El Paso Citizen Corps- Ready El Paso

The Ready El Paso partner agencies want to help you get involved. Every day in El Paso, a family is at risk for disaster and there are several ways you can help. You can get involved with programs that protect neighborhoods, like Neighborhood Watch, join a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), learn how to operate a mass care shelter, assist in medical or mental health functions, or even care for animals or children when disaster strikes. El Paso Citizen Corps has 5 volunteer programs whose mission is to foster preparedness in citizens and groups. The programs are CERT, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Fire Corps, Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) and Neighborhood Watch.

Ready El Paso is a collaborative effort of nonprofit, commercial and government entities to meet the disaster and emergency needs of citizens in our region. Through funding by the Department of Homeland Security, Ready El Paso will empower El Pasoans to be prepared, equipped and informed. Citizen Corps is FEMA's grassroots strategy to bring together government and community leaders to involve citizens in all-hazards emergency preparedness and resilience. 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, disaster relief, and community safety. There are currently 2,446 Councils which serve 229,222,943 people or 80% of the total U.S. population. Ready El Paso is a partnership and media campaign started by the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Citizen Preparedness Sub-Committee. Through the local Office of Emergency Management, the group is able to determine and implement preparedness strategies appropriate for the citizens of El Paso.