Citizen Corps Councils

Q&A Of FEMA Citizen Corps/CERT Grants

Question -- How much money is being provided?
Answer -- FEMA is providing $21 million as grants to every state in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Question -- How much does each state or territory receive?
Answer -- The allocations for these grants are based on the formula prescribed in Section 1014 of the USA Patriot Act. Each state is allocated a base amount of .75 percent of the $21 million and each territory is allocated a base amount of .25 percent of the $21 million. The remainder of the funds is allocated on the basis of population, which is added to the base amount. The exact amount for each state and territory is available at www.citizencorps.gov/councils/grantalloc.shtm.

Question -- How can I apply for Citizen Corps/CERT funding for my organization and/or community?
Answer -- FEMA has issued the Citizen Corps/CERT grants to the states and territories, which in turn, will sub grant 75% of that funding to local governments. FEMA does not have funding available to provide grants directly to local governments or directly to any organization. The state and territory will develop grant mechanisms for local governments. Please contact your state Citizen Corps point of contact if you have any specific questions about how this process will be handled in your area.

Question -- What are these grants going to be used for?
Answer -- There are two purposes for this funding:

1. to support the formation of Citizen Corps Councils and the oversight and outreach responsibilities of these Councils, and
2. to expand CERT training across the country. CERT training puts in place a volunteer response force that can supplement the emergency and disaster response capabilities within a community. FEMA's goal is to have 400,000 community members trained in the CERT program over the next 2 years.

Question -- Where did FEMA get this money?
Answer -- The 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act For Further Recovery From and Response To Terrorist Attacks on the United States (Public Law 107-206) was passed by the Congress and signed by the President on August 2, 2002. The Act included $25 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Citizen Corps.

Question -- If FEMA received $25 million and gave the states and territories $21 million, what is FEMA doing with the remaining $4 million?
Answer -- FEMA has retained the remaining $4 million for program development, to include public education and outreach materials, CERT instructor guides and student manuals, and website support.

Question -- What follow up or performance reports are necessary from the states?
Answer -- Performance reports from grantees will include a summary of all Citizen Corps Council activities, such as: public education and outreach; training; and volunteer activities relating to community and family safety, with specific details on citizen participation in any Citizen Corps program (Neighborhood Watch, Medical Reserve Corps, etc.) and the number of people trained in CERT.