Secretary Napolitano Emphasizes Shared Responsibility for Readiness and Resilience

In a signing ceremony on September 8, 2009, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Kathy Cloninger announced a newly-formed affiliation between FEMA and the Girl Scouts of the USA to support Citizen Corps, FEMA’s grassroots movement to engage everyone in personal and community preparedness and resilience.

FEMA and the Girl Scouts of the USA view community safety and the principle of service to our country as top priorities for their respective organizations and for the American people. As such, a new Girl Scout Emergency Preparedness Patch Program was also announced during the ceremony. The Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and FEMA’s Community Preparedness Division partnered to develop this patch program in order to provide information and activities in emergency preparedness appropriate for all levels of Scouts, from Daisy through Ambassador. The patch program will raise public awareness about personal preparedness, training, and volunteer service to support emergency services and community safety and will motivate young women to become leaders in their communities in the fields of emergency management and emergency response.

The signing ceremony and patch program announcement was held during a National Preparedness Month event at Scotchtown Hills Elementary School in Laurel, Maryland. First responders and members of the local Prince George’s County Citizen Corps Council provided Learning Stations where the Girl Scouts and students learned and participated in activities that highlighted the importance of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The Scotchtown Hills Elementary School Girl Scouts and students learned about fire safety, finger printing, public health, light search and rescue, first aid, and more.

Citizen Corps, part of FEMA’s Community Preparedness Division, is a community-based initiative to bring government and community leaders together to involve citizens and organizations in all-hazards emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response and recovery.

Girl Scouts of the USA is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to all girls where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world. In partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, like leadership, strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.

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