen Corps-Related Websites

B.  Potential Resources for Citizen Corps Councils

C.  Opportunities for Citizen Corps Volunteers

D.  Fact Sheets on National Citizen Corps Programs

[Executive Summary]{.smallcaps}

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Americans have acted
with courage, compassion, and unity. To capture this spirit and to
foster an American culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility,
President George W. Bush has called upon all Americans to dedicate at
least two years of their lives---the equivalent of 4,000 hours---in
service to others. He launched the USA Freedom Corps initiative to
inspire and enable all Americans to find ways to serve their community,
their country, or the world.

Citizen Corps is the component of USA Freedom Corps that creates
opportunities for individuals to volunteer to help their communities
prepare for and respond to emergencies by bringing together local
leaders, citizen volunteers and the network of first responder
organizations, such as fire departments, police departments and
emergency medical personnel. The goal is to have all citizens
participate in making their communities safer, stronger, and better
prepared for preventing and handling threats of terrorism, crime, and
disasters of all kinds.

## Citizen Corps Leadership

The Citizen Corps effort will be coordinated at the local level by
Citizen Corps Councils, or a similar coordinating body, which will bring
together leaders from the relevant sectors of your community. The
purpose of the council is to have all decision makers at the table to
manage existing volunteer resources, to leverage mutually supportive
endeavors among the represented groups, and to direct the overall local
plans to implement Citizen Corps in the community.

At the state level, all governors have appointed a state coordinator for
Citizen Corps to facilitate this locally driven initiative. The state
coordinator will work closely with the local governments, other state
organizations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the
Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), and other federal agencies to implement a successful Citizen
Corps program for the state.

Key state responsibilities include: identifying needs and developing a
statewide strategy for increasing the first responder and volunteer
collaboration; developing statewide marketing strategies; matching
Citizen Corps training needs with other major state training
initiatives; reporting statewide accomplishments; and ensuring that
Citizen Corps communities receive considerations for relevant grant
funding administered by the state.

President Bush has requested more than \$230 million from Congress in
fiscal year 2003 to support and expand Citizen Corps initiatives. This
amount includes funds to support the four national Citizen Corps
programs, including nationwide CERT training, and grants to communities
through the State to support local activities that foster preparedness
programs and partnerships between the first responder organizations and
the volunteers.

## Citizen Corps Programs 

Citizen Corps programs build on the successful efforts that are in place
in many communities around the country to prevent crime and respond to
emergencies. Programs that started through local innovation are the
foundation for Citizen Corps and this national approach to citizen
participation in community safety.

Currently three federal agencies, FEMA, DOJ, and HHS, administer five
programs that are being promoted at the national level as part of
Citizen Corps. These programs will be implemented nation wide by August
2002. FEMA coordinates the overall effort of helping communities
establish local Citizen Corps programs.

The four national Citizen Corps programs are:

-   The ***Neighborhood Watch Program***, funded by DOJ, has been
    expanded to incorporate terrorism prevention and education into its
    existing crime prevention mission. The goal is to double the number
    of groups participating in Neighborhood Watch by 2004. Additional
    information is available at the National Sheriffs Association
    website at [www.usaonwatch.org](http://www.usaonwatch.org/).

-   FEMA's ***Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)*** program
    provides training in emergency preparedness and in basic response
    techniques to local trainers who in turn train citizens, enabling
    them to take a more active role in personal and public safety. The
    goal is to triple the number of citizens who are CERT trained,
    increasing the number nationwide to 600,000 by 2004. Additional
    information on CERT is available at
    [www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/cert](http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/cert).

-   ***Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)*** is a program administered
    by DOJ. The program, which will be launched nationwide in spring
    2002, provides training for volunteers to perform administrative and
    non-intervention policing activities to free up law enforcement
    professionals for frontline duty.

-   HHS will administer a community-based ***Medical Reserve Corps***
    that will be launched in summer 2002. Through this program,
    currently practicing and retired volunteers trained in medicine will
    be able to assist during large-scale emergencies and will augment
    the emergency medical response community. Medical Reserve Corps
    volunteers can also play a productive role in meeting pressing but
    non-emergency public health needs of the community throughout the
    year.

There are also many other opportunities for participating in Citizen
Corps. There is a vast array of educational and volunteer activities
already underway across the country that focus on making communities
safer, stronger, and better prepared. These activities are also part of
Citizen Corps.

## Local Government Implementation

Citizen Corps is designed to be tailored to each community and will be
managed at the local level by Citizen Corps Councils, or a similar
entity, comprised of leaders from: emergency management and the first
responder community; volunteer, community service, faith- and
community-based organizations; educational institutions; medical
facilities; business and industry; and the community's neighborhood
networks.

Each community that is implementing Citizen Corps should consider
creating a Citizen Corps Council. This guide will help your community
join the many others across the country that have already started
Citizen Corps Councils in order to be prepared to fully implement the
Citizen Corps programs in their communities.

The primary objectives of the councils are to:

-   Match the needs of first responders with the skills and abilities of
    volunteers to make their families, their homes, and their
    communities safer from the threats of terrorism, crime, and
    disasters.

-   Educate the public on safety, help citizens take an active role in
    protecting themselves from harm, and teach citizens what to do in
    the event of a crisis.

-   Spearhead efforts to offer citizens new and existing volunteer
    opportunities, educational information, and training courses to
    address crime, terrorism, and natural disaster risks.

-   Promote all Citizen Corps programs and activities across the
    community.

-   Capture innovative practices and report accomplishments that can be
    replicated in other communities nationally.

-   Survey the community to assess increased awareness and Citizen Corps
    participation.

Creating a new organization to start Citizen Corps is not required. If
your community already has a strong team that brings together all
sectors of your community, including first responders and volunteer
groups, you may want to ask this group to take on the responsibility of
promoting Citizen Corps and to acknowledge this group as affiliated with
Citizen Corps. You are strongly encouraged to leverage existing
resources and build on current successful programs whenever possible.

## Benefits to the Community

Major disasters in a community can overload the capability of first
responders, especially during the first 12 to 72 hours of the response.
Having citizens who are better prepared to take care of themselves and
others during times of crisis will allow first responders to focus their
efforts on the most critical, life-threatening situations.

In addition, there are many tasks that a well-trained and organized
group of volunteers could perform on an ongoing basis that would free up
sworn officers, licensed health professionals, and professional
firefighters so that they could focus more on immediate emergency
response needs and less on the routine or administrative aspects of
their responsibilities. Successful models of such activity exist
throughout the country and are primed to be taken nationwide.

Citizen Corps will help citizens take a more active role in crime
prevention, risk reduction, and emergency preparedness. It will bring
together all sectors of the community involved in first responder issues
and will enable them to establish ongoing working relationships and to
work together in times of crisis. As a component of President Bush's
call to service, Citizen Corps will also help build a community's sense
of pride and cohesion.

