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Emergency Preparedness
When an emergency strikes a family, a community, a county or a state, many of the professionals and volunteers
who respond are in health care fields. One of CAHEC’s goals is to introduce residents to the many organizations
that help people prepare for emergencies or deal with them when they happen. This is done with the intent to
encourage people to join some of these groups and to remind young people that with a health care education,
they can work with these organizations to help their communities respond to an emergency.
Citizen Corps Programs & Partners
Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, caused many Americans to wonder how they can
help prepare their communities. The Citizen Corps Partner Programs listed below give citizens the opportunity
get involved. Citizen Corps' five federally sponsored partner programs help build capacity for first responders
through the use of volunteers. Additionally, the Citizen Corps Affiliate Program expands the resources and
materials available to states and local communities by partnering with Programs and Organizations that:
- offer resources for public education, outreach, and training;
- represent volunteers interested in helping to make their community safer; and/or
- offer volunteer service opportunities to support first responders, disaster relief activities, and community safety efforts
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
The CERT Program educates people about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills,
such as fire safety, light search and rescue, and disaster medical operations. Using their training, CERT
members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event and can take a more active role
in preparing their community.
Fire Corps
The Fire Corps promotes the use of citizen advocates to enhance the capacity of resource constrained fire and
rescue departments at all levels: volunteer, combination, and career. Citizen advocates can assist local fire
departments in a range of activities including fire safety outreach, youth programs, and administrative support.
Fire Corps provides resources to assist fire and rescue departments in creating opportunities for citizen
advocates and promotes citizen participation. Fire Corps is funded through DHS and is managed and implemented
through a partnership between the National Volunteer Fire Council, the International Association of Fire Fighters,
and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
USA on Watch
USAonWatch (UOW), Neighborhood Watch works to provide information, training and resources to citizens and law
enforcement agencies throughout the country. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Neighborhood Watch programs
have expanded beyond their traditional crime prevention role to help neighborhoods focus on disaster
preparedness, emergency response and terrorism awareness. USAonWatch Neighborhood Watch is administered by the
National Sheriffs' Association in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice.
Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
The MRC Program strengthens communities by helping medical, public health and other volunteers offer their
expertise throughout the year as well as during local emergencies and other times of community need. MRC
volunteers work in coordination with existing local emergency response programs and also supplement existing
community public health initiatives, such as outreach and prevention, immunization programs, blood drives, case
management, care planning, and other efforts. The MRC program is administered by HHS.
Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)
(VIPS works to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers. VIPS serves as a
gateway to resources and information for and about law enforcement volunteer programs. Funded by DOJ, VIPS is
managed and implemented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Citizen Corps is coordinated nationally by the Department of Homeland Security. DHS also works closely with
the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to promote volunteer service activities that
support homeland security and community safety. CNCS is a federal agency that operates nationwide service
programs such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America. Participants in these programs may
support Citizen Corps Council activities by helping to establish training and information delivery systems
for neighborhoods, schools, and businesses, and by helping with family preparedness and crime prevention
initiatives in a community or across a region.
Securing our safety and freedom requires that we all work together. Every American has a critical role to play.
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