Lewisville emergency management leaders on March 17 outlined a new volunteer and neighborhood-preparedness program called Community Champions, designed to build local resilience and offer a pathway into more advanced volunteer roles such as CERT.

Russell Marshall, emergency coordinator, said the curriculum focuses on preparedness basics, neighborhood vulnerability mapping and utility safety. The rollout will target homeowners associations and neighborhoods, with recruitment in April and May and the first three seminars planned to be held in the city's emergency operations center after the new public-safety facility opens.

Program structure: the three seminars will cover (1) building an emergency kit and the first 72 hours after a disaster; (2) utility safety (how to shut off water/gas and secure an electrical panel), weather preparedness and basic first aid; and (3) identifying resources and vulnerabilities in neighborhoods (such as elderly residents or neighbors with specialized skills). Graduates of the three-part series will be designated Lewisville Community Champions.

Marshall said the program is designed to complement, not replace, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. Lewisville previously had an active CERT program that waned during the COVID-19 pandemic; staff said they intend to re-engage with the Denton County CERT program to leverage training resources and expand local volunteer capacity.

Accessibility and outreach: the program will be offered virtually and in Spanish; staff plan to recruit through Neighborhood Services, Nextdoor and other outreach channels. The first graduating cohort is expected in late summer, with a second cohort in the fall and ongoing quarterly sessions thereafter.

Council response: council members praised the initiative as a neighbor-to-neighbor resilience approach and asked about sign-up logistics; staff said registration information will be posted and in-person sessions will be held at the new public-safety facility.

Ending: staff said they will begin neighborhood outreach in April, run seminars through the summer, and report back to council on participation and any additional resource needs.