[I. Citizen Corps]{.smallcaps}

## Overview

During his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush
called upon every American to commit at least two years of their lives
-- the equivalent of 4,000 hours -- to the service of others. Through
the USA Freedom Corps, he wants to help every American answer that call
to service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to
protect our homeland, to support our communities, and to extend American
compassion around the world.

Coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Citizen
Corps is the component of the USA Freedom Corps that focuses on
opportunities for people across the country to participate in a range of
measures to make their families, homes, and communities safer from the
threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds. Citizen Corps
also brings together a community's first responders, firefighters,
emergency health care providers, law enforcement, and emergency managers
with its volunteer resources.

Citizen Corps will help people across America take a more active role in
crime prevention, support the emergency medical community, and be better
trained in a wide range of emergency preparedness and disaster response
activities. The events of this past year have motivated many Americans
to want to help others more and to strengthen their communities. Citizen
Corps offers the means for citizens to help make our communities safer,
stronger, and better prepared and to answer the President's call to
service.

## Components of Citizen Corps

The Citizen Corps effort will be coordinated at the local level by
Citizen Corps Councils, or a similar coordinating body, which will bring
together leaders from the relevant sectors of your community. The
purpose of the Council is to have all decision makers at the table to
manage existing volunteer resources, to leverage mutually supportive
endeavors among the represented groups, and to direct the overall local
plans to implement Citizen Corps in the community.

Additional explanation of the Citizen Corps Councils is provided in
Section II.

Current National Programs

Currently, there are four federal programs that are being promoted at
the national level to be implemented locally as part of Citizen Corps.
The long-term goal is to have every community implement all four
programs.

-   The ***Neighborhood Watch Program***, funded by the Department of
    Justice (DOJ) and administered by the National Sheriffs'
    Association, has been reinvigorated to increase the number of groups
    involved in crime prevention and homeland security and preparedness
    efforts. The goal is to double the number of groups participating in
    Neighborhood Watch by 2004. Additional information about registering
    a watch group or obtaining resources to support Neighborhood Watch
    efforts is available at
    [www.usaonwatch.org](http://www.usaonwatch.org/).

-   FEMA's ***Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)*** program
    provides training in emergency preparedness and in basic response
    techniques to local trainers who in turn train citizens, enabling
    them to take a more active role in personal and public safety. The
    goal is to triple the number of citizens who are CERT trained,
    increasing the number nationwide to 600,000 by 2004. Additional
    information on CERT is available at
    [www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/cert](http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/cert).

-   The ***Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)*** is a program
    administered by DOJ. The program, which was launched nationwide in
    spring 2002, provides training for volunteers to perform
    administrative and non-intervention policing activities to free up
    law enforcement professionals for frontline duty. Additional
    information is available at
    [www.policevolunteers.org](http://www.policevolunteers.org/).

-   The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) administers a
    community-based ***Medical Reserve Corps***, which was launched in
    fall 2002. Through this program, currently practicing and retired
    volunteers trained in medicine will be able to assist during
    large-scale emergencies and will augment the emergency medical
    response community. Medical Reserve Corps volunteers can also play a
    productive role in meeting pressing but non-emergency public health
    needs of the community throughout the year. Additional information
    is available at
    [www.medicalreservecorps.gov](http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/).

Additional Citizen Corps resources include:

-   ***Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness***, produced by
    FEMA, provides comprehensive practical information on how your
    family can prepare for any disaster. It includes up-to-date hazard
    specific safety tips, including natural and technological disasters,
    and newly updated information on terrorism. *Are You Ready?* is
    available on the Citizen Corps website,
    [www.citizencorps.gov](http://www.citizencorps.gov/).

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-   The ***Citizens\' Preparedness Guidebook***, produced by the
    National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) with support from DOJ,
    provides current crime and disaster preparedness techniques, as well
    as the latest information on terrorism, to give Americans guidance
    on how to prepare in our homes, neighborhoods, at work, at the
    airport, in places of worship, and in public spaces. The guide is
    available on the Citizen Corps website
    [www.citizencorps.gov](http://www.citizencorps.gov/) or by calling
    NCPC at 1-800-WE-PREVENT (1-800-937-7383).

-   Appendix A provides the website addresses of other federal agencies
    and organizations that have useful information relating to the
    Citizen Corps mission.

Other Activities

There are many other opportunities for participating in Citizen Corps.
There is a vast array of educational and volunteer activities already
underway across the country that focus on making communities safer,
stronger, and better prepared. They can be either interest-based
programs or broad, community-wide initiatives. If your community
participates in such activities, you may choose to integrate these
efforts into the local Citizen Corps right away. Examples could include:

-   Local activities that are similar to Neighborhood Watch, CERT, or
    VIPS, but may have different names in your community;

-   Family preparedness materials being taught and distributed in
    neighborhoods, in the workplace, and throughout the school system;

-   Community, faith-based, and youth programs that establish
    neighborhood support networks and disseminate disaster preparedness
    educational materials and preparedness kits to disadvantaged,
    elderly, non-English speaking, and persons with disabilities;

-   Programs that involve volunteer medical professionals in an
    organized response to emergencies, such as those administered by the
    American Red Cross;

-   Volunteer amateur radio operators serving as reserve communications
    experts in times of crisis;

-   Volunteer engineers and engineering students performing structural
    analysis on critical infrastructure, lifelines, schools, and at-risk
    buildings;

-   Programs for volunteers to participate in projects to reduce the
    damage to schools, hospitals, and other public buildings from known
    hazards in your area, such as floods, tornados, earthquakes, and
    hurricanes;

-   Community and family disaster preparedness efforts conducted by
    established volunteer groups such as local Voluntary Organizations
    Active in Disaster (VOAD) and Volunteer Centers, or community
    service organizations, churches and faith-based organizations
    already active in your community;

-   Volunteer fire departments and emergency medical teams;

-   Programs supported by the local Chamber of Commerce to train
    business owners and employees on disaster preparedness and emergency
    response measures;

-   High schools and college community service groups that promote
    Citizen Corps principles; and

-   Volunteer participation in developing a community communications
    system for the color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System.

Every community is different. Citizen Corps calls on your community's
creativity and inventiveness to develop other programs or activities
that work in your area and that encompass all sectors of your community.
Successful programs or approaches to citizen participation that start in
one community can spread nationwide through the Citizen Corps network.

## 

## Benefits to your Community

Securing our safety and freedom requires that we all work together.
Every American has a critical role to play. Major disasters in a
community can overload the capability of first responders, especially
during the first critical 12 to 72 hours of the event. Citizen Corps
will provide the community with a well-trained, readily available pool
of local people who know their community and who can help during this
critical time when outside assistance may have not yet arrived.

