WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to announce that the application period for the 2014 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards is now open.

The awards highlight innovative local practices and achievements by recognizing individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions toward making their communities safer, stronger, better prepared, and more resilient.

To be considered for this year’s awards, all submissions must be received by May 30, 2014, at 11:59 P.M. EST and must feature program activities taking place between January 1, 2013, and May 30, 2014.

FEMA will review all entries and select the finalists. A distinguished panel of representatives from the emergency management community will then select winners in each of the following categories:

• Outstanding State Citizen Corps Initiatives
• Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Initiatives
• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) in Action
• Community Preparedness Heroes
• Outstanding Youth Preparedness Initiatives
• Awareness to Action
• Survivor Empowerment and Integration
• Preparing the Whole Community
• Technological Innovation

Winners will be announced in fall 2014 and will be FEMA’s honored guests at a community preparedness roundtable event. The winner of the Preparing the Whole Community category will receive the John D. Solomon Whole Community Preparedness Award.

Emergency management is most effective when the whole community is engaged and involved. Faith-based organizations, voluntary agencies, the private sector, tribal organizations, youth, older adults, people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, and all individual citizens can make a difference in their communities before, during, and after disasters.

These awards are an opportunity to acknowledge the work an individual or organization has done to build a more resilient nation. More information about the awards is available at http://www.ready.gov/citizen-corps/citizen-corps-awards. Applications should be submitted to citizencorps@fema.dhs.gov and are due by May 30.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.