Harris County Citizen Corps was established in 2002 in response to President Bush’s call to action to give citizens the opportunity to volunteer. The Citizen Corps offers citizens training programs designed to help them prepare for and respond to emergencies in their own community.

The Harris County Citizen Corps continues to be a national best practice. In 2006 the organization received the 2006 Community Capacity Builder Award at the 23rd Annual Texas Governor’s Volunteer Awards and the 2006 Silver Spur Award from the Texas Public Relations Association.

In only four years, the Citizen Corps has flourished through establishing partnerships with 53 fire departments, 34 incorporated cities, and more than 100 law enforcement agencies located with the County’s limits.

Over 3,100 citizens have completed Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) to represent 127 teams.

Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) have trained over 4,600 citizens.

The Medical Reserve Corps currently has 2,400 members.

Our County is made safer by the 226 neighborhoods in 16 cities that participate in the highly successful USAonWatch program.

For more information on training programs and volunteer opportunities, please visit the website at