On a day-to-day basis, your council will help citizens take a more
active role in crime prevention, risk reduction, emergency preparedness,
and public health issues. Citizen Corps Councils and the programs they
oversee will make your community a safer, better place to live. Specific
benefits include:

-   Supplementing a community's professional police, fire, emergency
    management, public health, and public safety capabilities where
    appropriate, especially in times of emergency;

-   Giving the residents of your community a greater sense of security,
    responsibility, and personal control;

-   Showcasing your community's efforts in crime prevention, public
    health and safety, emergency medical response, risk reduction and
    mitigation practices, emergency preparedness, and emergency response
    as part of the national Citizen Corps initiative;

-   Bringing together the volunteer and the first responder communities
    to promote the concept that everyone has a role in making their
    community safer, stronger, and better prepared;

-   Demonstrating your leadership and your personal commitment to the
    safety of your community;

-   Building community pride and patriotism; and

-   Preparing us all for the vital role of caring for ourselves and
    others in times of crisis.

[II. Citizen Corps Councils]{.smallcaps}

## Organizing a Citizen Corps Council

Communities all across America already embrace the principles of Citizen
Corps. There are many elected officials, business leaders, and involved
citizens already doing their part to make their community a great place
to live. Many communities also already have an organization that
promotes public health and safety, disaster preparedness, and crime
prevention in the community. No doubt, there is a strong base already
involved in this effort in your own community. These activities are at
the heart of Citizen Corps.

The Citizen Corps Councils will bring together leaders from the relevant
sectors of your community to coordinate the Citizen Corps effort. The
purpose of the council is to have all decision makers at the table to
manage existing volunteer resources, to leverage mutually supportive
endeavors among the represented groups, and to direct the overall local
plans to implement Citizen Corps in the community. Each community should
have only one group that has the lead role in implementing the Citizen
Corps.

Each community and region will have to determine its geographic
boundaries and its own membership. Suggested membership of the Citizen
Corps Council, or similar entity, includes the following:

-   Leadership from elected officials, such as the mayor, city council
    members, county commissioners, or the tribal government leaders;

-   Leadership from emergency management and from the first responder
    community: law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services,
    and health care providers;

-   Leadership from volunteer, community service, and faith-based
    groups, including a local VOAD group and a Volunteer Center, if you
    have one;

-   Leadership from any existing community substructure, such as
    advisory neighborhood commissions, wards, voting districts, census
    tracts, water and sewer districts, or other groups that represent a
    large cross-section of the community; and

-   Leadership from major industries or other groups in the area, such
    as community leaders from educational institutions and school
    boards, the business community, environmental and transportation
    groups, including airports, and utility providers. Other
    representatives could be from specific segments of the community,
    such as the elderly, minority populations, non-English speakers, and
    local media executives.

The primary qualification to participating on the council is making a
commitment to educate the public on safety, to help citizens take an
active role in protecting themselves from harm, to teach citizens what
to do in the event of a crisis, and to expand volunteer opportunities
that will make the community safer.

You do not need to create a new organization to start Citizen Corps.
Leveraging existing resources is strongly encouraged. If your community
already has a strong team that brings together all sectors of your
community, including first responders and volunteer groups, you may want
to ask this group to take on the responsibility of promoting Citizen
Corps and to acknowledge this group as affiliated with the Citizen
Corps.

There may be an existing group in your community that includes many of
the appropriate participants, such as local emergency planning
committees, that could take the lead on joining with additional relevant
parties to implement Citizen Corps.

There are a number of national organizations, such as the American Red
Cross and the Salvation Army, that could be key participants in your
local management structure. If your community does not have local
representation of these groups, you may want to contact the national
organization to see how you can start a local affiliate.

However you choose to establish the local management structure, this
group should be charged with managing all aspects of Citizen Corps at
the local level and with bringing Citizen Corps programs and principles
to residents of the community.

The purpose of the Citizen Corps Council, or similar coordinating group,
is to develop a systematic, efficient, and effective method for
providing public education, stimulating wide-spread participation, and
organizing volunteer programs to increase the safety of your community.
Having duplicative efforts or competing entities is not productive.

Depending on the size of your community, you may need to have a steering
committee within the Citizen Corps Council and subcommittees to focus on
particular efforts. Subcommittees could be assigned a particular
function, such as marketing and communications, or a particular focus,
such as K-12 education on emergency preparedness.

## The Importance of Leadership

Leadership within the council is critical for success. This leader could
be an elected community official, an executive with one of your
community's major employers, the head of your community's economic
development group, or a leader from the volunteer community. Because of
the first responder's role in the event of an emergency, it is suggested
that first responder representatives not take the lead role for the
council.

The most important qualifications for the leader of the council are the
ability to motivate team members to reach your collective goal of making
your community a safer place to live, work, and play and of providing
opportunities for all citizens to participate; and a commitment to broad
community representation. If the local elected official is not the
operational leader of the council, it will be critical that he or she
provide clear and public support to the council through public
endorsements and be kept informed of council activities.

## Responsibilities of the Citizen Corps Council

While this initiative provides tremendous flexibility for you to
implement Citizen Corps in a way that best suits your community, some
general responsibilities of the local organizing group include:

-   Creating an action plan to involve the community in prevention,
    preparedness, and response activities and to mobilize the community
    in a large-scale event;

-   Identifying ways in which the community's volunteer resources can
    help meet the needs of its first responders;

-   Working with existing neighborhood leaders, or creating a
    neighborhood leadership structure, to design a systematic approach
    to educate the public and encourage Citizen Corps participation
    throughout the community;

-   Spearheading efforts to offer citizens new and existing volunteer
    opportunities, educational information, and training courses to
    address crime, terrorism, and natural disaster risks;

-   Recognizing all activities that promote prevention, preparedness and
    response training as a part of Citizen Corps and encouraging new
    endeavors;

-   Organizing special projects and community events to promote Citizen
    Corps activities and recruiting volunteers to participate;

-   Fostering a spirit of mutual support by working with Citizen Corps
    Councils in neighboring communities and jurisdictions to be able to
    share resources in times of need;

-   Capturing innovative practices and reporting accomplishments to the
    state coordinator for Citizen Corps; and

-   Surveying your community to assess increased awareness and Citizen
    Corps participation.

## Liability Issues

Councils should consult with a local attorney regarding any risks or
liabilities that might arise from its activities. Most local bar
associations encourage members to provide pro bono (free of charge)
services to worthwhile causes. A council's potential exposure to
liability for acts or omissions of its staff or volunteers will vary
from state to state.

Individuals who participate in council activities should be advised of
their potential risks of liability under state law as well. Some
volunteer activities may be covered by so-called Good Samaritan laws in
the various states. These laws protect volunteers who render assistance
in limited circumstances. Councils may consider obtaining release from
liability and similar instruments if the local counsel deems it
necessary. A compendium of state liability laws is available at
[www.citizencorps.gov/ccorps](http://www.citizencorps.gove/ccorps).

