FAQs for State and Regional Administrators
Index of FAQs
- What are my responsibilities in the registration process?
- What will happen to all the previously registered Council and CERT Programs in my state?
- Do I need to re-register to have approval authority for my state?
- Are states expected to complete registration profiles for Councils and CERT Programs?
- Where can I find guidance on how to approve a Council or CERT Program?
- What are the approval criteria for Councils or CERT Programs?
- A CERT Team wishes to register. Should I approve the submission?
- How do I manage and track the new submissions for registration?
- What is the difference between a Council or CERT Program that is Newly Requested, Pending Approval, Approved, or Denied?
- I am a state coordinator who may be unable to approve Councils or CERT Programs for an extended period of time (e.g. maternity leave). Who should I contact to act on my behalf?
- There is a question about registration I cannot answer. Who should I contact for further assistance?
FAQs
What are my responsibilities in the registration process?
As the Citizen Corps or CERT Program State Coordinator, you have three main responsibilities:
- Inform the Citizen Corps Councils and CERT Programs in your state about the need to re-register, and encourage Councils or CERT Programs that have not previously registered to do so.
- As Citizen Corps Councils and CERT Programs register, review the submitted information and approve or deny the submission for posting on the website.
- Provide assistance to local Citizen Corps Councils and CERT Programs, which may include answering questions about completing the registration questions, helping Councils and CERT Programs log into the system, and reporting any major issues encountered to your FEMA Regional Community Preparedness Officer.
For more information on how to approve or deny Citizen Corps Councils, please visit http://citizencorps.gov/councils/registry.shtm and click on any of the State and Regional Council Administration resources.
For more information on how to approve or deny CERT Programs, please visit http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/registry.shtm and click on any of the State and Regional CERT Program Administration resources.
What will happen to all the previously registered Council and CERT Programs in my state?
All local Councils and local CERT Programs that registered prior to 2011 will be archived and will not be displayed on the National Citizen Corps / CERT websites. Every Citizen Corps Council and CERT Program is required to re-register if they wish to have a listing in the Citizen Corps or CERT directory.
The list of approved Councils and CERT Programs in your state that registered prior to 2011 will be provided to you in an excel spreadsheet prior to launching the new registration process. This historic database will be also be archived at FEMA headquarters.
Do I need to re-register to have approval authority for my state?
FEMA will pre-load existing accounts for all Citizen Corps and CERT Program state coordinators before the registry launch. Passwords will remain the same for all State and Regional users.
Are states expected to complete registration profiles for Councils and CERT Programs?
States are not expected to complete a profile at this time. A reporting function for the data in the registry will be developed within 6 months of the launch and states will have the ability to aggregate data from all local Councils and Programs.
Where can I find guidance on how to approve a Council or CERT Program?
For information on how to approve or deny Citizen Corps Councils, please visit http://citizencorps.gov/councils/registry.shtm and click on any of the State and Regional Council Administration resources.
For information on how to approve or deny CERT Programs, please visit http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/registry.shtm and click on any of the State and Regional CERT Program Administration resources.
What are the approval criteria for Councils or CERT Programs?
The review by the state should include verifying the Council or CERT Program point of contact and verifying the sponsoring organization’s endorsement.
A CERT Team wishes to register. Should I approve the submission?
No, the registry is only for CERT Programs. CERT Programs are typically at the city-wide, county, or tribal level and are comprised of many neighborhood CERT Teams. If a CERT Team tries to register, please contact the jurisdiction's local, county, or tribal CERT Program coordinator.
How do I manage and track the new submissions for registration?
When you log-in with your password, you will be directed to the Citizen Corps Council Administration web page. There is an “In This Section…” navigation box on the right side of the page, that allows you to manage Councils, manage CERTs, and manage users. If you click on manage Councils or manage CERTs, you will see a listing of all submissions for your state, divided into four categories: Newly Requested, Pending Approval, Approved and Denied.
What is the difference between a Council or CERT Program that is Newly Requested, Pending Approval, Approved, or Denied?
All Councils and CERT Programs who submit a registration profile are organized into four categories:
- Newly Requested: After a Council or CERT Program has completed and submitted their registration profile, their CERT or Citizen Corps Council name will appear in this list. These are profiles that have not yet been reviewed by a state program coordinator.
- Pending Approval: Once a state coordinator clicks on the name of the Citizen Corps Council or CERT Program in the “Newly Submitted” list, the Council or CERT Program will be moved to the list of Councils or CERT Programs “Pending Approval.” A Council or CERT Program in the “Pending Approval” list has been opened or reviewed by a state coordinator, but a decision has not yet been made to approve or deny the Council or CERT Program.
- Approved: Once a state program coordinator has clicked on the “Approve” button on the Council’s or CERT Program’s registration profile, the Council or CERT Program will be moved to the “Approved” list and be made visible on the Citizen Corps or CERT website.
- Denied: If a Council or CERT Program does not meet the requirements to be registered, a state coordinator can click the “Deny” button on the Council’s or CERT Program’s registration profile. The Council or CERT Program’s information will then not be made visible to the public, and the Council or CERT Program will be moved to the “Denied” list.
An automatic email will be sent to the local Council or CERT Program to acknowledge their initial submission and to notify them when an approval or denial decision has been made.
I am a state coordinator who may be unable to approve Councils or CERT Programs for an extended period of time (e.g. maternity leave). Who should I contact to act on my behalf?
If a representative within your state agency is not available, please contact the FEMA Regional Community Preparedness Officer for your state. You may give them authority to approve or deny Councils and CERT Programs on your behalf.
There is a question about registration I cannot answer. Who should I contact for further assistance?
Please contact the FEMA Regional Community Preparedness Officer in your area. You may also send an email to citizencorps@dhs.gov for Council-related questions or to cert@dhs.gov for CERT Program questions.