FY 2010 Citizen Corps Program - National Volunteer Fire Council

Fire Corps continues to support and supplement resource-constrained fire and EMS departments through the use of volunteers for non-operational activities. Fire Corps provides information to local fire and EMS departments nationwide on how to implement a volunteer program and promote it in their community. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) strives to generate increased awareness of the Fire Corps program while also eliminating many of the barriers and difficulties experienced by fire and EMS departments in implementing or maintaining a Fire Corps program. This heightened awareness of local Fire Corps programs should increase the number of registered Fire Corps programs as well as the number of engaged and active citizen volunteers, allowing our nation’s fire and emergency services to provide additional and improved services and making our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared. NVFC coordinates the Fire Corps National Advisory Committee of 15 national fire service organizations to provide important feedback and input. These member organizations and NVFC also encourage State and local fire and emergency services representatives to participate on State and local Citizen Corps Councils. NVFC will work closely with the Individual and Community Preparedness Division (ICPD) to promote State and local fire and emergency services representation on State and local Citizen Corps Councils and to develop tools and resources to build community resiliency. Where a Fire Corps program exists in the local community, leadership from the local fire service should be actively involved in their local Council.