5.2. SR 01-27-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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appliances above flood stage, securing free standing shelving to a wall or strapping down a water heater; ~ Being a part of a Neighborhood Watch Program group; ~ Becoming a volunteer firefighter or emergency medical technician; ~ Volunteering their particular skills to help with community risk assessments; and ~ Volunteering with community organizations already active in disaster preparedness and response. The goal is to include everyone in your community. One of your first steps to support Citizen Corps is to promote the initiative and to expand the range of opportunities available to the residents of your community. Other opportunities for Citizen Corps volunteers are listed in Appendix C. There is no standard way to approach promoting your local efforts; each community is encouraged to be creative and to use the Citizen Corps message to promote participation. Your community may host community-wide Citizen Corps community preparedness days to challenge everyone in thc community to put together a home emergency preparedness kit. Another may put thc Citizen Corps logo on appropriate local websites. Another may use the local media outlets to promote local Citizen Corps activities and to educate the public. Another may focus on the school system to disseminate information. And some communities will do all of these and more. INFORMATION SHARING A critical part of making Citizen Corps a success is building a network of communities that are committed to engaging their citizens in making their neighborhoods safer, stronger, and better prepared for all situations. To facilitate this network, FEMA maintains a web-based directory of Citizen Corps Councils. Through this directory you will be able to contact other Citizen Corps Councils throughout the nation and have 'a direct exchange of information with your counterparts. This directory will also enable your state and federal partners to contact you with updated information as the programs evolve nationally and to collect innovative local practices for national promotion. As soon as you have designated a group to coordinate Citizen Corps in your community, please log on to www. citizencorps.gov/ccorps and register your 'Citizen Corps Council contact information by clicking on the registration link. In providing this information to FEMA, you will be agreeing to be part of a list to be shared with other community leaders working to create Citizen Corps in their community. NATIONAL CITIZEN CORPS PROGIhSMS IN YOUR COMMUNITY The current five federal Citizen Corps programs will be implemented nationwide by fall 2002. Right now, every community can start Neighborhood Watch groups. Guidance on how to begin is available from your local sheriff's department, your local police department, or from the National Sheriffs' Association. (Visit the National Sheriffs' Association at www. usaonwatch.org for more information.) A strong network of Neighborhood Watch groups can also serve as a delivery system for other Citizen Corps materials, such as emergency communications, Community Emergency Response Team training, or a family preparedness checklist. FEMA's Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness provides practical information on how your family can prepare for any disaster. Available on the Citizen Corps website, www. citizencorps.gov, this guide can be used to help everyone in your community be better prepared. The Community Emergency Response Team training program is a 20-hour course, typically conducted over a seven-week period. Training sessions cover disaster preparedness, fire suppression, basic disaster medical services, light search and rescue, team organization, and a module on protection against terrorist threats. The training also includes a disaster simulation in