Citizen Corps is a new network of volunteer organizations that tap the skills and abilities of the American people to help communities prepare for respond to emergencies.

Through Citizens Corps, residents can play an active part in making their communities safer, stronger, and better prepared for preventing and handling threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds.

There are five federal programs currently being promoted at the national level to be implemented locally as part of Citizen Corps:

• Neighborhood Watch Program
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)
• Medical Reserve Corps
• Operations TIPS (Terrorist Information and Prevention System)

Securing our safety and freedom requires that we all work together.  Every American has a critical role to play.  Major disasters in your community can overload the state and local capability of first responders, especially during the first critical 12 to 72 hours of the event.

Citizen Corps will provide your community with a well trained, readily available pool of volunteers who know their locality and can help during the critical time when outside help may have not yet arrived.