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CITIZEN CORPS COUNCIL <br /> AND <br /> COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM <br /> During the 2002 State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush announced the <br /> creation of USA Freedom Corps, a call to service for every American. Citizen Corps is <br /> the component of USA Freedom Corps that encompasses public education, training, and <br /> volunteer opportunities to engage all citizens in making their communities safer, <br /> stronger, and better prepared for preventing and handling threats of terrorism, crime, <br /> and disasters of all kinds. Because of the Federal Emergenty Management Agency's <br /> (FEMA) central mission of disaster mitigation, preparedness, and response and its <br /> existing relationship with state and local governments, the President asked FEMA to <br /> take the lead role in coordinating Citizen Corps. <br /> Citizen Corps brings together leaders from law enforcement, fire services, emergency <br /> medical, emergency management, volunteer organizations, the private sector, and local <br /> elected officials to form Citizen Corps Councils. These Councils provide local oversight <br /> for engaging citizens in homeland security and for promoting community preparedness <br /> <br /> .and family safety in three principal ways: through public education and outreach, <br /> through training opportunities, and through volunteer programs that draw on special <br /> skills and interests. One of these training programs is the Community Emergency <br /> Response Team (CERT) program, also administered by FEMA. <br /> The FY 2002 Supplemental Funds provided for Citizen Corps will be used to: <br /> ? Support the formation of a local County Citizen Corps Council and the oversight <br /> and outreach responsibilities of these Councils, and <br /> ? Expand CERT training across the State of Hawaii. CERT training puts in place a <br /> volunteer response force that can supplement the emergency and disaster <br /> response capabilities within a community. <br /> Under the Citizen Corps funding allocation, a specific amount has been designated for <br /> Citizen Corps Council activities and a specific amount designated for CERT. <br /> 3 <br /> <br />