Ohio Citizen Corps

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Ohio Citizen Corps

• What is Citizen Corps?
• A valuable component of President Bushs USA
  Freedom Corps
• Actively engaged with Homeland Security
• Working Group of State of Ohio Security Task
  Force
• Grounded in belief that there are appropriate
  roles for volunteers in making their communities
  safer, stronger, and better prepared to prevent
  and handle threats of crime, disasters and
  terrorism
• Citizen Corps programs include Neighborhood
  Watch Program (NWP), Community Emergency Response
  Team (CERT), Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS),
  and the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

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Ohio Citizen Corps

• How is Citizen Corps Structured in Ohio?
• State-level Citizen Corps Council formed
• One of four working groups of State of Ohio
  Security Task Force
• Partnership with Ohio Community Service Council
  Ohio EMA, RSVP, VOAD, Ohio Volunteer Center
  Association
• Widespread involvement from state agencies Ohio
  EMA, Emergency Medical Services, Highway Patrol,
  State Fire Marshals Office, Ohio Crime
  Prevention Assoc., etc.
• County-level Citizen Corps Councils
• Local representatives from first responders,
  government, business and volunteers
  Local Customization!
• Currently 50 founded in Ohio goal is for 88
• Identify Homeland Security tasks appropriate for
  citizen participation

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Ohio Citizen Corps
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Ohio Citizen Corps

• What are the Goals of Citizen Corps for 2004?
• Coordinate citizen involvement and integrate
  volunteer activities into Ohios Homeland
  Security initiatives
• Encourage ALL Ohioans to take an active role in
  building safer, stronger and better prepared
  communities
• FY 04 Recruit 4,000 volunteers and establish an
  additional 12 County Citizen Corps Councils
• Pilot Unaffiliated Volunteer Reception Center
• There has never been a lack of volunteers, but
  there has been a lack of coordination.
• Ken Morckel, Director, Ohio Department of Public
  Safety

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Ohio Citizen Corps

• The Call-to-Service Campaign
• Integrated statewide marketing/communications
  campaign to drive volunteer recruitment efforts
  and educate Ohioans about Citizen Corps
• The Goals
• Facilitate accomplishment of volunteer
  recruitment goals4000 in the second year
• Communicate sense of urgency, benefits for
  participation in Citizen Corps important
  components of Ohios Homeland Security efforts
• Act as support mechanism for localized
  recruitment efforts/Lead Volunteer Centers/Model
  Citizen Corps Councils

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Ohio Citizen Corps

• The Call-to-Service Campaign
• The Plan
• Grassroots Public Relations
• Mass Media Television PSAs, Billboards
• Web site www.serveohio.org
• Contains resources and customizable templates for
  local recruitment efforts
• The Launch
• November, 2003 Television PSAs/Grassroots PR
• Press conference
• Gov. Taft, Director Morckel (Ohio DPS/SOSTF)
• Billboards 50 across state of Ohio total of
  200 in FY 04

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Ohio Citizen Corps
Ohio Citizen Corps
The Call-to-Service Campaign

TV PSAs
Billboard (1 of 4)
Poster
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Ohio Citizen Corps

• How Will We Track Volunteers?
• Citizen Corps Database Volunteers register
  through www.serveohio.org, 1-800-VOLUNTEER, RSVP
  recruiters and registration forms
• First responder organizations register online to
  list local volunteer opportunities
• Database is a comprehensive resource for Citizen
  Corps membership, volunteer opportunities, skills
  and service hours
• Database used to communicate and mobilize
  volunteers for emergency response

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Ohio Citizen Corps

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Ohio Citizen Corps

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Ohio Citizen Corps

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Ohio Citizen Corps

• What is an Unaffiliated Volunteer Reception
  Center?
• Planned process to integrate unaffiliated/spontane
  ous volunteers in disaster response and recovery
  operations
• Implemented by incident command when regional
  resources are overwhelmed and need additional
  volunteer personnel
• Utilizes accepted protocol for professional
  volunteer management through
• Registering
• Interviewing
• Screening
• Training
• Referral and placement of spontaneous volunteers