1

Corps

Citizen

A Guide for Local Off icials

✶ 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 Citizens 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

VIII 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

3

Citizen Corps

A Guide for Local Of ficials

Contents
4

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, the governor will appoint 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 five national Citizen

Corps programs, including nationwide 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. If Congress approves this budget,

these funds would be available in October 2002.

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

nationwide by August 2002. FEMA coordinates the

overall effort of helping communities establish local

Citizen Corps programs.

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. 

Executive Executive Summary
5

The five 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

Sheriff’s Association website at 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.

✶ 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 nonintervention 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.

✶ Terrorism Information and Prevention

System (Operation TIPS), administered by DOJ, is

scheduled to be launched in late summer 2002 as a

pilot program in 10 cities before spreading across

the country. This program will enlist the help of

millions of American workers who, in the daily

course of their work, are in a unique position to

serve as extra eyes and ears for law enforcement.

Operation TIPS will provide training for these

workers from selected industries in how to look out

for suspicious and potentially terrorist-related activity

and then in how to report that information through

a toll free number.

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. 
6

✶ 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.

Executive Summary (continued)
Citizen

7

I.

Citizen Corps

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 five 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 offer each

of these programs to its residents and those who have

had special training or work in selected industries. 

✶ The Neighborhood Watch Program, funded by

the Department of Justice (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.

✶ 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.

✶ The 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. 

✶ The Department of Health and Human Services

(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.

✶ Terrorism Information and Prevention System

(Operation TIPS), administered by DOJ, is scheduled to be launched in late summer 2002 as a pilot
8

program in 10 cities before spreading across the

country. This program will enlist the help of millions

of American workers who, in the daily course of their

work, are in a unique position to serve as extra eyes

and ears for law enforcement. Operation TIPS will

provide training for these workers from selected

industries in how to look out for suspicious and

potentially terrorist-related activity and in how to

report that information through a toll free number.

Additional Citizen Corps resources include:

✶ 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 or by

calling NCPC at 1-800-WE-PREVENT

(1-800-937-7383).

✶ Appendix A provides the website address 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. 

Citizen Corps (continued)
9

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 and emergency preparedness. 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 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. 
Councils

10

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 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 is

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, 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. And

there should be only one group officially assigned

this responsibility. 

II.

Citizen Corps Councils
11

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. 
12

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 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

III.

Star Getting Started ted
13

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 will provide a 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 and

register your Citizen Corps Council contact

information by clicking on the registration link. In

providing this information to FEMA, you will be

agreeing be part of a list that will only be shared

with other community leaders working to create

Citizen Corps in their community. 

NATIONAL CITIZEN CORPS PROGRAMS

IN YOUR COMMUNITY

The current five federal Citizen Corps programs will

be implemented nationwide by August 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 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.

The NCPC has created a family preparedness

checklist in partnership with Citizen Corps that is

available on the Citizen Corps website at

www.citizencorps.gov or by calling NCPC at 

1-800-WE-PREVENT (1-800-937-7383).

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
14

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 is scheduled for a nationwide launch in spring

2002 and the Medical Reserve Corps guidance will be

launched nationwide in summer 2002. Operation TIPS

will be up and running in ten pilot communities in late

summer 2002, with a national rollout to follow. 

Getting Started (continued)
15

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 five 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. If Congress

approves this budget, these funds would be available

in October 2002. 

IV.

Resources Available Resources
16

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. 

V.

Success Communicating Success
17

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. The state may

also choose 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. 

An example of this is supporting 1-800-FIRE-LINE,

a toll free number that interested citizens can call to

learn more about volunteer fire/EMS opportunities

in their community. Currently, the fireline service is

available in only 30 states. Through Citizen Corps, 

1-800-FIRE-LINE could be available in all states and

territories by having volunteers staff the phone line

and provide information. 

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. 

Government VI.

Government Roles
18

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. 

V.

