[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E33-E34]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE TEMECULA CITIZEN CORPS PROGRAM FOR ITS SERVICE TO THE 
                    CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF TEMECULA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARRELL E. ISSA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 21, 2004

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and praise the 
people of the City of Temecula, who are doing their duty, as citizens, 
public servants, and elected officials, to make our homes and 
communities more secure. They have accomplished this through the 
Temecula Citizen Corps--an innovative new program that was inspired by 
President George Bush's 2002 State of the Union address. Two years ago, 
President Bush asked communities to take greater responsibility for 
their own emergency preparedness. The City of Temecula took this charge 
to heart and began building what has become a model program for local 
level homeland security concerns.
  The Temecula Citizen Corps program coordinates the efforts of private 
citizens, neighborhood leaders, public safety agencies, and city 
officials, to enhance emergency and disaster preparedness. It has 
trained representatives from each neighborhood in the city on emergency 
notification methods, damage assessment, and special needs of community 
residents. It has also trained citizens in first aid, crime prevention, 
and neighborhood safety.
  The program is designed to meet one of the critical homeland security 
needs: citizen self-sufficiency and self-reliance. In the immediate 72 
hours following a disaster, emergency

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management agencies are often overwhelmed and unable to deal with all 
the needs of the affected communities. This program trains private 
citizens to provide basic emergency care for their own neighborhoods in 
the critical time immediately following a disaster.
  The Temecula Citizen Corps has achieved such impressive results that 
the Department of Homeland Security considers it a standard setter for 
local communities. It has also won widespread praise throughout the 
Southern California region for its efficiency and quality of training 
and is inspiring many other cities and communities to follow its 
example. Last week, the men and women of Temecula were recognized 
publicly by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, for the 
excellent program they have developed.
  I am extremely proud of the City of Temecula for the dedication and 
effort they have invested in the Temecula Citizen Corps program. I am 
pleased to have had this opportunity to recognize them today and I 
encourage my colleagues to review their program as an example of what 
is possible when communities decide to take responsibility for their 
security needs.

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