- Home
- Government
- Divisions
- Public Safety
- Emergency Management
- Prepare for Emergencies
- Get Involved
- Frederick County Citizen Corps Council
Frederick County Citizen Corps Council
About Citizen Corps
- Grass-roots movement that actively involves everyone in making communities across America safer, stronger, and better prepared.
- Role to keep our hometowns safe and secure and helps you to prepare, train, and volunteer.
- Citizen Corps also helps promote Ready, a public service campaign that urges people to take some basic steps to prepare for potential terrorist attacks and other emergencies.
- There are currently 55 state / territory councils and 2,318 county / local / tribal councils which serve 223, 307, 198 people or approximately 78% of the total U.S. population.
- Comprised of local community, business, and government leaders.
Our goal is to promote preparedness through education, activities and community outreach to make Frederick County safer, stronger, more secure and better able to respond to emergency and disaster situations.
Following the tragic events that occurred on September 11, 2001, state and local government officials have increased opportunities for citizens to become an integral part of protecting the homeland and supporting the local first responders.
Officials agree that the formula for ensuring a more secure and safer homeland consists of preparedness, training, and citizen involvement in supporting first responders. In January 2002, President George W. Bush launched USA Freedom Corps, to capture the spirit of service that has emerged throughout our communities following the terrorist attacks.
Coordinating Volunteer Activities
Citizen Corps, a vital component of USA Freedom Corps, was created to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation.
It provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures to make their families, their homes, and their communities safer from the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds.
Building on Successful Efforts
Programs build on the successful efforts that are in place in many communities around the country to prevent crime and respond to emergencies.
Programs that started through local innovation are the foundation for Citizen Corps and this national approach to citizen participation in community safety.
Coordinating Citizen Corps
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) coordinates Citizen Corps nationally. In this capacity, DHS works closely with other federal entities, state and local governments, first responders and emergency managers, the volunteer community, and the White House Office of the USA Freedom Corps.
Information and materials on how to help your family and your community be safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to disasters of any kind, how citizens can help protect the homeland, and how you can volunteer in your area.
Federal Government Sites
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- The Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Justice
- DT - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- DAIS - Office of the Surgeon General
- EPA - Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency
- National Regulatory Commission
- National Weather Service
- Ready.Gov
- The White House
- U.S. Geological Survey
Emergency Managers
First Responders
Law Enforcement
- International Association of Chiefs of Police
- National Crime Prevention Council
- National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center
- National Sheriffs' Association
- Police Executive Research Forum
- Volunteers in Police Service
Fire
- Fire Department Safety Officers Association
- International Association of Fire Fighters
- International Association of Fire Chiefs
- National Fire Protection Association
- National Volunteer Fire Council
Public Health & Emergency Medical Services
- International Rescue and Emergency Care Association
- Medical Reserve Corps
- National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
- National Association of EMS Educators
Volunteer Organizations
- American Red Cross
- The Independent Sector
- National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
- Network For Good
- Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network
- Salvation Army
- Volunteer Match
Business Associations
Fire CorpsThe Fire Corps Program is a nationwide effort to bring citizens into local fire and emergency service departments to assist in non-operational roles, allowing firefighters and emergency medical responders to focus on critical, life-threatening situations.
- Through the use of citizen advocates, Fire Corps increases the capacity of volunteer, combination and career Fire / EMS departments and creates a vital link between the fire and emergency services and citizens who want to make a difference in their community.
Fire Corps offers numerous resources designed to assist departments in the implementation and maintenance of Fire Corps programs. - Incorporating Fire Corps members into non-operational roles, tools enabling departments to retain and recruit citizen advocates.
- Access to a nationwide network of Fire Corps programs.
- Learn more by visiting the Fire Corps homepage.
Medical Reserve CorpsThe Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Program coordinates the skills of practicing and retired physicians, nurses and other health professionals as well as other citizens interested in health issues, who are eager to volunteer to address their community's ongoing public health needs and to help their community during large scale emergency situations.