[III. Getting Started]{.smallcaps}

## Initial Meetings

Creating a Citizen Corps Council or asking an existing organizing group
to expand their mission and take on this responsibility is an easy first
step to making Citizen Corps an active part of your community. You may
want to hold one or more brainstorming sessions, where council members
can collectively identify goals for your community and develop a better
understanding of the risks your community faces. Topics that the Citizen
Corps Council might address can include:

-   Educating council members on the roles, responsibilities, and
    practices of the first responders, volunteer organizations, and any
    existing neighborhood organizational structure in the community;

-   Identifying the existing activities and resources within your
    community that support Citizen Corps principles;

-   Identifying volunteer groups and opportunities within your community
    that could assist in reducing risk or that could supplement
    resources in an emergency;

-   Creating a menu of volunteer opportunities in which community
    residents could easily participate or partnering with the local
    Volunteer Center, if you have one, to design volunteer recruitment
    strategies;

-   Assessing resources within your community that could be drawn on to
    support volunteerism and public education in your community;

-   Identifying possible resources to support Citizen Corps, including
    local private sector support and contributions from foundations and
    non-profit organizations;

-   Discussing opportunities to build public awareness and to educate
    the community about Citizen Corps opportunities within your
    community; and

-   Developing a wish list of additional resources that your community
    might need to support a comprehensive Citizen Corps effort.

## Developing a Citizen Corps Action Plan

As you begin to assess your needs and resources, you should work toward
developing a clear mission statement and an action plan. Your Citizen
Corps Council action plan could include short and long-term goals, a
community communication system for emergency warnings, and a community
mobilization plan with a specific plan outlining how to meet these
goals.

Short-term goals could include having working smoke alarms and emergency
kits in every household by the time school starts again in the fall,
having each business in the community practice their evacuation plans
within a month, training all senior high school students in
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), or having Neighborhood Watch groups
in all neighborhoods of the community. You may also want to target
specific groups within your community, such as people living in
high-risk areas, the youth population, and Americans with disabilities
or disadvantaged populations.

It will be important for you to set meaningful, attainable goals, to
make them public, to meet them, and then to recognize and celebrate your
success.

## Linking Local Activities with the National Effort

It will also be important for you to link local activities to the
national effort. Although you may have an existing organization take on
this responsibility and not create a new Citizen Corps Council, it is
critical that all activities at the local level that encompass citizen
participation in emergency preparedness, response capability training,
crime prevention, and skill-based volunteer programs related to
community safety be identified with Citizen Corps.

A great way to get started is to have a public event to recognize the
activities that volunteers, first responders, and residents in your
community are already doing that relate to Citizen Corps. Explain that
there is a new national initiative to link all these activities and to
introduce other activities to promote personal and community safety.
Make a commitment to help each resident in the community participate in
Citizen Corps. Citizen participation can include:

-   Becoming better prepared and taking measures to reduce risk within
    their home, such as putting together a family emergency preparedness
    plan and kit, installing smoke detectors or elevating electrical
    appliances above flood stage, securing free standing shelving to a
    wall or strapping down a water heater;

-   Being a part of a Neighborhood Watch Program group;

-   Becoming a volunteer firefighter or emergency medical technician;

-   Volunteering their particular skills to help with community risk
    assessments; and

-   Volunteering with community organizations already active in disaster
    preparedness and response.

The goal is to include everyone in your community. One of your first
steps to support Citizen Corps is to promote the initiative and to
expand the range of opportunities available to the residents of your
community. Other opportunities for Citizen Corps volunteers are listed
in Appendix C.

There is no standard way to approach promoting your local efforts; each
community is encouraged to be creative and to use the Citizen Corps
message to promote participation. Your community may host community-wide
Citizen Corps community preparedness days to challenge everyone in the
community to put together a home emergency preparedness kit. Another may
put the Citizen Corps logo on appropriate local websites. Another may
use the local media outlets to promote local Citizen Corps activities
and to educate the public. Another may focus on the school system to
disseminate information. And some communities will do all of these and
more.

## Information Sharing

A critical part of making Citizen Corps a success is building a network
of communities that are committed to engaging their citizens in making
their neighborhoods safer, stronger, and better prepared for all
situations. To facilitate this network, FEMA maintains a web-based
directory of Citizen Corps Councils. Through this directory you will be
able to contact other Citizen Corps Councils throughout the nation and
have a direct exchange of information with your counterparts. This
directory will also enable your state and federal partners to contact
you with updated information as the programs evolve nationally and to
collect innovative local practices for national promotion.

As soon as you have designated a group to coordinate Citizen Corps in
your community, please log on to
[www.citizencorps.gov/ccorps](http://www.citizencorps.gov/ccorps) and
register your Citizen Corps Council contact information by clicking on
the registration link. In providing this information to FEMA, you will
be agreeing to be part of a list to be shared with other community
leaders working to create Citizen Corps in their community.

## National Citizen Corps Programs in Your Community

The current four federal Citizen Corps programs will be implemented
nationwide by fall 2002.

Right now, every community can start Neighborhood Watch groups. Guidance
on how to begin is available from your local sheriff's department, your
local police department, or from the National Sheriffs' Association.
(Visit the National Sheriffs' Association at
[www.usaonwatch.org](http://www.usaonwatch.org/) for more information.)
A strong network of Neighborhood Watch groups can also serve as a
delivery system for other Citizen Corps materials, such as emergency
communications, Community Emergency Response Team training, or a family
preparedness checklist.

FEMA's *Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness* provides
practical information on how your family can prepare for any disaster.
Available on the Citizen Corps website,
[www.citizencorps.gov](http://www.citizencorps.gov/), this guide can be
used to help everyone in your community be better prepared.

The Community Emergency Response Team training program is a 20-hour
course, typically conducted over a seven-week period. Training sessions
cover disaster preparedness, fire suppression, basic disaster medical
services, light search and rescue, team organization, and a module on
protection against terrorist threats.

The training also includes a disaster simulation in which participants
practice skills that they learned throughout the course. Your local fire
and emergency medical services departments (EMS) may have a key role in
bringing CERT to your community. Many states already have experienced
CERT trainers who could come to your community and provide training.
Soon, every state will have this capability.

VIPS was launched nationwide in May 2002 and examples of best practices
are available at
[www.policevolunteers.org](http://www.policevolunteers.org/). The
Medical Reserve Corps guidance was launched nationwide in November 2002
and is available on
[www.medicalreservecorps.gov](http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/).

[IV. Available Resources]{.smallcaps}

Fortunately, implementing Citizen Corps in your community can be
accomplished with resources that you may already have available.
Volunteer agencies in your community and your Volunteer Center, if you
have one, can help you better direct volunteer interest to Citizen Corps
activities. There are many low-cost ways for local businesses to
participate; by donating the cost of a publication, by sponsoring a
Citizen Corps volunteer fair, by sponsoring training for employees or
neighborhood residents, and by practicing emergency preparedness plans
for the business. The federal and state governments will provide
training materials and technical assistance to help you get started and
to help you sustain the momentum.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a federal
agency that operates nationwide service programs, may make available to
Citizen Corps Councils volunteers that participate in AmeriCorps, Senior
Corps, and Learn and Serve America programs. Many of these participants
are already active in disaster-related programs with other voluntary
agencies. Volunteers could serve to help communities establish a
training and information delivery system in neighborhoods, schools, and
businesses, and could help with family preparedness and crime prevention
initiatives in the community or across a region.

