TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATERUS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 11.41 DATE: October 9, 2011
SUBJECT: WHAT IS CITIZENS CORP
In the "Pearl Harbor" the actor that portrayed Col. Billy Mitchell said a line describing the men who volunteered for a dangerous one way mission that would change the tide of the war in the Pacific. He said "At times like these, you see them stepping forward - there is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer."
After September 11, 2001, Americans from all corners of the nation stepped forward and asked: "What can I do?", or "How can I help?". Citizens Corps was created to help Americans answer these questions through public education outreach, training, and volunteer service. They develop community action plans, assess threats, and identify local resources.
Citizen Corps developed four programs of focus: A Neighborhood Watch type program for Terrorism and Crime, A Volunteers In Public Service (VIPS) program to aid Law Enforcement agencies, a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program be trained in Disaster Assistance, and a Medical Corp for Medical Professionals to train for disaster situations.
This program is a part of the Homeland Security through FEMA. FEMA and many organizations have entered into a Memorandum Of Understanding describing their mutual support of this program. Agencies include the American Red Cross, The Civil Air Patrol, the ARRL, and many others.
There is nothing mandatory on these MOU's just an understanding of support and affiliation. A real benefit of this is the unlimited opportunity of additional training and resources. It is an opportunity for us to learn how to do what we do best for the disaster management team and for the community we serve.
Further information on Citizen Corps is available on their Web Site: www.citizenscorps.gov
"There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer" (by Don Williams, N8NUS)
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV