Neighborhood Response Teams
In 2003, the City of Williamsburg responded to both a federal and state initiative, known as "Citizen Corp". As part of a local adaptation of this initiative, neighborhood volunteers were recruited, in partnership with the city, to develop a coordinated neighborhood response system. The headings below describe this initiative on the federal, state, and local levels.
CITIZEN CORPS is a federal initiative under the Department for Homeland Security, which brings together all levels of government and local volunteers to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and any other manmade or natural disasters. This incorporates programs such as CERT Training, Medical Reserve Corps, Volunteers in Police Service, and Neighborhood Watch.
VIRGINIA CORPS is the Commonwealth's adaptation of the CITIZEN CORPS Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management
NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE TEAMS [NRTs] is a partnership between the City and its neighborhoods to prepare for any manmade or natural disasters. There are 6 goals for the NRTs:
- Divide the City into 8 sectors with approx. 7-8
neighborhoods within each sector. Each sector is headed by
a sector captain and co-captain who are the primary contacts.
(See NRT Contact Information for street listings and sector captain
and co-captain information.)
- Work with neighborhood associations and existing groups such
as Neighborhood Watch to organize the neighborhood in
the event of an man-made or natural disaster and to create
neighborhood sustainability and self-sufficiency for as long as
possible (at least 72 hours – 3 days after a disaster strikes).
- Identify neighborhood residents with knowledge, skills, and
abilities that could be used in a disaster, and develop
the capacity to call upon and utilize such individuals.
- Identify material resources and supplies within each
neighborhood such as generators, 4-wheel drive vehicles,
chain saws, equipment, etc.
- Identify elderly, disabled, or at-risk individuals who will
require assistance in each neighborhood and develop a plan to
assist and care for such individuals until help arrives.
- Develop a communication system and phone tree between the Emergency Command and Control and sectors, as well as within each sector and neighborhood.