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Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, state and local
government
officials have increasingly turned to their citizens to support their
efforts in protecting our
homeland and our the local first responders. These local leaders agree that
to effectively
create a more secure and safer homeland we must engage in training,
preparedness,
and citizen involvement.
Citizen Corps, a vital component of USA Freedom Corps, was created to help
coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer,
stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It
provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures to
make their families, their homes, and their communities safer from the
threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds.
Volunteers around the country are answering the President’s Call to Service
by taking important steps to help protect our communities. The following are
helpful ideas for how individuals, families and organizations can help in
this effort:
- Nearly 1,000 communities across the country representing leaders from
law enforcement, fire, emergency medical and management, local elected
officials, volunteer organizations and the private sector are working
together to strengthen Citizen Corps activities at the local level and
provide opportunities for citizen volunteers to assist with homeland
security. Find a Citizen Corps Council near you and participate in service
activities relating to public safety, public health and emergency
preparedness.
- Join a Neighborhood Watch program in your community and assist with
local crime prevention activities in your area. If you don’t have a
Neighborhood Watch program in your area, organize a small planning group
with nearby residents and start one of your own. The National Sheriff’s
Association can help you get started at
www.usaonwatch.org.
- Help support your local police department by volunteering as part of
Volunteers In Police Service, a national program that provides training
for volunteers to perform administrative and non-intervention policing
activities so more law enforcement officers are available for frontline
duty.
- The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
program provides basic training in emergency preparedness and response
techniques to volunteers, enabling them to take a more active role in
personal and public safety. The 20-hour training session covers disaster
preparedness, light search and rescue, basic medical services, fire
suppression and team organization.
- Organize a neighborhood preparedness day in your community and help
residents create emergency preparedness kits, test fire alarms and smoke
detectors, and stay informed about important emergency services within the
community.
- Create a
Communications Plan
in case of emergency so that members of your family are able to contact
one another and stay informed. Share information, such as important phone
numbers, with your friends, neighbors and co-workers. Encourage them to
develop communication plans of their own. If you are an employer, be sure
to have an emergency communications plan for your place of business. Also,
inquire about emergency plans where you and your family spend time, such
as where you work or where your children go to school.
Ready.gov
Citizen Corps helps deliver the Department of Homeland Security's "Ready"
campaign message designed to educate and empower everyone in America to
prepare for and respond to potential terrorist attacks.
For additional information about Citizen Corps, visit
www.citizencorps.gov. |