IONIA COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Volunteer Opportunities

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CITIZEN CORPS

Citizen Corps is a community-based initiative to engage all citizens in homeland security and community and family preparedness through public education and outreach, training opportunities, and volunteer programs. Programs under the Citizen Corps umbrella include federally sponsored programs and other activities that share the goal of helping communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to all-hazards. Citizen Corps encourages all Americans to take an active role in building safer, stronger, and better-prepared communities.

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.

MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Program coordinates the skills of active 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.

RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICE

The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) was established under the Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations, as part of the amateur radio service. The mission of RACES is to establish and maintain the leadership and organizational infrastructure necessary to provide amateur radio communications in support of emergency management entities throughout the United States and its territories.

RACES is employed during a variety of emergency/disaster situations where normal governmental communications systems have sustained damage or when additional communications are required or desired. Situations that RACES can be used include: natural disasters, technological disasters, civil disorder, nuclear/chemical incidents, acts of terrorism or enemy attack.

Through its courses and programs, USRACES.org serves as the national focal point for the development and delivery of emergency communications training and publications to enhance the Emergency Support Function 2 - Communications capabilities of federal, state, and local governments, volunteer organizations, and the public and private sectors to minimize the impact of disasters on the American public.