Volunteer support and participation in Citizen Corps can come from a
variety of sources. Encourage your council members to be creative when
thinking about potential resources that exist throughout the community.
Appendix A is a list of government, emergency management, and first
responder community websites that may be helpful to you as you expand
your volunteer base. Appendix B includes a list of questions to help
your council identify possible resources, including people, materials,
and financial.

President Bush has requested more than \$230 million from Congress in
Fiscal Year 2003 to support and expand Citizen Corps initiatives. This
amount includes funds for FEMA, DOJ, and HHS to support the four
national Citizen Corps programs, including nationwide CERT training, and
grants to communities through the state to support local activities that
foster preparedness programs and partnerships between the first
responder organizations and the volunteers.

[V. Communicating Success]{.smallcaps}

Communicating success is a key element of sustaining momentum. It is
important to share your success with the residents of your community as
well as with your state and federal partners. By sharing ideas and
practices that work in one community, similar actions can be embraced by
other communities and can inspire further creativity.

Developing a strong Citizen Corps Council will require significant
proactive communication with residents of your community. Identifying
creative ways to get the message out about opportunities available
through Citizen Corps, as well as calling your citizens to action and
communicating success, will require an ongoing communications strategy
that can include media coverage, events, and presentations.

You may want to consider forming a communications committee within your
council that includes local media representatives, public relations and
marketing executives, and talented spokespersons who will help you to
effectively recruit and educate the members of your community.

The communications committee may want to consider:

-   Developing a presentation about Citizen Corps in your community that
    can be shared at meetings held by groups within your community. Once
    a presentation has been developed, council members can fan out to
    present Citizen Corps to community groups, local parent/teacher
    associations, volunteer clubs and other groups that are interested
    in Citizen Corps.

-   Planning a media outreach strategy that will tap into and develop
    relationships with your community's local media to educate them on
    Citizen Corps. Media opportunities might include interviews with
    participants active in Neighborhood Watch, coverage of your local
    government's proclamation of Citizen Corps week, letters to the
    editor, or meeting with the editorial board about Citizen Corps.
    Local media could also sponsor a regular newspaper or television
    spot to feature volunteer opportunities and Citizen Corps
    activities/success stories.

-   Designating contacts for speaking to the media and working with
    these contacts to develop a consistent message for promoting Citizen
    Corps within your community.

-   Incorporating Citizen Corps into newsletters and other publications
    developed by your community's local government, Chamber of Commerce,
    or neighborhood associations.

-   Planning a community Citizen Corps fair to bring together specific
    volunteer opportunities in your community with citizens interested
    in contributing. By inviting a local radio station to sponsor it,
    they could also provide public service announcements in advance to
    promote the fair and broadcasting live from the fair on the day of
    the event. Your local Volunteer Center may be able to help arrange
    such an event.

-   Contacting members of Congress and their local staff to help promote
    Citizen Corps activities within your community.

You may also want to create a recognition committee to provide support
and recognition to Citizen Corps volunteers. Your local Volunteer Center
can assist you with ideas for appropriate public recognition.

[VI. Government Roles]{.smallcaps}

## Federal Government

Citizen Corps is a vital component of President Bush's new USA Freedom
Corps initiative, through which he wants to inspire every American to
answer the call to service and to strengthen and expand service
opportunities to protect our homeland, to support our communities, and
to extend American compassion around the world. President Bush will
continue to echo his call to service and encourage Americans to serve
their communities through Citizen Corps.

Additional aspects of the federal government role in Citizen Corps will
include:

-   Promoting Citizen Corps at the national level and providing a
    national message, a logo, and a brand;

-   Fostering state and community participation, overseeing progress,
    recognizing accomplishment, and providing opportunities for
    mentoring and sharing ideas and resources;

-   Compiling accurate information and developing training standards and
    training materials for Citizen Corps activities;

-   Conducting train-the-trainers courses to develop state training
    capabilities and providing on-line educational opportunities, as
    appropriate;

-   Helping identify volunteer programs and initiatives that support the
    goals of Citizen Corps;

-   Helping secure national partnerships to promote Citizen Corps
    throughout the country; and

-   Developing financial incentives and tie-ins with other federal
    programs to encourage local government participation in Citizen
    Corps.

At the national level, Citizen Corps is coordinated by FEMA, in
collaboration with DOJ, and HHS and is supported by CNCS. In addition,
FEMA is working with other federal agencies, national volunteer
organizations, and representatives from first responders associations.
FEMA's regional offices will work with states and communities to help
make Citizen Corps a success.

## State Government

The responsibilities of state governments mirror those of the federal
government and include the mission to encourage every community in the
state to participate in Citizen Corps.

Local Citizen Corps Councils will be supported by a state coordinator
for Citizen Corps. States are also encouraged to create a state Citizen
Corps Council to bring together a number of state, local, and community
organizations to discuss opportunities for collaboration and ways to
address the needs of communities across the state and to share
innovative practices and ways to avoid pitfalls. Since this is primarily
a local government initiative, it is critical that the state coordinator
has a good working relationship with the local governments and serves as
an advocate.

Key state responsibilities include: identifying needs and developing a
statewide strategy for increasing the first responder and volunteer
collaboration; developing statewide marketing strategies; matching
Citizen Corps training needs with other major state training
initiatives; reporting statewide accomplishments; and ensuring that
Citizen Corps communities receive consideration for any relevant grant
funding administered by the state.

States could also support Citizen Corps by developing relevant state
policies and practices. To lend their support, governors and other state
representatives could also promote Citizen Corps in public speaking
engagements, press conferences, and media events.

[VII. Conclusion]{.smallcaps}

We have experienced many changes as a nation since September 11, 2001.
We are now more aware of our vulnerabilities, more appreciative of the
freedoms we are protecting, and more understanding that we have a
personal responsibility for the safety of our families, our neighbors,
and our communities. Citizen Corps was created to engage all Americans
in making our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared for any
situation.

This is an exciting time in our nation's history. We have the
opportunity to reinvigorate our national identity and to build an
American culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. We must
not miss this opportunity to harness the innumerable acts of kindness
taking place in our communities everyday and to make them a part of this
profound cultural change.

