“Uniting Communities, Preparing The Nation”
Orange County Citizen Corps consists of four programs which offer you opportunities to coordinate your efforts with those of other citizen volunteers to make our communities safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to all types of disasters. Orange County Citizen Corps offers education, training and volunteer services to the local community. The overall goal is to involve citizens and help them better prepare communities and neighborhoods to make a difference. Orange County Citizen Corps programs are, Citizens on Patrol, Community and Business Emergency Response Teams, Medical Reserve Corps, and Neighborhood Watch.
Citizens on Patrol (COPS) uses civilian volunteers to allow more time for sworn officers to address major crimes by performing such activities as providing assistance in preparing police reports, checking homes while residents are on vacation, providing bike patrols in community parks and patrolling shopping centers.
Community or Business Emergency Response Teams (CERT or BERT) helps communities, organizations or businesses train and educate volunteer teams about disaster preparedness and basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue and medical operations.
Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) coordinates the skills of practicing and retired physicians, nurses and other health professionals who are eager to offer their services and help local citizens in times of extended emergency situations.
Neighborhood Watch empowers citizens to better prepare and safeguard their communities in the event of an emergency situation. Citizens are also taught procedures in documenting and reporting suspicious activity within their neighborhoods.