Citizen Corps
Uniting Communities - Preparing the Nation
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The Power of Citizen Corps
Introduction
Citizen Corps Councils strive to bring together government and community leaders in all-hazards emergency preparedness. These resources might help with Council development, organization, management, and implementation.
We welcome suggestions for the Portal! If you find a good preparedness tool, please email it to citizencorps@dhs.gov.
We encourage the use of websites that are accessible to people with access and functional needs. For guidance on creating Section 508 compliant online materials refer to the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards. For further information on emergency management and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, please review this webinar from the Citizen Corps Community Preparedness Webinar Series.
Disclaimer
The resources listed here are purely for reference, are from publicly available sources, and intended to provide preparedness guidance, tools, and publications. FEMA does not necessarily endorse the views expressed or the facts presented on any linked external, third-party website. Nor does FEMA endorse any non-Federal government entity, service, or organization including but not limited to any commercial products.
Council Development and Management
- Community Preparedness Online Toolkit - Step-by-step directions and useful resources for making your community, safer, more resilient, and better prepared. Can be used to develop a community-based approach to preparedness, such as a Citizen Corps Council.
- CNCS Toolkit for Volunteer Sustainability, Capacity Building, and Volunteer Recruitment Management (45-page PDF)
- Medical Reserve Corps Technical Assistance Series - Sustainability (10-page PDF)
- Medical Reserve Corps Technical Assistance Series - Volunteer Retension and Recognition (10-page PDF)
- Citizen Corps: A Guide for Local Officials (32-page PDF)
Grants
Liability
- Citizen Corps Volunteer Liability Guide (100-page PDF) - FEMA funded the nonprofit Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) to develop the Citizen Corps Volunteer Liability Guide (CCVLG) to provide an overview of liability and to suggest some approaches to addressing these concerns.
- State Liability Laws - Good Samaritan Laws. Volunteer Protection. Volunteer Immunity. Liability Limitation. Shield Laws. Charitable Immunity. These are issues confronting many volunteer initiatives. A 2001 publication (additional information was added in 2005, 2008, and December 2009) issued by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center helps to answer many of the questions raised. Their publication, State Liability Laws for Charitable Organizations and Volunteers, provides an overview of the variety of laws in this field and a compendium each States' laws. Because coverage varies from state to state, we urge you to consult your legal counsel if you have any specific questions.
- Managing Spontaneous Volunteers in Times of Disaster - Spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers – our neighbors and ordinary citizens – often arrive on-site at a disaster ready to help. Yet because they are not associated with any part of the existing emergency management response system, their offers of help are often underutilized by professional responders. Click here to download the entire Managing Spontaneous Volunteers Guide (20-page PDF).
- CNCS - HandsOn Network Volunteer Management Guide (56-page PDF)
Public Relations
Accessible PSAs for Public Health Emergencies and Disaster from HHS
Relevant Webinars
These webinars from Citizen Corps' Community Preparedness Webinar Series may provide useful information as well:
- National Preparedness Month 2011 - June 22, 2011
- New CERT Training Updates from FEMA - March 29, 2011
- Citizen Corps Council Successes: Tapping Into Community Resources - February 8, 2011
- Citizen Corps National Preparedness Month Kickoff - August 31, 2010
- An Introduction to the Citizen Corps Volunteer Liability Guide - December 7, 2009
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