FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, March 08, 2003
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Federal Emergency Management Agency
Contact: (202) 566-1600 |
Citizen Corps and The U.S. Junior Chamber Partner for Emergency Preparedness |
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Under Secretary designee for Emergency Preparedness
and Response and FEMA Director Michael D. Brown today announced an
official affiliation between The United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees)
and President Bush's Citizen Corps initiative. At The U.S. Junior
Chamber's Year-End Convention in Dallas, Texas, an affiliate partnership
was signed between the Jaycees and Citizen Corps to work together to
raise public awareness about emergency preparedness, first aid, disaster
response training and volunteer service.
Together they will encourage communities to form local Citizen Corps
Councils through local U.S. Junior Chamber chapter participation and
assist these Councils with implementing the programs and practices
associated with Citizen Corps. The U.S. Junior Chamber will also provide
volunteer service opportunities that support first responders, disaster
relief organizations, community safety efforts as well as coordinate
these efforts through the Citizen Corps network of state and local
councils.
"Everyone can do something to spread the word about emergency
preparedness, first aid, and disaster response training. The affiliation
between Citizen Corps and The U.S. Junior Chamber will help bring that
message to the American people," Brown said. "I look forward to working
with The U.S. Junior Chamber and to expanding Citizen Corps' network of
affiliate organizations and programs to make our nation safer and better
prepared than ever before."
The agreement adds The U.S. Junior Chamber 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 U.S. Junior Chamber joins National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
and Save A Life Foundation 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.
Citizen Corps' mission is to harness the power of individual citizens
through education, training, and volunteer opportunities to make
communities safer, stronger and better prepared for the threats of
terrorism, crime, public health risks, and disasters of all kinds. FEMA
coordinates these volunteer opportunities through Citizen Corps.
The mission of The U.S. Junior Chamber is to provide young people the
opportunity to develop personal and leadership skills through local
community action and organizational involvement while expanding the
Junior Chamber movement. Through local chapters, the Jaycees have a long
history of building and supporting communities across the nation, from
playgrounds and parks to disaster relief. In today's environment, all
Jaycees and their chapters are being "Called to Action" to help set-up
America's homeland security efforts. President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House
to foster an American culture of service, citizenship and
responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to
help every American answer the call to service by strengthening and
expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our
communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested
volunteers can find information on the USA Freedom Corps at
www.usafreedomcorps.gov
or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.
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