Darke County Citizen Corps/CERT Distributes Weather Radios

The Darke County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, in alliance with the Darke County Citizen Corps received a federal grant, under the Homeland Security Grant Program for the purchase of weather radios to be distributed to ball diamonds, daycare centers, municipal swimming pools, and Government Buildings throughout the community. Through the distribution of the radios, Darke County Citizen Corps is promoting their mission of making the community safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to emergencies of all kinds.

“All hazards radios should be as common as smoke detectors”, said a Citizen Corps Representative. “Being informed of emergencies situations and having a plan in-place to respond to those situations is critical”.

Citizen Corps would like for everyone to: Get a Kit (including a weather radio), make a plan, and be informed.

What is Citizen Corps?


Following the tragic events that occurred on September 11, 2001, and Katrina, state and local government officials increased opportunities for citizens to become an integral part of protecting the homeland and supporting the local first responders. The formula for ensuring a more secure and safer homeland consists of preparedness, training, and citizen involvement. In supporting this formula, in January 2002, President George W. Bush launched USA Freedom Corps. and the Citizen Corps emerged.

Citizen Corps, as a vital component of USA Freedom Corps, was created to help coordinate volunteer activities that make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It provides opportunities for all people to participate in a range of measures to make their families, their homes, and their communities safer from the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds.

Citizen Corps programs include: Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), and the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).

County-level Citizen Corps Councils bring together the first responder community and volunteers from the public and private sectors to offer local training in preparedness, prevention, response and recovery to individuals and groups. This trained citizenry, in partnership with emergency personnel, helps to meet the Citizen Corps mission: creating a culture of preparedness to make neighborhoods and communities safer and more secure in the event of emergencies or disasters.