Are You Ready?

Sadly, we live in a different world than we did prior to September 11, 2001 . We are more aware of our vulnerabilities, more appreciative of our freedoms, and more understanding that we have a personal responsibility for the safety of our families, our neighbors and our nation.

Today, we must realize that as citizens we can take action now to help protect our families, help reduce the impact an emergency has on our lives, and help deal with the chaos if an incident does occur. How you may ask? Citizen Corps!

Citizen Corps is a component of President Bush's USA Freedom Corps initiative. It was created to allow every American the opportunity to engage in family and community safety programs. Santa Rosa County now has a Citizen Corps program and needs your help. The mission of Citizen Corps is “to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds.”

We all have a role in hometown security. Citizen Corps asks you to embrace the personal responsibility to be prepared; to get training in first aid and emergency skills; and to volunteer to support local emergency responders, local law enforcement, disaster relief, and community safety.

Citizen Corps welcomes the partnership with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. Crime Prevention Specialist Cindy Sarver currently serves on the Citizen Corps Council encouraging community leaders and the local citizenry to participate in this viable program. “It is great to see personnel from the Santa Rosa County Emergency Operations Center participating on this council. Santa Rosa County School District personnel are also contributing to this community-based effort by training both students and staff on CPR, first aid, and the use of defibrillators,” Sarver said. “It takes the entire community coming together in terms of safety, security, and preparedness to make this program work.”

If you are currently involved in the VIPs Program a local Neighborhood Watch Program, volunteer fire service or want to become CERT trained in preparedness, CPR, or First Aid, please contact Brad Baker of the EOC at 983-4610. The more citizens become trained in disaster preparedness and how to watch out for one another in their neighborhoods, the safer we will all be! For more information about Citizen Corps visit www.citizencorps.gov.