**[Appendix A: Citizen Corps Related Websites]{.smallcaps}**

Government

USA Freedom Corps
[www.usafreedomcorps.gov](http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/)

Citizen Corps [www.citizencorps.gov](http://www.citizencorps.gov/)

Corporation for National and Community Service
[www.cns.gov](http://www.cns.gov/)

Federal Emergency Management Agency [www.fema.gov](http://www.fema.gov/)

Department of Justice [www.justice.gov](http://www.justice.gov/)

Department of Health and Human Services
[www.hhs.gov](http://www.hhs.gov/)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[www.cdc.gov](http://www.cdc.gov/)

National Regulatory Commission [www.nrc.gov](http://www.nrc.gov/)

Environmental Protection Agency

Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
[www.epa.gov/ceppo](http://www.epa.gov/ceppo)

National Weather Service [www.nws.noaa.gov](http://www.nws.noaa.gov/)

U.S. Geological Survey [www.usgs.gov](http://www.usgs.gov/)

Office of Homeland Security
[www.whitehouse.gov/homeland](http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland)

U.S. State and Local Gateway
[www.statelocal.gov](http://www.statelocal.gov/)

Emergency Managers

National Emergency Managers Associations
[www.nemaweb.org](http://www.nemaweb.org/)

International Association of Emergency Managers
[www.iaem.com](http://www.iaem.com/)

######## 

First Responders

######### [Police]{.underline}

Volunteers in Police Service
[www.policevolunteers.org](http://www.policevolunteers.org/)

International Association of Chiefs of Police
[www.theiacp.org](http://www.theiacp.org/)

National Sheriffs' Association
[www.sheriffs.org](http://www.sheriffs.org/)

National Crime Prevention Council [www.ncpc.org](http://www.ncpc.org/)

Police Executive Research Forum
[www.policeforum.org](http://www.PoliceForum.org/)

National Law Enforcement and

Corrections Technology Center [www.nlectc.org](http://www.nlectc.rog/)

[Fire]{.underline}

International Association of Fire Chiefs
[www.iafc.org](http://www.iafc.org/)

National Volunteer Fire Council [www.nvfc.org](http://www.nvfc.org/)

International Association of Fire Fighters
[www.iaff.org](http://www.iaff.org/)

National Fire Protection Association
[www.nfpa.org](http://www.nfpa.org/)

Fire Department Safety Officers Association
[www.fdsoa.org](http://www.fdsoa.org/)

######### [Public Health and Emergency Medical Services]{.underline}

Medical Reserve Corps
[www.medicalreservecorps.gov](http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/)

National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
[www.naemt.org](http://www.naemt.org/)

National Association of EMS Educators
[www.naemse.org](http://www.naemse.org/)

International Rescue and Emergency Care Association
[www.ireca.org](http://www.ireca.org/)

Volunteer Organizations

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
[www.nvoad.org](http://www.nvoad.org/)

American Red Cross [www.redcross.org](http://www.redcross.org/)

Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center
[www.pointsoflight.org](http://www.pointoflight.org/)

National Network

United Way [www.unitedway.org](http://www.unitedway.org/)

Association for Volunteer Administration
[www.avaintl.org](http://www.avaintl.org/)

and Volunteer Managers

Network For Good
[www.networkforgood.org](http://www.networkforgood.org/)

The Independent Sector
[www.independentsector.org](http://www.independentsector.org/)

Volunteer Match [www.volunteermatch.org](http://www.volunteermatch.org/)

Business Associations

US Chamber of Commerce [www.uschamber.com](http://www.uschamber.com/)

Center for Corporate Citizenship
[www.uschamber.com/ccc](http://www.uschamber.com/ccc)

The Untied States Junior Chamber (Jaycees)
[www.usjaycees.org](http://www.usjaycees.org/)

**[Appendix B: Potential Resources for Citizen Corps]{.smallcaps}**

These questions may help you identify resources to help you implement
Citizen Corps.

General

1.  Who could champion this initiative in your community? Who might
    champion it within segments of your community? What is the best way
    to foster city/county/regional collaboration?

2.  What organizations are already active in programs relevant to
    Citizen Corps objectives?

3.  Which organizations usually sponsor or participate in various events
    that happen in your community (e.g., days of service, parades,
    fairs, block parties, speakers, carnivals, etc.)?

4.  What federal, state, or non-profit agencies serve your community?
    Could they provide staff, guidance, or training to participate in
    Citizen Corps activities, such as United Way?

5.  Does a regional planning council or a related organization include
    your community within its sphere of interest?

6.  What current preparedness activities are in progress in your
    communities? How can you involve youth organizations, such Boy
    Scouts, Girl Scouts or Explorers in Citizen Corps activities?

Volunteer

7.  Do you have a Volunteer Center in your community where volunteer
    opportunities can be registered and where you can receive assistance
    with recruitment efforts? What do you need to do to start one?

8.  Is there a state or local VOAD that could provide training and
    planning assistance for emergency preparedness, mitigation,
    response, and recovery?

9.  How can you involve organizations such as the American Red Cross and
    the Salvation Army that are already active in disaster preparedness
    and response?

10. Are there courses and programs already being provided in your
    community by voluntary organizations?

11. What volunteer groups are already active in the community that can
    be called upon to serve as Citizen Corps Council partners, including
    community service groups, faith-based groups, and high school civic
    groups?

12. Is your community served by AmeriCorps volunteers? Does your
    community have an active Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
    (RSVP)?

13. Are there volunteers already working and trained with organizations
    whose missions complement the goals of Citizen Corps? How can you
    tap into organizations that already recruit, manage, and place
    volunteers?

14. What other organizations, such as universities, volunteer groups,
    civic organizations, business councils, mosques, churches, or
    synagogues, can be tapped to sponsor volunteer participation or
    community events?

Schools and Universities

15. Are there colleges, universities, or vocational/technical schools in
    your community that have sponsored or participated in local
    preparedness activities?

16. Do any of these institutions have curricula or degrees of study
    programs related to civic administration or emergency management? Do
    they have an internship program that you could tap to support
    council efforts?

17. What other resources might your community's colleges, universities
    or vocational/technical schools provide to your Citizen Corps
    Councils?

18. Do your local high schools incorporate a community service element
    as part of their graduation requirement? How can you involve high
    school clubs' members or their leaders in Citizen Corps?

Business Sector

19. Which businesses in your community have corporate policies and value
    statements that encourage worker participation in community life?

20. Are there businesses in your community that have a good fit with the
    goals of Citizen Corps, such as insurance companies, security firms,
    training facilities, or manufacturers of preparedness kit items?

Media

21. Are there individuals or local celebrities in your community who
    would be willing to serve as motivational speakers to encourage
    people to participate in Citizen Corps?

22. Which TV, radio, print, or other media outlets in your area are
    community-service oriented?

23. Which journalists or reporters in your community frequently cover
    human interest stories or stories on disaster and emergency
    management?

24. Is there a local weather forecaster or news anchor who could be
    encouraged to serve as a Citizen Corps Council member?

**[Appendix C: Opportunities for Citizen Corps Volunteers]{.smallcaps}**

The following are examples of how citizens can engage in volunteer
opportunities that support the efforts of Citizen Corps. This is by no
means an exhaustive list but is intended to give you some ideas for
getting your citizens involved.

