FEMA Announces Awards to Pilot Citizen Corps National Emergency Technology Guard (Net Guard) Program 

Release Date: September 16, 2008
Release Number: HQ-08-219

» Fiscal Year 2008 Citizen Corps Program, National Emergency Technology Guard Pilot Program (NET GUARD) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that $320,000 will be awarded to four jurisdictions to pilot, test, and develop tools for a potential new Citizen Corps National Emergency Technology Guard (NET Guard) program.

The four jurisdictions selected to receive competitive awards for $80,000 each are: the city of Austin, TX (in the Austin, TX Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI); the city of Chesapeake, VA (in the Norfolk, VA UASI); Cottonwood Heights City, UT (in the Salt Lake, UT UASI); and Hamilton County, IN (in the Indianapolis, IN UASI).

NET Guard teams will be comprised of volunteers with information technology (IT) and communications expertise to assist states and localities in responding to and recovering from incidents that cause significant damage or destruction to IT and communications infrastructure.  Teams will be local assets, managed at the local level, and deployed in response to a request from local or state authorities.

These pilot jurisdictions will develop NET Guard teams with a range of functions, delivery models, and public-private partnerships to support the program. The pilots will assist in evaluating and refining the NET Guard concept and developing guidance and tools to support potential local implementation of the NET Guard programs as part of the nationwide Citizen Corps network.

Citizen Corps is FEMA's grassroots comprehensive strategy to actively involve the full community in preparing and building resilience through participation with emergency management in planning, prevention, mitigation, response and recovery.  

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 16-Sep-2008 16:03:41