FEMA And Civil Air Patrol Partner In Preparedness Through Citizen Corps
Release Date: August 26, 2003
Release Number: HQ-03-171
Washington, D.C. -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, today announced an official affiliate partnership between the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and President Bush's Citizen Corps initiative. Leaders for the 64,000-member nonprofit organization are meeting in Las Vegas at the CAP annual conference to discuss homeland security and ways that trained civilian volunteers can help protect their communities. Through this affiliation, Citizen Corps and the CAP will work together to raise public awareness about appropriate actions to take regarding emergency preparedness, disaster response, and volunteer service.
"We encourage the Citizen Corps Councils around the country to work with local CAP units to promote volunteer service opportunities in support of first responders, disaster relief and community safety. Together, we can make President Bush's vision a reality," Brown said. "Our communities are more secure when neighbors help neighbors."
The agreement adds the Civil Air Patrol as an affiliate to the four federal charter Citizen Corps programs: Neighborhood Watch and Volunteers in Police Service, administered by the Department of Justice; Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), administered by FEMA; and Medical Reserve Corps, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Civil Air Patrol also joins the American Red Cross, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Local Emergency Planning Committees of the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools of the Department of Education, Amateur Radio Relay League, 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.
Civil Air Patrol is a congressionally chartered, non-profit corporation and is the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force available to any department or agency in any branch of the Federal Government. Its corporate purposes include being an organization to encourage and develop by example the voluntary contribution of private citizens to the public welfare and to provide private citizens with adequate facilities to assist in meeting local and national emergencies. It does this, in part, by providing aerospace education, cadet training, and emergency response services through 1,600 local units nationwide. CAP supports Homeland Security efforts through memoranda of understanding with various federal, state and local government agencies under which its volunteer members provide coastal patrol, air/ground observation, radio communications and relay, aerial reconnaissance, air-to-ground photography, radiological monitoring, and disaster and damage assessment assets.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 26-Aug-2003 14:05:19