FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 22, 2004
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Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Citizen Corps Celebrates Success At Two-Year Anniversary |
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Survey reveals Americans interested
in volunteering to support community emergency preparedness
Washington, DC - Launched by President George W. Bush during the 2002 State
of the Union address as part of the USA Freedom Corps initiative to engage
Americans in volunteer service, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge today
marked the tremendous success of Citizen Corps two years later.
In only two years, nearly 1,000 communities around the country, encompassing
40 percent of the U.S. population, have established Citizen Corps Councils to
help inform and train citizens in emergency preparedness and to coordinate and
expand opportunities for citizen volunteers to participate in homeland security
efforts and make our communities safer. Fifty-two states and territories have
also formed state level Citizen Corps Councils to support local efforts.
Supporting the Citizen Corps concept, a recent opinion poll shows that
Americans are interested in volunteering to help their local community emergency
service providers, such as law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical services,
or with organizations that focus on community safety, such as the American Red
Cross or Neighborhood Watch. Forty percent of those polled say answered they
would be willing to volunteer. In addition, nearly two thirds of respondents (63
percent) believe it is important for neighborhoods to have a way to work
together on emergency preparedness.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge lauded the American public's interest
to help. "Through Citizen Corps, we are building a grass-roots culture of
citizen preparedness. It is critical that the public be prepared personally and
work with their neighborhoods and communities to do the same."
The four charter federal Citizen Corps programs, administered by FEMA, the
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the Department of Justice
(DOJ) have worked in close collaboration over the past 2 years and have also
seen remarkable growth:
- Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, a FEMA program, is now
available in over 900 communities in 51 states and territories - growing from
approximately 100 communities in 27 states in January 2002;
- DHHS has distributed over $8 million to 167 communities in 44 states to
assist in the development of Medical Reserve Corps units, which include
volunteer physicians, nurses, pharmacists and others with a broad range of
skills in medicine, public health and other support fields;
- Funded by DOJ and administered by the National Sheriffs Association, the
National Neighborhood Watch Program has reached its goal to double the number
of Neighborhood Watch programs by registering thousands of new or revitalized
programs, many of which have embraced the Homeland Security mission; and
- Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) has grown from 76 registered programs
to more than 740 registered programs with more than 40,000 volunteers
participating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The
International Association of Chiefs of Police administers VIPS with funding
from DOJ.
In addition to the four charter programs, 15 affiliate organizations have
joined Citizen Corps to provide resources, training, and volunteer opportunities
to communities nationwide.
"President Bush's vision of promoting citizen volunteers in homeland security
is an integral part of Secretary Ridge's citizen preparedness initiative. It has
enabled us to increase our efforts to prepare for, respond to and recover from
emergencies or disasters of all types," said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary
of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. Brown also serves
as the current chair of the National Citizen Corps Council.
While 44 percent of survey respondents say their neighborhood has a plan to
help reduce crime, only 13 percent report having a neighborhood plan for
disasters. Most respondents (70 percent) also say their neighborhood would be
more likely to develop a neighborhood plan or group if a local government or
community organization provided support. Through Citizen Corps and the Ready
Campaign, the Department of Homeland Security is doing just that.
The Department's Ready Campaign is a public education initiative that
provides practical advice about how to be prepared for and respond to terrorism
and other emergencies. The campaign asks people to take three basic steps toward
preparedness: make a kit, make a plan and be informed. Citizen Corps helps
deliver that message within the community, offers training, and provides other
opportunities for citizens to get involved with helping their community be
safer.
While 50 percent of those surveyed reported having an emergency supply kit in
their home, emergency supply kits are less common at work (41 percent) and in
the car (34 percent). The survey also found that many of these kits are
incomplete. Families should review their kits to be sure they contain all the
recommend supplies, to include enough food and water for 3 days, flashlight,
radio, batteries, duct tape and plastic sheeting, personal items and medication,
and copies of important documentation.
Citizens also view life-saving training programs as important preparedness
activities, according to the survey findings. Eighty-seven percent of adults say
it is important for individuals to be trained in skills such as first aid and
CPR. At present, less than half of all adults (46 percent) say they feel
confident in their ability to save someone in a life-threatening situation.
On November 3, 2003, Secretary Ridge announced $35 million in fiscal year
2004 grants for Citizen Corps. Suzanne Mencer, the Director of the Office for
Domestic Preparedness, which administers these and other Homeland Security
grants, emphasized the importance of this funding. "These funds will help the
state, local and tribal governments across the country provide emergency
preparedness training for citizens and coordinate volunteer service
opportunities for citizens to support our emergency responders," said Mencer.
To find out more about Citizen Corps and to find the Council nearest you,
visit www.citizencorps.gov.
For more information on the Ready campaign, visit
www.ready.gov.
ORC Macro conducted the surveys by telephone in June 2003 with
a random sample of 2,002 adults. The survey included questions about personal
and household preparedness, neighborhood preparedness, and training and
volunteering around emergency preparedness issues. Figures for age, gender, and
race were weighted to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the
population (2000 U.S. Census). The margin of error is +/- 2% with a 95%
certainty. The full survey results are available at:
http://www.citizencorps.gov/citizen_corps_2003_survey_results.ppt.
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