## Neighborhood Watch Program

-   Arrange for home security inspections by crime prevention officers
    to identify security vulnerabilities

-   Upgrade locks, security hardware, and lighting

-   Train family members to keep valuables secure and to lock windows
    when leaving home

-   Train family members on identifying suspicious behaviors that could
    indicate terrorist activity

-   Ask neighbors to watch for suspicious activity when the house is
    vacant

-   Organize block WATCH groups to assist children, the elderly, and
    other especially vulnerable persons if they appear to be distressed,
    in danger, or lost

-   Organize meetings with neighborhood groups and trained crime
    prevention officers to discuss security needs and crime prevention
    strategies

-   Obtain and study informative materials from the National Sheriffs'
    Association, the National Crime Prevention Council, and local law
    enforcement agencies

## Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

-   Staff a community education booth at community events

-   Identify safety needs and vulnerable individuals in your
    neighborhood

-   Distribute disaster education material in your neighborhood, in
    multiple languages if appropriate

-   Assist with writing and distributing a CERT newsletter

-   Help organize drills, activities, and supplemental training for your
    team

-   Participate in a speaker\'s bureau to schools and clubs

-   Assist emergency management officials and fire departments with
    installing smoke alarms and other special projects

-   Help with CERT administrative duties by maintaining databases,
    helping with class registration, and assisting with class logistics

-   Organize recognition activities for volunteers

-   After CERT training, assist in evacuation, shelter management,
    donations management, care of responders at fires or emergencies,
    mass care of victims from a large event, damage assessment, and
    perimeter control

## Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)

-   Take police reports

-   Make follow-up telephone calls to victims

-   Conduct fingerprinting

-   Engage in crowd/parking control at special events

-   Participate in search and rescue missions

-   Participate in mounted patrols in parking lots at high school
    football games

-   Operate metal detectors at a courthouse

-   Serve subpoenas

## Medical Reserve Corps

During emergencies, members of the Medical Reserve Corps could:

-   Assess and monitor the condition of patients

-   Counsel patients

-   Perform support and management activities (e.g., inventory and
    distribution of pharmaceuticals, supplies, and food, and
    facilitating patient transfers)

-   Administer and distribute medication

In non-emergency situations, local agencies could request volunteers to
assist them in performing their routine duties. Volunteers could:

-   Distribute educational materials about the need for immunizations

-   Give immunizations

-   Assist with health education

-   Provide additional support for community screening efforts (e.g.,
    breast cancer, hypertension, diabetes, etc.)

## Fire Department

-   Become a volunteer firefighter or emergency medical services
    technician

-   Offer to help the fire department in its fundraising efforts. Help
    with bingo or bake sales or other department fundraising programs

-   Help the department with its financial matters if you have a
    business background or special skills in this area

-   Help with correspondence, public outreach, and records management

-   Assist the fire department and fire prevention experts with fire
    prevention education in your neighborhood, place of business,
    schools, and community organizations

-   Assist the department with its canteen service so they will have
    water and food for major fires

**[Appendix D: Fact Sheets on Each Citizen Corps Program]{.smallcaps}**

Pages 30 -- 33

# 

# 

# 

# 

# 

# 

# 

# 

# 

#  

# [COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM]{.underline}

Community Emergency Response Team training is a Federal Emergency
Management Agency program that educates citizens about the hazards they
face in their community and trains them in lifesaving skills. If needed
following a disaster, these citizen-responders use their training as
part of a neighborhood or workplace team to help others when
professional responders are overwhelmed or not immediately available.

**PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM**

CERT members provide immediate assistance to victims in their area,
organize spontaneous volunteers who have not had the training, and
collect disaster intelligence that will assist professional responders
with prioritization and allocation of resources when they arrive. CERT
promotes a partnering between emergency management and response agencies
and the people in the community that they serve. The goal is to train
members of neighborhoods and workplaces in basic response skills. Then
CERT teams are formed and maintained as part of the emergency response
capability for their area.

If there is a natural or man-made event that overwhelms or delays the
community's professional responders, CERT members can assist others by
applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learned
during their CERT training. These skills can help save and sustain lives
until help arrives. CERT members also can volunteer for special projects
that improve a community's preparedness.

**HOW IT WORKS**

The basic CERT training program is a 20-hour course, typically delivered
one evening per week over a 7-week period. Training sessions cover
disaster preparedness, fire suppression, basic disaster medical
operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, team
organization, and a new module on terrorism to educate CERT members
about BNICE agents: [B]{.underline}iological, [N]{.underline}uclear,
[I]{.underline}ncendiary, [C]{.underline}hemical, and
[E]{.underline}xplosive. This module will help CERT members identify
situations where these agents may have been used and protective actions
that they should take. 

The training concludes with a disaster simulation in which participants
practice skills that they learned throughout the course. CERT
information including a CERT Instructor Guide and Student Guide is
located on the web at <http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/cert/index.htm>.

**What is Citizen Corps?**

President Bush's new Citizen Corps initiative offers the means for
citizens to help make our communities safer, stronger, and better
prepared from the threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all
kinds.

Citizen Corps brings together leaders from law enforcement, fire,
emergency medical and other emergency management, volunteer
organizations, local elected officials, and the private sector to form
Citizen Corps Councils. These Councils provide local oversight for
engaging citizens in homeland security and for promoting community and
family safety in three principle ways: through public education and
outreach, through training opportunities, and through volunteer programs
that draw on special skills and interests.

Citizen Corps is composed of existing and new federally sponsored
programs and other activities that share the common goal of helping
communities prevent, prepare for and respond to crime, disasters,
pressing public health needs and emergencies of all kinds. It encourages
all Americans to take an active role in building safer, stronger, and
better-prepared communities one neighborhood at a time!

**[NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM]{.underline}**

The Neighborhood Watch Program is already a strong force in community
protection in America's neighborhoods. President Bush and Attorney
General Ashcroft have announced that the National Sheriffs' Association
will expand the Neighborhood Watch Program so that it serves more
community groups, and offers community members new information about how
to recognize and report signs of potential terrorist activity in their
neighborhoods. These residents are critical in the detection,
prevention, and disruption of terrorism. Many neighborhoods already have
Neighborhood Watch programs. For those that do not, this new initiative
may provide the incentive for them to start one as part of Citizen
Corps.

Over the next 2 years, the National Sheriffs' Association will help to
double the number of Neighborhood Watch Programs operating throughout
the country from approximately 7,500 to more than 15,000. Neighborhood
Watch materials and training will also be revised to teach individuals
how they can assist in the war against terrorism by incorporating
preparedness in their daily lives. Neighborhood Watch will continue to
work to reduce crime in neighborhoods nationwide by encouraging
businesses, the faith community, schools, and citizens to cooperate and
assist local law enforcement by reporting suspicious activity.

**RESOURCES AVAILABLE**

The National Crime Prevention Council, in partnership with the U.S.
Department of Justice, has developed a Citizen Preparedness Guide for
use in this and other Citizen Corps programs. The guide provides
specific actions that citizens can take in their communities to reduce
crime. The guide outlines five specific themes: protecting one's self
and family; protecting and comforting children; knowing and caring for
neighbors; reporting crimes and suspicious activity; and emergency
preparedness. Get a free copy of the guide at
[www.citizencorps.gov/guidebook](http://www.citizencorps.gov/guidebook),
or by calling 1-800-WE-PREVENT.