Conclusion Conclusion
19

GOVERNMENT

USA Freedom Corps

www.usafreedomcorps.gov

Citizen Corps

www.citizencorps.gov

Corporation for National and Community Service

www.cns.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency

www.fema.gov

Department of Justice

www.justice.gov

Department of Health and Human Services

www.hhs.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov

National Regulatory Commission

www.nrc.gov

Environmental Protection Agency

Chemical Emergency Preparedness and 

Prevention Office

www.epa.gov/ceppo

National Weather Service

www.nws.noaa.gov

U.S. Geological Survey

www.usgs.gov

Office of Homeland Security

www.whitehouse.gov/homeland

U.S. State and Local Gateway

www.statelocal.gov

EMERGENCY MANAGERS

National Emergency Managers Associations

www.nemaweb.org

International Association of Emergency Managers

www.iaem.com

FIRST RESPONDERS

Police

International Association of Chiefs of Police

www.theiacp.org

National Sheriffs’ Association

www.sheriffs.org

National Crime Prevention Council

www.ncpc.org

Police Executive Research Forum

www.policeforum.org

National Law Enforcement and Corrections

Technology Center

www.nlectc.org

Fire

International Association of Fire Chiefs

www.iafc.org

National Volunteer Fire Council

www.nvfc.org

International Association of Fire Fighters

www.iaff.org

National Fire Protection Association

www.nfpa.org

Fire Department Safety Officers Association

www.fdsoa.org

Appendix A Citizen Corps-Related Websites
20

Emergency Medical Services

National Association of Emergency Medical

Technicians

www.naemt.org

National Association of EMS Educators

www.naemse.org

International Rescue and Emergency Care

Association

www.ireca.org

Volunteer Organizations

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

www.nvoad.org

American Red Cross

www.redcross.org

Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center

National Network

www.pointsoflight.org

United Way

www.unitedway.org

Association for Volunteer Administration 

and Volunteer Managers 

www.avaintl.org

Network For Good

www.networkforgood.org

The Independent Sector

www.independentsector.org

Volunteer Match

www.volunteermatch.org

Business Associations

US Chamber of Commerce

www.uschamber.com

Center for Corporate Citizenship

www.uschamber.com/ccc

Appendix A Citizen Corps-Related Websites
21

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 in 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? 

Appendix B Potential Resources for Citizen Corps Councils
22

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 B Potential Resources for Citizen Corps Councils
23

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

Appendix C Opportunities for Citizen Corps Volunteers
24

✶ 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 C Opportunities for Citizen Corps Volunteers
25

Appendix D Fact Sheets on National Citizen Corps Programs

on pages 26-30
 

Terrorism Information and Prevention System 

(Operation TIPS)

Operation TIPS, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice and developed in partnership with several 

other federal agencies, is one of the five component programs of the Citizen Corps.

PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM HOW IT WILL WORK 

Operation TIPS will be a national system for 

reporting suspicious, and potentially terroristrelated activity. The program will involve the 

millions of American workers who, in the daily 

course of their work, are in a unique position to 

serve as extra eyes and ears for law enforcement. 

Workers, such as truck drivers, bus drivers, train 

conductors, mail carriers, utility readers, ship 

captains, and port personnel are ideally suited to 

help in the anti-terrorism effort because their 

routines allow them to recognize unusual events. 

Participants in Operation TIPS will be given an 

Operation TIPS information decal that includes the 

toll-free reporting number. That decal can be 

affixed to the cab of their vehicle or placed in 

another location where it is readily available. The 

toll-free hotline will route calls received to the 

proper local, state, or federal law enforcement 

agency or other responder organizations. 

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM

Operation TIPS is scheduled to be launched in Summer 2002 as a pilot program in ten cities. The 

program will give workers from selected industries a formal way to report suspicious and potentially 

terrorist-related activity through a single and coordinated toll-free number. 

RESOURCES AVAILABLE 

The National Crime Prevention Council, in partnership with the Justice Department, will develop 

educational and training materials for the industries that will participate in Operation TIPS. 

