Citizen Corps, an organization created to help coordinate volunteer activities, established the following community preparedness principles:

• Collaboration: Government must collaborate with community leaders from all sectors for effective planning and capacity building.
• Integration: Nongovernmental assets and resources must be fully integrated into government plans, preparations, and disaster response.
• Personal/Organizational Preparedness: Everyone in America should be fully aware, trained, and practiced on how to prevent, protect, mitigate, prepare for, and respond to all threats and hazards.
• Volunteer Service: Citizen activism and volunteer service provide ongoing support for community safety and critical surge capacity in response and recovery.