New Dem Play | Strengthening emergency services to protect communities in the face of disasters.
Where It's Working | New Castle County, DE
Players | State and local officials
As Hurricane Katrina tragically illustrated, every community must recognize potential disasters that could ravage local neighborhoods and devise a strategy to deal with the aftermath efficiently. Adequate emergency services are absolutely essential.
One community taking notice and preparing for the possibility of a disaster is New Castle County, Del. To counteract a persistent shortage of emergency personnel, New Castle County is tapping into the underused resource of its young people.
Led by County Executive Chris Coons, New Castle has established an Emergency Services Corps to recruit 15 young volunteers from the AmeriCorps program, who receive training as firefighters and paramedics. The Delaware State Fire Department provides the young adults with intensive training in emergency services, including the skills needed for basic firefighting, CPR, first responder, and emergency vehicle operation. After completing their training, the 15 youths then become leaders of community outreach programs, which officials estimate could draw more than 100 volunteers each year.
A series of internal conversations among New Castle fire service leaders and the county government inspired the program, as officials worried about the future of the volunteer fire service. The Emergency Service Corps combines county government, emergency service responders, and the YMCA of Delaware in a collaborative effort to expand human resources in fire and medical facilities. So far, 400 young people have shown interest in joining either the volunteer fire service or the county paramedics as a result of the program.
Recognizing that first responders are not only important contributors to public safety, but also neighbors who help build strong neighborhoods, Coons has worked with local banks to create the Hometown Heroes program. This initiative offers loan assistance to help police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and other emergency communications volunteers purchase homes in New Castle County.
By supporting emergency personnel and advancing programs in disaster preparedness, state and local governments can help manage the impact of natural catastrophes to protect both lives and property.
New Castle County, Delaware
www.nccde.org/defaulthome/home/webpage1.asp
New Dem of the Week: Chris Coons
www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=253609&kaid=104&subid=115
Christy Gleason
Communications Director
Office of the County Executive
87 Read's Way
New Castle, DE 19720
(302) 395-5106
cgleason@nccde.org
Ed Kilgore
Progressive Policy Institute
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE,
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 547-0001
(202) 544 5014 (fax)
ekilgore@dlc.org
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