Local community leaders will develop their own Medical Reserve Corps Units and identify the duties of the MRC volunteers according to specific community needs. For example, MRC volunteers may deliver necessary public health services during a crisis, assist emergency response teams with patients, and provide care directly to those with less serious injuries and other health-related issues. MRC volunteers may also serve a vital role by assisting their communities with ongoing public health needs (e.g., immunizations, screenings, health and nutrition education, and volunteering in community health centers and local hospitals). Once established, how the local MRC Unit is utilized will be decided locally. The MRC unit will make decisions, with local officials, including the local Citizen Corps Council, on when the community Medical Reserve Corps is activated during a local emergency. For more information, including the booklet Medical Reserve Corps - A Guide for Local Leaders, visit the Medical Reserve Corps homepage.
USAonWatchNeighborhood Watch is 1 of the oldest and best-known crime prevention concepts in North America. In the late 1960s, an increase in crime heightened the need for a crime prevention initiative focused on residential areas and involving local citizens. The National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) responded, creating the National Neighborhood Watch Program in 1972 to assist citizens and law enforcement
In 2002, the NSA in partnership with USA Freedom Corps, Citizen Corps and the U.S. Department of Justice launched USAonWatch, the face of the revitalized Neighborhood Watch Initiative, which represents the expanded role of watch programs throughout the United States. USAonWatch empowers citizens to become active in homeland security efforts through participation in Neighborhood Watch groups. Many neighborhoods already have established watch groups that are vibrant, effective, and can take on this expanded role with ease. For neighborhoods without thriving groups, the renewed emphasis on emergency preparedness and response may provide the right incentive for citizens to participate in Neighborhood Watch in their community. To learn more, visit http://www.nnw.org/ and browse the site.
Volunteers In Police Service (VIPS)The VIPS Program provides support and resources for agencies interested in developing or enhancing a volunteer program and for citizens who wish to volunteer their time and skills with a law enforcement agency. The program's ultimate goal is to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) manages the VIPS Program in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
VIPS Goals
- Learn about promising practices being used in existing VIPS programs and share this information with law enforcement agencies that want to expand their programs.
- Increase the use of volunteers in existing programs.
- Help citizens learn about and become involved in VIPS programs in their communities.
- Help agencies without volunteer programs get them started.
VIPS Resources
The foundation of VIPS is the website www.Policevolunteers.org, which serves as a gateway to information for law enforcement agencies and citizens interested in law enforcement volunteer programs.
This website offers:
- A directory of law enforcement volunteer programs and volunteer opportunities available in law enforcement agencies across the country
- A library of sample documents and forms, including policies and procedures, training materials, and screening forms
- Volunteer Programs: Enhancing Public Safety by Leveraging Resources, a resource guide for law enforcement agencies interested in starting a volunteer program
- VIPS in Focus, a publication series that builds on this resource guide, addressing specific elements and issues related to law enforcement volunteer programs
- A model policy developed in collaboration with the IACP's National Law Enforcement Policy Center.
- Training courses for law enforcement volunteer coordinators
- A technical assistance program to help local agencies determine their volunteer needs and design programs that will effectively meet those needs
- A mentor program that pairs new law enforcement volunteer coordinators in need of support with experienced coordinators. educational videos
- VIPS Info, a monthly electronic newsletter that provides news and events about the VIPS Program and law enforcement volunteer activities across the country
- VIPS in the News, a bimonthly electronic newsletter recognizing law enforcement volunteer programs that have recently been in the news
- VIPS to VIPS, a moderated online discussion group for law enforcement volunteer program leaders to share information and ideas
Learn more by visiting the Volunteers in Police Service homepage
Next Steps
You can take simple steps to be prepared for emergencies, get training in basic first aid, and volunteer to help local emergency responders. Here are some ways you can get involved through your local Citizen Corps Council:
- Prepare yourself and your family: get a kit, make a family plan, and be informed about potential threats and emergencies. To learn more about how you can prepare, visit www.ready.gov.
- Get connected to disaster volunteer groups through your Citizen Corps Council, so that if something happens, you can help in an organized manner.
- Join a neighborhood watch group to help with crime prevention, terrorism awareness, and neighborhood emergency preparedness.
- Learn about volunteer opportunities to support law enforcement through the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program.
- Volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corps to provide public health and medical support throughout the year and during emergencies.
- Provide fire safety and prevention education in the community and help out at your local fire station through Fire Corps.
- Help others get prepared, especially those with special needs.
Contact Us
-
Citizen Corps Council
Email
5370 Public Safety Place
Frederick, MD 21704
Ph: 301-600-1746
Fx: 301-600-6026