Every year, the Lee County EMA participates in the Citizen Corps Program, sponsored by the Alabama Department of Homeland Security, Alabama Emergency Management Agency and the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.  For FY10, the Lee County EMA is managing ten “initiatives,” which will provide invaluable training and services its citizens.  Those initiatives are:

Citizen Corps Council

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD)

Student Preparedness

Business Preparedness

Volunteer Management

Volunteers In Police Service (VIPS)

Amateur Radio

Neighborhood Watch

Rape Aggression Defense (RAD)

Citizen Corps Council (Return to top)

The Citizen Corps Council is responsible for the overall vision and direction of the Citizen Corps program in Lee County.  They meet quarterly to discuss the progress of each of the initiatives adopted by the county, and work to promote these initiatives in any way possible.  The council is comprised of members of the law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and emergency management communities.

The Citizen Corps Point Of Contact (POC) for Lee County is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) (Return to top)

The CERT program is designed to train citizens on how they can best survive a disaster until emergency services can arrive.  CERT classes are conducted several times a year, and instruct on the following topics:

General Emergency Preparedness

Fire Safety and Suppression

Emergency Medical Operations

Light Search & Rescue Operations

CERT Organization and Incident Command

Disaster Psychology

Emergency Communications

Terrorism and CERT

The course is free to attend, and is approximately 24 hours in length, broken into several classes to accommodate our citizens and their schedules.  Our CERT members have been utilized to assist the Salem and Loachapoka tornadoes, missing persons searches, and other non-emergency needs from our first responders.

Click here for more information about the CERT program. 

The CERT Coordinator for Lee County is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) (Return to top)

VOAD is a program in which the local businesses (private or public) and non-profit organizations work towards filling the un-met needs of the community after a disaster has occurred.  These business leaders get together quarterly to discuss topics such as pre-identifying possible needs and coordinating relief efforts.  We currently have 26 active members of the Lee County VOAD.  Those members are:

American Red Cross, Lee County Chapter

Alabama Council of Human Relations

Auburn/Opelika Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

Boys and Girls Club

Crisis Center of East Alabama

Domestic Violence Intervention Center

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

East Alabama Medical Center

East Alabama Mental Health

Food Bank of East Alabama

Lee County Cooperative Extension System

Lee County Department of Human Resources

Lee County Emergency Management Agency

Lee County Health Department

Lee-Russell Council of Governments

Lifesavers Ministries and Mission Thrift Store

Mercy Ministries

Opelika Chamber of Commerce

Presbyterian Community Ministries

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief

Southern Union State Community College

St. Mary’s Catholic Christian Care Ministries

United Way of Lee County

Unity Wellness Center:  (334) 887-5244

Tuskegee Lee Baptist Association

The 2009 VOAD Chairperson is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it of the Lee County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Lee County citizens are also able to utilize the 2-1-1 system of the United Way.  This easy to remember, free-to-the-user phone number linking people with the health and human services they need.  Dialing 2-1-1 connects the caller to a specialist who can assess the caller’s needs and link the caller to the right service(s) using a comprehensive database of services, whether federal, state and local government, faith-based or nonprofit.  Most recently, the 2-1-1 system was utilized to help victims of the Salem and Loachapoka tornados.  Residents of Lee County (and other counties) can also call this number and offer assistance and resources.  For more information on the 2-1-1 system, please contact the United Way of Lee County.

Volunteer Management (Return to top)

Volunteer Management is an initiative where community leaders insure that when a disaster happens, there is an organized and efficient way to process the many spontaneous volunteers who want to help their fellow citizens.  In Lee County, we have established a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) and Committee that has been charged with this responsibility.

The VRC coordinator is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Neighborhood Watch (Return to top)

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Neighborhood Watch programs have expanded beyond their traditional crime prevention role to help neighborhoods focus on disaster preparedness, emergency response and terrorism awareness. USAonWatch-Neighborhood Watch is administered by the National Sheriffs' Association in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice.

The point of contact to start a Neighborhood Watch is:

City of Auburn: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

City of Opelika: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lee County: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Volunteers In Police Service (VIPS) (Return to top)

The VIPS Program provides support and resources for agencies interested in developing or enhancing a volunteer program and for citizens who wish to volunteer their time and skills with a law enforcement agency. The program's ultimate goal is to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers. To see how you can volunteer, contact the local law enforcement offices:

City of Auburn: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

City of Opelika: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lee County Sheriff’s Office: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Student Preparedness (Return to top)

The objective of this initiative is providing preparedness information to students of all ages.  This is accomplished through weather and other preparedness classes taught inside the schools, as well as after school programs.  We also work with school faculty, administration, and non-faculty staff to build on their safety plans.  Those safety plans include severe weather sheltering, shelter-in-place procedures, and ways to mitigate the effects of other natural and man-made hazards.

To get more information on this initiative, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Business Preparedness (Return to top)

This initiative is aimed at preparing local businesses to be able to handle a wide variety of hazards and to be able to continue operating after the disaster is over.  The Lee County EMA focuses this effort on two fronts: preparedness and planning. 

The point of contact for Business Preparedness is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Amateur Radios / RACES (Return to top)

In the event that a disaster does occur in our area, it is very likely that one of the first vital resources to go is communications.  That’s where our Amateur Radio Operators come in.  This dedicated group of volunteers has worked to make sure that, if the use of cell phones and land lines goes away, our first responders, medical personnel, and emergency management group are still able to communicate.   The Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil emergency Service (RACES) are the primary organizations called upon when emergency communications are needed.

To get involved with Amateur Radio and ARES/RACES, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) (Return to top)

RAD (Rape Aggression Defense Systems, Inc.) is a program designed to educate and train new students on how to protect themselves from human threats through awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance.  The instructors of this class go through a rigorous training program in order to be able to bring this program to the local citizens, and are sponsored by the Auburn and Opelika Police Departments, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Auburn University, and the Lee County EMA.  There are two classes being offered in Lee County: RAD (taught primarily to women ages 12 and up), and RADKids (for young boys and girls ages 4-12).