| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10, 2020 |
MEDIA CONTACT Savannah Kelly savannah@volunteerflorida.org (850) 556-9799 |
CERT and Citizen Corps are training programs that prepare Floridians to help their families and neighbors in the event of a disaster in their community. Volunteer Florida administers funding for these programs in partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“Volunteers strengthen the work of emergency management officials and play a key role in response and recovery efforts in Florida’s communities,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I applaud the hundreds of Floridians who will become trained through the CERT and Citizen Corps programs ahead of this year’s hurricane season.”
“As Florida’s lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during and after disasters, we are proud to support programs across the state that prepare citizens to take action in times of emergency,” said Volunteer Florida CEO Clay Ingram.
“Governor DeSantis, Volunteer Florida and FDEM are committed to developing strong groups that are ready to help Floridians in the face of any emergency,” said FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz. “This funding helps us to do exactly that by investing in community-led teams across the state. I look forward to continuing to work with Volunteer Florida as they lead the way in volunteer disaster response.”
The following organizations will be awarded CERT/Citizen Corps program funding:
City of Sunrise Fire Rescue (Broward County) – $8,900
Orange County Emergency Management (Orange County) – $7,000
Charlotte County Emergency Management (Charlotte County) – $7,000
Walton County Emergency Management (Walton County) – $6,100
East Lake Tarpon Fire District (Pinellas County) – $5,500
Florida Gulf Coast University Board of Trustees (Lee County) – $5,400
Islamorada Fire Rescue (Monroe County) – $5,100
Jefferson County Adult and Teen CERT (Jefferson County) – $5,000
Flagler County Emergency Management (Flagler County) – $5,000
CERT of The Villages (Sumter County) – $5,000
City of Gulfport Florida Gulfport CERT (Pinellas County) – $5,000
Nassau County Emergency Management (Nassau County) – $5,000
Cape Coral CERT Program (Lee County) – $5,000
Gulf County CERT (Gulf County) – $5,000
Suwannee County Division of Emergency Management (Suwannee County) – $5,000
City of Miami Beach (Miami-Dade County) – $5,000
Santa Rosa County (Santa Rosa County) – $5,000
City of Seminole Fire Rescue (Pinellas County) – $5,000
Franklin County (Franklin County) – $5,000
Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management (Palm Beach County) – $5,000
Marion County Emergency Management (Marion County) – $5,000
Citrus County Sheriffs (Citrus County) – $5,000
Funding for the Florida CERT and Citizen Corps programs is awarded through a competitive application process. To learn more about this funding opportunity and others, please sign up for the Volunteer Florida newsletter by clicking here.
In 1994, Volunteer Florida was established in Florida Statutes to manage national service programs, such as AmeriCorps, and advocate for volunteerism throughout the Sunshine State. Since then, Volunteer Florida has evolved to serve as the state’s lead agency for mobilizing volunteers and coordinating donations before, during and after disasters, including managing the Florida Disaster Fund. After 25 years, Volunteer Florida remains committed to promoting volunteerism in Florida, and recently launched the state’s official volunteer opportunities platform, Volunteer Connect. Through our work, Volunteer Florida delivers high-impact volunteer programs and opportunities that engage Floridians, transform communities and make the state a better place to live. For more information, please visit www.volunteerflorida.org.