ABOUT US

The Citizen Corps Program (CCP) was developed by the US Department of Homeland Security following the events of September 11, 2001. It was determined that the best way to assure the recovery of a community was to train its citizens to prepare for and respond to disasters and terrorist attacks. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) had been responding to disasters in California and Florida for several years prior to the initiation of CCP, and that program became an obvious vehicle to train volunteers. CERT is the largest program of volunteers in the CCP, but it also supports communities with other volunteer groups. In Washoe County, CCP supports CERT, the Rail Auxiliary Team (RAT Pack) and the Citizen’s Homeland Security Council (CHSC).

Developed after 9/11, CHSC is intended to give local citizens a basic education about terrorism, what it looks like in Nevada, and what to report, etc. The more we educate our community about terrorism, both domestic and foreign, the better prepared we will be. CHSC volunteers are trained to recognize the components of what would be considered a terrorist threat, as well as what to do should an attack occur.

The RAT Pack is a joint effort between WCSO CERT and the local railroads. It was created to provide a trained force familiar with rail operations to act as additional eyes and ears along the rail lines within Washoe County. In providing additional observers along the rails, they are able to report suspicious activity and hazards. For more information, click here

If you are interested in joining CHSC or RAT Pack, first you will need to complete the CERT Academy. For more information, click HERE