Citizen Corps Councils bring together a community’s first responders, firefighters, emergency health care providers, 

law enforcement, emergency managers, and the volunteer community to involve all citizens in emergency 

preparedness, mitigation, response, crime prevention, and emergency medical training. At the national level, Citizen 

Corps includes FEMA’s Community Emergency Response Team training program, the Justice Department’s 

Neighborhood Watch, Operation TIPS, and Volunteers in Police Service, and the Department of Health and Human 

Services’ Medical Reserve Corps. 

WWW.CITIZENCORPS.GOV 

26
 

Neighborhood Watch Program 

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. 

PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM NATIONAL SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION 

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, or by calling 1-800-WEPREVENT.

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.

Citizen Corps Councils bring together a community’s first responders, firefighters, emergency health care providers, 

law enforcement, emergency managers, and the volunteer community to involve all citizens in emergency 

preparedness, mitigation, response, crime prevention, and emergency medical training. At the national level, Citizen 

Corps includes FEMA’s Community Emergency Response Team training program, the Justice Department’s 

Neighborhood Watch, Operation TIPS, and Volunteers in Police Service, and the Department of Health and Human 

Services’ Medical Reserve Corps. 

WWW.CITIZENCORPS.GOV 

27
28

 

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program 

Community Emergency Response Team 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. 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. 

PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM HOW IT WORKS 

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. 

 

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: Biological, 

Nuclear, Incendiary, Chemical, and Explosive. 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. 

RESOURCES AVAILABLE 

CERT information including a CERT Instructor Guide and 

Student Guide is located on the web at 

http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/cert/index.htm. 

Citizen Corps Councils bring together a community’s first responders, firefighters, emergency health care providers, 

law enforcement, emergency managers, and the volunteer community to involve all citizens in emergency 

preparedness, mitigation, response, crime prevention, and emergency medical training. At the national level, Citizen 

Corps includes FEMA’s Community Emergency Response Team training program, the Justice Department’s 

Neighborhood Watch, Operation TIPS, and Volunteers in Police Service, and the Department of Health and Human 

Services’ Medical Reserve Corps. 

WWW.CITIZENCORPS.GOV
29

 

Volunteers in Police Service 

 (VIPS) 

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 RESOURCES & CURRENT PRACTICES 

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: 

3⁄4Assisting with traffic control; 

3⁄4Impounding and storing marked abandoned 

vehicles; 

3⁄4Searching for missing persons; 

3⁄4Booking property; 

3⁄4Transporting department vehicles; 

3⁄4Enforcing handicapped parking; and 

3⁄4Processing paperwork.

The VIPS program is scheduled to be 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 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.

Citizen Corps Councils bring together a community’s first responders, firefighters, emergency health care providers, law 

enforcement, emergency managers, and the volunteer community to involve all citizens in emergency preparedness, mitigation, 

response, crime prevention, and emergency medical training. At the national level, Citizen Corps includes FEMA’s Community 

Emergency Response Team training program, the Justice Department’s Neighborhood Watch, Operation TIPS, and Volunteers in 

Police Service, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Medical Reserve Corps. 

WWW.CITIZENCORPS.GOV 
30

 

Medical Reserve Corps 

The Medical Reserve Corps will provide local communities with medical volunteers 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 HOW WILL IT WORK? 

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 nonserious injuries, and provide additional 

manpower/staffing to increase the effectiveness of 

physicians and nurses 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. 

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.

Citizen Corps Councils bring together a community’s first responders, firefighters, emergency health care providers, law 

enforcement, emergency managers, and the volunteer community to involve all citizens in emergency preparedness, mitigation, 

response, crime prevention, and emergency medical training. At the national level, Citizen Corps includes FEMA’s Community 

Emergency Response Team training program, the Justice Department’s Neighborhood Watch, Operation TIPS, and Volunteers in 

Police Service, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Medical Reserve Corps.

WWW.CITIZENCORPS.GOV 
3232

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency

500 C Street, NW Room 824, Washington, DC 20472

www.citizencorps.gov