News & Events

E-News

Vol. I, Issue 2 (March 19, 2002)

Since President Bush introduced Citizen Corps in January, www.citizencorps.gov has been visited more than one million times. Americans heard - and are answering - President Bush's call to serve our communities, country and the world. We know this ethic of service and citizenship will make America stronger and the world better. The interest in Citizen Corps has been strong throughout the country and we want to thank YOU for signing up to be a Citizen Corps volunteer.

In this Issue

Ask Citizen Corps: Answers to Your Most Frequently Asked Questions
News You Can Use: Your Record of Service
What's Happening At…Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services

Ask Citizen Corps

How will a community get involved with Citizen Corps at the local level?

At the local level, Citizen Corps participation will be coordinated by Citizen Corps Councils, comprised of local leaders from law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, health care providers and volunteer organizations. Councils identify existing volunteer-based programs within your community and organize active community participation that will contribute to reaching the goal of making your community safer, stronger and better prepared against crime, terrorism and disasters.

There are many communities across the United States that already embrace the principals of Citizen Corps through efforts that prepare us better to deal with crime, terrorist acts, health emergencies and natural disasters. Citizen Corps will build on this existing base, helping communities better tie together the first responder, emergency management and volunteer communities.

Citizen Corps is developing a guide for communities to help them establish a Citizen Corps Council and start or expand volunteer programs to support Citizen Corps in the community. This guide will be launched in early April, along with an extensive coordinated effort to educate state and local officials.

But you can start now. Use your ingenuity and skills to find ways to contribute, as this volunteer described in an e-mail to us: "I signed up shortly after the President announced the website and solicited for volunteers. Since I live in a small town in Tennessee, I expected quite a delay in contact from an official organization, so I went looking for somewhere to be of use.

I have joined the Civil Air Patrol in our area. We work intimately with FEMA, state and local law enforcement agencies, and local and federal aviation agencies in Search and Rescue operations as well as Counter Drug, Disaster Relief, Emergency Airlift or Emergency Reconnaissance."

Got a question you'd like to see answered in CC E-News?
Email us at AskCitizenCorps@fema.gov.

News You Can Use:

Your Record of Service

As of March 12, volunteers can track how they've answered President Bush's call to service by keeping a record of their volunteer experiences and hours in an online journal. The online Record of Service will allow individuals to track their progress in meeting their individual commitment to serve others.

The online Record of Service is available at www.usafreedomcorps.gov, and is powered by Network for Good, an independent, 501(c)(3) organization that is a partnership of over 20 corporations, nonprofit foundations and associations. In addition individuals can download a printed Record of Service book at the same web address.

The President also announced that he has directed his Cabinet to report back to him within 30 days on ways their departments and agencies can contribute to service opportunities for all Americans. Agency heads will undertake a complete inventory of the service opportunities sponsored by their agencies and look at regulatory barriers that hinder community service.

What's Happening At… Department of Justice

Delivering on one of the President's goals for Citizen Corps, Attorney General John Ashcroft introduced the new expanded Neighborhood Watch Program on March 6. At a press conference, he was joined by entertainer Ed McMahon and representatives from the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) and National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to highlight the Administration's goal to double the number of Neighborhood Watch programs around the country over the next two years, and to unveil a new public service advertising campaign to encourage citizens to volunteer. To learn how to start a Neighborhood Watch, visit the NSA website at www.usaonwatch.org. Information about the public service advertising campaign, which encourages citizens to get a copy of the Citizens' Preparedness Guide, is available at www.ncpc.org. The guide is part of a new component of the Neighborhood Watch Program that provides measures citizens can use to join in the fight against terrorism. Download your copy at www.citizencorps.gov.

Department of Health and Human Services
HHS secretary Tommy G. Thompson thanked some 2,000 HHS-supported rescue workers and public health professionals who responded to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Of the total, 1,364 were volunteer health and mortuary professionals who provided their services as part of the nation's National Disaster Medical System (NDMS).

The NDMS includes volunteer teams around the country that can be brought together quickly and deployed in emergencies. In responding to New York's needs, 63 different response teams were deployed, including members from all 10 mortuary teams, all four veterinary units in the NDMS, and five of the six burn support teams.

Please feel free to forward this on to friends who might be interested in Citizen Corps.

Visit the websites of Citizen Corps partners: Department of Justice, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, USA Freedom Corps