Michigan Volunteers Can Help Protect the State from Terrorism

In these days of potential terror threats, the state of Michigan has organized a group call the Michigan Citizens Corps (MDCH). This volunteer organization encompasses several subgroups, including Community Emergency Response Teams (C.E.R.T.), Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Services (V.I.P.S.), Medical Reserve Corp, and Fire Corps. It is part of the Michigan Office of Public Health Preparedness.

These groups are tasked with preventing, preparing for, and responding to all sorts of disasters, crimes, and emergencies. Communities rely upon their assistance in time of crisis. Caring volunteers can make disastrous moments just a little bit better for those in need, and having a plan of action can make disasters a little less deadly.

Michigan's government has set up an online registration system for volunteers to make it easy to assign them to needed departments. Called the "MI Volunteer Registry", the system is a data base that gathers volunteer contact information and their interests. Authorized personnel may then search for volunteers and contact them individually via e-mail. It is a handy system which helps bring volunteers to areas of need.

The emergency preparedness coordinator also maintains an online volunteer or emergency preparedness training calendar. It helps avoid conflicts among the training programs and makes the information readily available.

In the case of an actual bioterrorism threat, the department's online contact information is essential for alerting authorities as soon as possible.

Overall, Michigan's attempts to educate its populace on its website appears to be strong. Let's get the word out about these programs so that more Michigan residents will discover these volunteer opportunities.

Does your state have programs like this established for volunteers? If so, what type? Is this information new to you? Please comment below.

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