Salt Lake City, UT -- Leading FEMA's mission of a nation prepared and encouraging citizens to be prepared for all-hazards, U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison today announced an official affiliation between the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and President Bush's Citizen Corps initiative.

An affiliate partnership was signed between the NVFC and Citizen Corps, at the NVFC Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, to work together to raise public awareness about emergency preparedness, fire hazards, volunteer service programs and the development of fire safety training. Together, they will encourage communities to form local Citizen Corps Councils and view community safety as a top priority, coordinating these efforts through the Citizen Corps network of state and local councils.

"Everyone can do something to support emergency preparedness, reduce fire hazards and increase fire safety training. The affiliation between Citizen Corps and the National Volunteer Fire Council will help bring that message to the American people," Paulison said. "I look forward to working with the National Volunteer Fire Council to expand Citizen Corps' network of affiliate organizations and programs to make our nation safer and better prepared than ever before."

The agreement adds the NVFC as an affiliate to the four charter Citizen Corps programs: Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service, Community Emergency Response Teams, and Medical Reserve Corps. The NVFC joins the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Save A Life Foundation, and The U.S. Junior Chamber as Citizen Corps affiliate programs.

Issuing a call to service for all Americans to embrace a spirit of volunteerism, President Bush announced the creation of USA Freedom Corps in his State of the Union address in January 2002. The President established Citizen Corps, a component of USA Freedom Corps, to provide people the opportunity to volunteer in a range of homeland security measures within their communities.

Under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security's, Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, Citizen Corps is a community-based initiative to engage all citizens in homeland security and community and family preparedness through public education and outreach, training opportunities, and volunteer programs. Programs under the Citizen Corps umbrella include federally sponsored programs and other activities that share the goal of helping communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to all-hazards. Citizen Corps encourages all Americans to take an active role in building safer, stronger, and better-prepared communities.

The NVFC is a non-profit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue service. The NVFC promotes and provides education and training for volunteer fire and EMS organizations, and provides representation on national standards setting committees and projects.

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