Citizen Corps/Fire Corps Funding and Authorization

State and local governments have embraced the concept of Citizen Corps to help provide better coordination between all groups involved in emergency response, from Neighborhood Watch groups to fire and police departments and organizations such as the Red Cross. They are developing the management capacity of the Councils, conducting public education, providing training for citizens, and engaging citizens through volunteer programs.

 

Citizen Corps grants help fund programs such as Fire Corps, Medical Reserve Corps, Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) across the nation. Many VIPS, Medical Reserve Corps, and Fire Corps programs have received funding to cover costs associated with volunteer management, running background checks, providing training, or purchasing equipment or uniforms needed to run their program. Fire Corps promotes the use of citizen volunteers to enhance the capacity of fire and rescue departments by performing non-operational functions.

 

Citizen Corps received $15 million in FY 2009, matching the FY 2008 funding level as well as President Bush’s budget request. The House and Senate FY 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bills both included $15 million for Citizen Corps, but the final conference report, which was signed into law in October 2009, only included $13 million. The President’s FY 2011 Budget Request does not include a line item for Citizen Corps but indicates that it will be funded out of the State Homeland Security Grant Program account.