2008 CITIZEN CORPS COUNCIL AWARD PRESENTED

The Forsyth County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and Citizen Corps Council was presented the first annual "2008 Citizen Corps Council of the Year" award at the North Carolina Citizen Corps Conference at Sunset Beach on March 7 by the North Carolina Citizen Corps.

The Citizen Corps Council concept was created in response to the terrorist events of
September 11, 2001, in order to promote public education and outreach, training and volunteer service within communities across the nation. Citizen Corps Councils drive citizen participation and help coordinate the five Citizen Corps programs:

• The Medical Reserve Corps
• Fire Corps
• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
• USA on Watch
• Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS)

Forsyth County Council Chair, Dave Gerelus of Akso Nobel Coatings, stated "We are truly pleased to have received the very first annual award, and we plan to continue our efforts to educate and prepare our community." The Forsyth County Local Emergency Planning Committee and Citizen Corps Council coordinate North Carolina's largest National Preparedness Month event, "Emergency Preparedness Night with the Warthogs" at Ernie Shore Field in Winston-Salem. The event has taken place at the end of August for the past two years to kick off September as being National Preparedness Month. The 2008 Emergency Preparedness Night with the Warthogs will take place on Friday, August 22, 2008.

2008 Citizen Corps Award [pdf/728MB]