I have assisted in various capacities in emergency preparedness and in many instances, the lack of coordination is the key problem. I know what many of you are thinking, but I'm talking about coordinating with neighborhoods and individuals. These are the vulnerable targets in a disaster. By engaging the public to take an active stance in preparedness it is certainly a way to reduce the lose of lives and destruction of property. Plus, the tools that are needed already exist. Its just a matter of coordinating, implementing, utilizing, and testing them periodically. At the local community level, there are Citizen Corps Councils. These councils should be receiving clear and specific guidance from state level Citizen Corps Councils and Emergency Management Offices. The local council serves as the focal point for the community to be engaged in emergency preparedness and management. The council should be responsible for coordinating with Police/Sheriff (VIPS), EMS (Medical Reserve Corps), and Fire Services (Fire Corps and CERT). By giving people power to take an active stance to participate in their safety and well being, it begins the process of self reliance. In essence, the Citizen Corps Council becomes a component that liaisons the community's emergency services with average citizens. The Citizen Corps Council and its various programs can serve as essential tools for local authorities before, during, and following a disaster. They provide well trained volunteers capable of assisting their fellow neighbors and even families when needed. The key to enhancing and showcasing the program is getting "buy-in" from the leadership in the community and the state level. Chiefs of Police, Sheriffs, Emergency Medical Service Directors, Fire Chiefs and even elected officials must be on board to create an atmosphere that will facilitate a successful program. A thoroughly aware and fully prepared Citizen Corps Council would have to be "re-launched" to the community at large to outreach and solicit volunteers. These volunteers would be "installed" into the various programs that they are most interested in volunteering. The council would work actively with departmental leadership and elected officials to display volunteer usage, trends, training, savings, and even mitigation/recovery activities. The council should consist of the most senior emergency official for the county (typically the emergency management officer/manager), a volunteer coordinator, leadership or designee from each emergency service (Law Enforcement, EMS, Fire), an elected official from city and county councils which appointed from their councils, and volunteer leaders from each program. A marketing campaign will be needed with PSAs and other media to get the word out. This is just an idea to use currently existing programs in a more efficient way!