Volunteer

We have the cause, you have the effect!

Ohio Citizen Corps

The Ohio Citizen Corps engages citizens in hometown preparedness through public education and training. Its mission is to establish a pool of volunteers who will supplement first responders in the event of a disaster. The Ohio Chapter is part of the National Citizens Corps organization. The formation of Citizen Corps on a national level is the result of the shock, horror and fear that followed the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. As a result, people began to question how such a disaster might be prevented in the future, and if such another disaster should occur, how they could best prepare for and respond to it. Hence, Citizen Corps, a homeland security component of USA Freedom Corps (the President’s Call to Service), was created. “We firmly believe, as does our President, that everyone has the ability to help out their community in their own special way” said Cristen Kane, coordinator of Lake County Citizen Corps Council. “The success of this endeavor is totally dependent on the spirit of volunteerism in the state of Ohio – we can’t do this without engaging volunteers in each community” added Kane. The primary objectives of the County Citizen Corps Councils are;

to make their communities safer from threats of all types,
educate the public on safety,
protection and prevention,
spearhead volunteer and educational efforts.

You can learn more about the Ohio Citizen Corps movement by logging onto www.serveohio.org and you can register on-line.

If you are interested in further training and volunteering in Lake County to assist in disaster situations, contact Cristen Kane for more information on becoming a Lake County Citizen Corps Volunteer. Email: [email protected] or call 440.350.5360

Medical Reserve Corps

The mission of the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps (OMRC) is to establish teams of local volunteer medical and public health professionals who can contribute their skills and expertise throughout the year as well as during times of community need.

Get involved and register as a new volunteer at the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps website. When the next crisis erupts, your services can become invaluable to your community. Get your licenses and credentials verified before a disaster happens at the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals.

The Local Medical Reserve Corps within the Lake County General Health District engages volunteers in helping the community prepare for, respond to, and mitigate emergencies, disasters, and pressing public health needs by providing a group of readily trained and available volunteer professionals who supplement and assist local medical emergency response systems.

The Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps is headquartered in the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. It functions as a clearinghouse for information and best practices to help communities establish, implement, and maintain MRC units nationwide. The OCVMRC sponsors an annual leadership conference, hosts a Web site, and coordinates with local, state, regional, and national organizations and agencies to help communities achieve their local visions for public health and emergency preparedness.s.

Radiation Response Volunteer Corps

The Radiation Response Volunteer Corps is a part of the Ohio Responds group of programs that the State of Ohio promotes. This newest partner program brings together health physicists, radiation-related medical professionals, and others familiar with radiation protection to perform population monitoring at Community Reception Centers in the event of a large-scale radiation emergency. The Radiation Response Volunteer Corps has additional resources on their web page.

The Virtual Community Reception Center is a web-based training tool that provides an overview of the CRC process for planners, managers, and potential CRC staff. CRCs are locations where public health agencies, and their partners, can perform population monitoring following a radiological or nuclear incident. Learn more at the Virtual Community Reception Center web page.

Fire Corps

There are also opportunities to engage with local first-responder agencies on a regular basis through training opportunities and drills through the Fire Corps.

Community members can make a difference for their local fire and EMS department. Fire Corps helps departments build more capacity by connecting them to community volunteers who can assist in a variety of non-emergency roles. The role of the fire/EMS department in the community is an important one, and not just for the provision of emergency services. The fire/EMS department becomes a focal point, a place that becomes a family not only to those who serve in it, but to the citizens around it. A place where children find their heroes, a place that people young and old alike hold in the highest regard. Being such an important part of the community creates an interest and willingness of community members to give of their time to help the department grow and meet its mission: to serve those around it.

Explore the Fire Corps website to learn more about Fire Corps, set up a Fire Corps program, find existing programs, and read about how community members and departments nationwide are benefiting from Fire Corps.

Volunteers in Police Service

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 community law enforcement agency. The program’s ultimate goal is to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers.

Through this program, the VIPS staff seeks to

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, and
help agencies without volunteer programs get them started.

Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) is one of five Citizen Corps partner programs. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) manages and implements the VIPS Program in partnership with, and on behalf of, the White House Office of the USA Freedom Corps and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.