 What is Citizen Corps?
Citizen Corps offers volunteer opportunities to support local fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, community public health efforts, and to contribute to the four stages of emergency management: preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery. With the added support of citizen volunteers, emergency service providers have more time to fulfill their highly skilled responsibilities to make our communities safer, stronger and better prepared.
The Texas Association of Regional Councils, a public entity, administers the Citizen Corps programs in Texas through councils of governments (COGs).
Bexar County and the Alamo Area CERT Award 10 Trailers
Using 2007 State Homeland Security Program Grant funds, the Bexar County Office of Emergency Management presented ten (10) single-axle cargo trailers to members of the Alamo Area Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). The trailers were awarded to CERT programs in Bandera County, Comal County, City of Fredericksburg, Kendall County, Kerr County, Schertz Fire Department, Somerset Volunteer Fire Department, Wilson County, Lone Oak Volunteer Fire Department, and the International Community Development Corporation.
The trailers will be utilized to transport supplies and equipment required to respond to emergency situations within their communities and surrounding areas. They will also be used to hold regular trainings and exercises in their communities.
“The collaborative effort among these entities depicts how government and local community groups can effectively and efficiently work together for the safety of all our citizens,” says Bexar County Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz. Scott Lampright, Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator, also confirms, “These ten trailers will aid regional communities in effectively responding to both minor and major emergencies. The cooperation of agencies throughout the 12-county area (AACOG) was instrumental to the success of this important project.
Community Preparedness Webinar Series
The Community Preparedness Webinar Series provides up-to-date information on community preparedness topics and resources available to citizens, community organizations, and Citizen Corps Councils. A webinar is a web-based informational or training seminar (a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar) that is transmitted over the internet. These webinars will feature new community preparedness topics several times each month and are free to the public. Each webinar will accommodate the first 500 visitors that enter the website at the time of the webinar. In addition to airing live, each webinar will be recorded and viewable after it completes at your convenience.
LIVE Broadcast: Emergency Planning for Special Needs Communities: Answering the Call for Help - Jan 27 @ 2pm ET
For information on upcoming webinars, or to view archived Community Preparedness Webcasts and Webinars, click here.
Citizen Corps Trailer Giveaway
The deadline for Applications for the Citizen Corps Trailer Award has expired. Thank you to all the jurisdictions who submitted great applications. As stated in the guidelines, the Texas Citizen Corps Program will award this Trailer to the jurisdiction whose competitive application demonstrates the best plan for using the trailer to promote Citizen Corps programs as well as the Texas Homeland Security Strategy. Emphasis on regional use of the trailer will be taken into consideration. The Texas Citizen Corps Council will score the applications and determine the recipient of the trailer.
The highest scoring applications will be announced on February 15, 2010, at the Texas Homeland Security Conference in San Antonio.
New Community Preparedness Toolkit Available on
Serve.gov
This summer, President Obama is calling on Americans to participate in our nation's recovery and renewal by volunteering in our local communities. To encourage individuals to volunteer and develop their own "do-it-yourself" projects that can help prepare communities for disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Citizen Corps have teamed up with the Corporation for National and Community Service to provide a Community Preparedness Toolkit on Serve.gov.
This new Community Preparedness Toolkit helps citizens create a service project to prepare their family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues for disasters in their local community. Click here for more information and to download the toolkit.
Information on Homeland Security, Both in Texas and Nationwide
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