Citizen Corps Grant Report Form Please fill out the information below and return by Friday, November 14, 2003: Yvonne Glasscock Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service 535 W. Jefferson St., 3rd Floor Springfield, IL 62702 217/557-2942 Phone 217/557-0515 FAX * Please include three copies of any materials, such as brochures, developed with the grant funds. Council Name: Belvidere Citizen Corps Address: 119 South State Street, Belvidere, IL 61008 Phone: (815)544-3726 FAX: (815)544-3060 Person preparing report: Mayor Fred Brereton Date of Report: July 1 - October 31, 2003 Please indicate the number of persons that have been impacted by your Citizen Corps Council in the following three areas. Also, give the proposed number from the original application plan that you submitted: 1. Number of preparedness and mitigation publications distributed to the public, to include participation in official Citizen Corps programs. Also, in the space provided, give a narrative description of the project(s) and what was accomplished in this area. Proposed 20,800 Actual 300-500 Narrative Description: The Belvidere Citizen Corps, still in its infancy, is just beginning to take root. The program is expected to exceed the proposed contact/participation level of 20,800 by the spring of '04. The Belvidere City Council adopted Resolution #770-2002 in April Of 2002 encouraging a volunteer spirit within the local community and has encouraged coordination of units of local government and first responders in preparing for emergency situations. Because President Bush's and Mayor Brereton's challenge to the community was so well received, on the 16th day of September 2003, the Mayor and City Council amended the Belvidere Municipal Code to create a new Division 4: "Citizen Corps Commission". The Citizen Corps Commission membership consists of the Mayor, Chief of Police, Fire Chief, Boone County Sheriff, Boone County EMA coordinator, superintendent of School District #100, director of the Boone County Health Department, president of Boone county Fire Protection District #2, director of the Rock River Chapter of the American Red Cross, program director of the Belvidere Family YMCA, program director of Boone County RSVP, program director of Youth Services Network, president of the Belvidere Junior Chamber (Jaycees), president of ALERTA (Hispanic advocacy group), and two representatives of local industries. 2. Number of people trained in community preparedness and family safety measures, to include first aid, emergency preparedness, and general safety precautions. Also, in the space provided, give a narrative description of the project(s) and what was accomplished in this area. Proposed 20,800 Actual 1,000 Narrative Description: The Belvidere Fire Department trained two personnel this summer for the future CERT program. At this time, the CERT program has not formally started, other than to assist the police department auxiliary training program. The BFD's current AED, CPR and first aide training is off to a good start. This grant has enabled the department to purchase additional training equipment and materials. Specifications for a smokehouse safety trailer have been completed and will be purchased soon with money raised by local service clubs and private citizens. The Belvidere Cosmopolitan Club contributed $20,000 for the purchase of the trailer. The trailer will be used county-wide for a wide range of educational purposes, however its primary role will be for fire safety education. The Belvidere Police Department VIP program logged 280 man hours toward the department in the betterment of the community during the months of April through August. Volunteers at this point consist of the auxiliary police and Youth Explorer program. Volunteers assisted with traffic control for parades, accidents, storms, etc. Volunteers were also involved in training and ride-a-longs. Two new Neighborhood Watch groups formed. Each have had two to three meetings since August. The department has given four packets out to citizens considering new groups. The Boone County Emergency Management Agency is in the process of purchasing a EMWIN - emergency management weather information network system. This will give the community more information as far as weather watching. EMA is also in the process of having more radios installed at the emergency operation center and computer hookup. The Big Thunder Amateur Radio Club has assisted in weather watching and communications. The radio operators would be ready to assist the EOC if traditional communications should fail. The newest volunteer member of EMA is an expert in the areas of early warning systems, with experience as a consultant and design engineer to several communities. This individual will assume the duties of monitoring the community warning sirens. Youth Services Network continues to promote volunteerism both in the community and among the youth families. The expectations and rewards of giving back to the community are stressed to all, especially to those who have benefited from services in the community. Summer/Fall activity includes the following: The dissemination of Youth Citizen Corps volunteer information to all Boone County agencies that provide services to youth and families. Distribution of the Youth Citizen Corps volunteer information to all youth served by Youth Services Network, Inc. - Boone County. The presentation of distributing Citizen Corps volunteer application forms and information to all parents attending the fall Parent University. The Rock River Chapter of the American Red Cross, in cooperation with RSVP, has received a grant to fund two full time volunteer coordinators to run community disaster education programs. The coordinators will recruit and train volunteers to give presentations to children, seniors, families and at workplaces. One ARC person has joined the Emergency Services Department as its Homeland Security VISTA. This individual will assist the Belvidere Citizen Corps in the efforts to train citizens in disaster preparedness and speak to the public about preparedness and the different volunteer opportunities available through Citizen Corps. The Belvidere Family YMCA Youth Citizen Corps program completed its assigned task of posting West Nile virus informational door hangers on approximately 5,000 residences. The YCC will be looking for projects to start in the summer of 2004 and for the current school year. $175 was raised by the YCC for the United Way Drive. The city of Belvidere highlighted the Citizen Corps with a float in the Heritage Days/Fourth of July celebration parade. Belvidere Central Middle School has formed the "Belvidere Central Crusaders" as an affiliate of the Belvidere Citizen Corps. Students participated in a food and toy drives for the Salvation Army, raised money for UNICEF, sent school supplies to Afghanistan, Made Christmas decorations for two local nursing homes, sang Christmas carols at three local nursing homes, and rang the bell for the Salvation Army, raising $295.85 in 5 hours. Mayor Fred Brereton attended the National Citizen Corps Conference in Washington, DC Tuesday, July 29 - Thursday July 31, and he and Skip Beck, Citizen Corps vice chairman, attended the Illinois Citizen Corps Conference in Bloomington, IL Wednesday, October 1 - Thursday, October 2nd. Insight Communications produced a half-hour program "Belvidere in Focus" (copy enclosed with this form) with Mayor Fred Brereton. The focal point of the program is dedicated to the recognition the city of Belvidere has received for its success with the Citizen Corps program. The program aired on Insight cable channel 20 on October 14th and 28th. The program was produced by Insight Communications as a community service to the city of Belvidere. 3. Number of volunteers participating in formal programs relating to crime prevention, emergency preparedness, mitigation or response, and public health needs, to include participation in official Citizen Corps programs. Also, in the space provided, give a narrative description of the project(s) and what was accomplished in this area. Proposed 20,800 Actual 20,800 (When Completed) Narrative Description: Developed and ordered 7,000 Belvidere Citizen Corps guide books to be used for marketing and recruiting members and affiliate members for the BCC. A section of the guide will be devoted to each of the areas of crime prevention, emergency preparedness, mitigation or response, and public health needs. The guide will also contain an application to volunteer for the Belvidere Citizen Corps and a pull-out "Citizen Guide" providing convenient community contact information. The book will be ready for distribution in the first quarter of 2004. In the space below, indicate the challenges that kept you from accomplishing what you planned (if any). The Belvidere Citizen Corps program was developed with the goal of being one of the first, and one of the best Citizen Corps programs. It was successful in becoming one of the first, and one of the more active Citizen Corps in the country. The lack of an administrative assistant to be the primary coordinator of the Belvidere Citizen Corps has limited our activities and organizational opportunities. U:\Shared\Mayor\CitizenCorps Grant Report Form, due 11-14.doc