FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, June 21, 2003
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Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Citizen Corps and American Radio Relay League Partner to Engage More Americans in Emergency Preparedness |
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Washington, DC -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for
Emergency Preparedness and Response, today announced an official affiliation
between the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and President Bush's Citizen
Corps initiative. At the ARRL National Conference, sponsored by "Ham-Com,"
celebrating its 25th anniversary in Arlington, Texas, an affiliate partnership
was signed between ARRL and Citizen Corps. The signed partnership will raise
public awareness about the use of Amateur Radio as a public safety resource,
provide training and accreditation for Amateur Radio Emergency Communications,
as well as assist Citizen Corps Councils with public education, training and
volunteer service opportunities that support first responders, disaster relief
organizations, and community safety efforts.
"The affiliation between Citizen Corps and the American Radio Relay League will
help raise public awareness about public safety through the use of Amateur
Radio," Brown said. "I look forward to working with the American Radio Relay
League to expand the role citizens play within their community to be more secure
and better able to respond to disasters of all kinds."
The agreement adds the ARRL as an affiliate to the four charter Citizen Corps
programs: Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service, Community Emergency
Response Teams (CERT), and Medical Reserve Corps. The ARRL joins the National
Safety Council, Points of Light Foundation, National Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster, National Volunteer Fire Council, National Fire Protection
Association, Save A Life Foundation, and The U.S. Junior Chamber as Citizen
Corps affiliate programs.
Under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is
part of the Department of Homeland Security, Citizen Corps is a community-based
initiative to engage all citizens in homeland security and community and family
preparedness through public education and outreach, training opportunities, and
volunteer programs. Programs under the Citizen Corps umbrella include federally
sponsored programs and other activities that share the goal of helping
communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to all-hazards. Citizen Corps
encourages all Americans to take an active role in building safer, stronger, and
better-prepared communities.
The ARRL is a non-commercial membership association of radio amateurs organized
for the promotion of interest in Amateur Radio communication and
experimentation, for the establishment of networks to provide communications in
the event of disasters or other emergencies, for the advancement of the public
welfare, for the representation of the Radio Amateur in legislative and
regulatory matters. ARRL is the principal organization representing the
interests of the more than 650,000 U.S. Radio Amateurs. Because of its organized
emergency communications capability, ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) can be of valuable assistance in providing critical and essential
communications during emergencies and disasters when normal lines of
communication are disrupted. ARRL conducts emergency communications training and
certifies proficiency in emergency communications skills.
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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