U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20472 Grants Program Directorate Information Bulletin No. 381 March 08, 2012 MEMORANDUM FOR: All State Administrative Agency Heads All State Administrative Agency Points of Contact All State Homeland Security Directors All State Emergency Management Agency Directors All Tribal Nation Points of Contact FROM: Elizabeth M. Harman Assistant Administrator Grants Programs Directorate SUBJECT: The Citizen Corps Program and Allowable Whole Community Investments The purpose of this Information Bulletin (IB) is to: * Emphasize that Citizen Corps Councils and programs supported by Citizen Corps are still allowable and encouraged under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/nondisaster.shtm. * Highlight Citizen Corps as an approach to engage the Whole Community, and * Elaborate on the Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8) requirement to build and sustain preparedness with particular emphasis on supporting a comprehensive campaign to enhance national resilience. Citizen Corps Program: The mission of the Citizen Corps Program (CCP) is to bring government and non-governmental organizations together (i.e. non-profit, for-profit and civic sectors as well as organizations that advocate on behalf of individuals such as those with access and functional needs and children etc.) to involve the Whole Community in all phases of emergency management. Although CCP does not have its own FY12 allocation, CCP activities are still allowable under this year’s HSGP. The State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) and Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) may be used to support all CCP activities and programs allowable within the scope and mission of the SHGP and UASI and in alignment with overall strategy and targeted investments. CCP activities are not allowable under Operation Stonegarden. Whole Community: In FY12, DHS strongly encourages States, Urban Areas and regions to work with the Whole Community to advance community and individual preparedness and to work as a nation to build and sustain resilience. Citizen Corps Councils engage the Whole Community while supporting local preparedness efforts to effectively meet the needs of the community. Councils facilitate partnerships and leverage existing networks to collaborate and coordinate resources that can be used to strengthen resilience and if needed, can be brought to bear in times of disaster. Councils also serve as a planning body and facilitate the engagement of Homeland Security and Emergency Management officials and first responder organizations with all sectors of the community as required by the FY12 guidance. Presidential Policy Directive 8: As part of building and sustaining preparedness, PPD-8 calls for providing Federal financial assistance to support a comprehensive campaign to build and sustain national preparedness, including public outreach and community-based and private-sector programs to enhance national resilience. Many Citizen Corps Councils support public outreach and promote programs to increase awareness and move individuals from awareness to action in an effort to enhance preparedness and keep members of the Whole Community engaged year-round. Examples of relevant individual and community expenditures still allowable under the FY12 HSGP include, but are not limited to: Citizen Corps and Whole Community Engagement * Establishing and sustaining Citizen Corps Councils (HSGP p. 55) * Leveraging already existing structures and mechanisms, such as Citizen Corps, for sharing information and engaging members of the Whole Community (HSGP p. 56) * Developing whole community partnerships (HSGP p. 41) * Working with youth-serving organizations to develop and sustain a youth preparedness program (HSGP p. 56) * Designing programs to target at-risk populations and engage them in emergency management planning efforts (HSGP p. 51) * Training and exercises for public or civilian volunteer programs supporting first responders before, during, and after disasters that address the needs of the Whole Community (HSGP p. 60) Public information/education and awareness campaigns * Developing and conducting public education and outreach campaigns (HSGP p. 51 and p. 52) * Providing accessible public information/education coordinated through local Citizen Corps Councils (HSGP p. 52) * Supporting innovative approaches for reaching the Whole Community, to include translated material for individuals that are blind or have low vision capability and those with English as a second language and coalitions among citizens (HSGP p. 56) Volunteer programs * Encouraging volunteer programs and other activities to strengthen citizen participation (HSGP p. 52) * Establishing, expanding, and maintaining volunteer programs and volunteer recruitment efforts that support disaster preparedness and/or response, including Citizen Corps and its Partner and Affiliate Programs and Organizations and jurisdiction specific volunteer efforts (HSGP p. 55) * Developing or enhancing plans for donations and volunteer management and the engagement /integration of private sector/non-governmental entities in preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery activities (HSGP p. 54) * Developing or enhancing plans to prepare for surge capacity of volunteers (HSGP p. 54) Community preparedness strategic planning * Community-based planning to advance “whole community” security and emergency management  (HSGP p. 53) * Developing and implementing a community preparedness strategy for the State/local jurisdiction (HSGP p. 55) * Incorporating government/non-government collaboration, citizen preparedness, and volunteer participation into State and local government homeland security strategies, policies, guidance, plans, and evaluations (HSGP p. 53) For additional examples, please reference the FY12 HSGP FOA at: http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/nondisaster.shtm or the Citizen Corps website for more information on funding and allowable activities: http://citizencorps.gov/news/grants.shtm Questions regarding this IB may be directed to the Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk at askcsid@fema.gov or 1-800-368-6498. www.fema.gov