**NATIONAL SHERIFFS' ASSOCIATION**

The Neighborhood Watch Program is a highly successful crime prevention
effort that has been in existence for more than thirty years in cities
across America. Neighborhood Watch brings together local officials, law
enforcement, and citizens for the protection of communities. Developed
in response to a multitude of requests from sheriffs and police chiefs
nationwide looking for a crime prevention program that would incorporate
citizen involvement, Neighborhood Watch became a national program under
the auspices of the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA). NSA has been
instrumental in launching the expanded Neighborhood Watch Program.

More information about the Neighborhood Watch Program and how to start
one in your neighborhood is available at
[www.usaonwatch.org](http://www.usaonwatch.org/)

**What is Citizen Corps?**

President Bush's new Citizen Corps initiative offers the means for
citizens to help make our communities safer, stronger, and better
prepared from the threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all
kinds.

Citizen Corps brings together leaders from law enforcement, fire,
emergency medical and other emergency management, volunteer
organizations, local elected officials, and the private sector to form
Citizen Corps Councils. These Councils provide local oversight for
engaging citizens in homeland security and for promoting community and
family safety in three principle ways: through public education and
outreach, through training opportunities, and through volunteer programs
that draw on special skills and interests.

Citizen Corps is composed of existing and new federally sponsored
programs and other activities that share the common goal of helping
communities prevent, prepare for and respond to crime, disasters,
pressing public health needs and emergencies of all kinds. It encourages
all Americans to take an active role in building safer, stronger, and
better-prepared communities one neighborhood at a time!

**[THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS]{.underline}**

The Medical Reserve Corps will provide local communities with volunteer
health professionals who can assist health professionals during a
large-scale local emergency (e.g., pandemic influenza or a hazardous
materials spill). Practicing and retired health care professionals will
be on a medical reserve list, ready to be called up to duty in the event
of an emergency. In addition to playing an important role during a
large-scale local emergency, Medical Reserve Corps volunteers would also
be active in promoting the public health life of their communities
throughout the year.

**PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM**

Medical Reserve Corps will usually be overseen by local Citizen Corps
Councils. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will
support coordination and training for volunteer health professionals so
that they are ready to assist their community in the event of a local
emergency. Medical Reserve Corps volunteers can assist with emergency
response teams, provide care to victims with non- serious injuries, and
provide additional manpower/staffing to increase the effectiveness of
physicians, nurses and other health professionals in a major crisis.

Medical Reserve Corps seeks to:

-   Draw Americans into volunteer service;

-   Create a framework to match volunteers' skills with their
    communities' needs;

-   Train a cadre of health professionals to respond better to the needs
    of their communities; enhancing their skills and teaching them their
    roles in support of local emergency response efforts; and

-   Provide reserve capacity at the community level to respond to health
    needs for emergencies and/or for locally identified public health
    needs and priorities.

### HOW IT WILL WORK 

Local officials will develop their own reserve of medical professionals
based on their community's needs. Once established, local officials will
decide if and when to activate their Medical Reserve Corps during an
emergency. Medical reserve volunteers will receive assignments based on
their skills and qualifications. After each local community develops its
own team of medical reservists, these volunteers will be able to respond
to local emergencies within a few hours of being called into action.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the lead federal
agency for the Medical Reserve Corps. HHS will work with local and state
agencies to develop the program guidelines and a resource manual, and to
provide technical assistance to local communities who choose to develop
their own Medical Reserve Corps.

**What is Citizen Corps?**

President Bush's new Citizen Corps initiative offers the means for
citizens to help make our communities safer, stronger, and better
prepared from the threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all
kinds.

Citizen Corps brings together leaders from law enforcement, fire,
emergency medical and other emergency management, volunteer
organizations, local elected officials, and the private sector to form
Citizen Corps Councils. These Councils provide local oversight for
engaging citizens in homeland security and for promoting community and
family safety in three principle ways: through public education and
outreach, through training opportunities, and through volunteer programs
that draw on special skills and interests.

Citizen Corps is composed of existing and new federally sponsored
programs and other activities that share the common goal of helping
communities prevent, prepare for and respond to crime, disasters,
pressing public health needs and emergencies of all kinds. It encourages
all Americans to take an active role in building safer, stronger, and
better-prepared communities one neighborhood at a time!

**[VOLUNTEERS IN POLICE SERVICE]{.underline}**

The Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program is being developed by
the U.S. Department of Justice in partnership with the International
Association of Chiefs of Police. VIPS is one of three Citizen Corps
programs administered by the Department of Justice.

### OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM

The VIPS program is designed to address the increasing demands on state
and local law enforcement agencies. In the aftermath of the terrorist
attacks of September 11, already limited law enforcement resources are
being stretched further at a time when this country needs every
available officer out on the beat. Some police departments are turning
to civilian volunteers to enable police officers to be on the front
lines, working to make communities safer. These volunteer outreach
efforts will receive new support through VIPS.

Examples of volunteer support activities include:

-   Assisting with traffic control;

-   Impounding and storing marked abandoned vehicles;

-   Searching for missing persons;

-   Booking property;

-   Transporting department vehicles;

-   Enforcing handicapped parking; and

-   Processing paperwork.

### RESOURCES & CURRENT PRACTICES

The VIPS program was launched in May 2002. The program will provide
resources to assist local law enforcement in incorporating community
volunteers into the activities of law enforcement agencies. A tool kit
for state and local law enforcement agencies will outline a series of
promising practices to help them design strategies to recruit, train,
and deploy citizen volunteers in their departments.

There are already many police departments across the country utilizing
the talents and commitment of volunteers in their communities to support
the work of their officers. Examples of some of these programs are
available on the Citizens Corps website. Go to
[www.citizencorps.gov](http://www.citizencorps.gov/) and click on
Volunteers in Police Service or contact your local law enforcement
agency to find out if they have a VIPS program you can join today.

### What is Citizen Corps?

President Bush's new Citizen Corps initiative offers the means for
citizens to help make our communities safer, stronger, and better
prepared from the threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all
kinds.

Citizen Corps brings together leaders from law enforcement, fire,
emergency medical and other emergency management, volunteer
organizations, local elected officials, and the private sector to form
Citizen Corps Councils. These Councils provide local oversight for
engaging citizens in homeland security and for promoting community and
family safety in three principle ways: through public education and
outreach, through training opportunities, and through volunteer programs
that draw on special skills and interests.

Citizen Corps is composed of existing and new federally sponsored
programs and other activities that share the common goal of helping
communities prevent, prepare for and respond to crime, disasters,
pressing public health needs and emergencies of all kinds. It encourages
all Americans to take an active role in building safer, stronger, and
better-prepared communities one neighborhood at a time!