Washington, DC - The Department of Homeland Security's Citizen Corps today announced its affiliate partnership with the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS). Citizen Corps and APTS will work through the State, county, local and tribal Citizen Corps Councils and local public television stations to engage citizens in making their communities safer and better prepared for emergencies of all kinds.

"The alliance between Citizen Corps and APTS will generate public awareness of the citizen's role in hometown security and how every individual can prepare, train, and volunteer to help ensure their family, neighborhoods, and communities are safer and better prepared," said Matt Mayer, Acting Executive Director of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness.

The partnership was announced today during the APTS Capitol Hill Day 2005 event, as APTS celebrates its 25th anniversary of advancing the interests of public television stations. During the event, APTS also addressed how public television stations will develop a digitally-based alert and warning system and how digital capabilities can be used to better communicate with the American public during a national crisis.

"APTS will facilitate coordination between member stations and Citizen Corps Councils at the local level to help raise awareness of Citizen Corps programs and activities through television programming, public events, and community outreach," said John Lawson, president and CEO of APTS.

Citizen Corps is the Department's nationwide grass-roots movement to actively involve citizens in making our communities and our nation more resilient from all hazards and threats. Sixty-four percent of the U.S. population is now served by more than 1,500 state or local Citizen Corps Councils, which coordinate the program's homeland security activities. For more information about Citizen Corps, visit www.citizencorps.gov.

APTS is a nonprofit membership organization that supports the continued growth and development of a strong and financially sound noncommercial television service for the American public. APTS provides advocacy for public television interests at the national level, as well as consistent leadership and information in marshaling support for its members. To learn more about the Association of Public Television Stations, please visit www.apts.org.