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.