Welcome to the Corps. We are a registered charity that aims to provide voluntary emergency support. The Corps aims to bring communities together by helping them build self-reliance when it comes to emergency preparedness and resilience. The best way to make that happen is to offer communities the opportunity to participate, and that is where we come in.
Join our Voluntary National Civil Defence (Emergency Support) Organisation.
"Civil Defence is Common Sense"
This is one of the rally cries from the Second World War but is as relevant today as then.
The Joint Civil Aid Corps (the Corps) is a National Civil Defence organisation that aims to provide a disciplined voluntary reserve to the Emergency Services, Government, and other authorities. It will have trained volunteers able to meet the needs of communities across the country.
How can the Corps benefit the Country?
“Mitigation, Preparation, Response, Recovery”
| ● | Community cohesiveness |
| ● | Disciplined reserve body |
| ● | Infrastructure recovery |
| ● | Interoperability with other responders |
| ● | Multi-agency cooperation |
| ● | Prepared resilience |
| ● | Spontaneous volunteer Management |
| ● | Veteran Support – Military |
| ● | Veteran Support – Emergency Services |
| ● | Direct community support |
| ● | Increase in emergency Infrastructure |
| ● | Lower insurance costs |
| ● | Multi-skilled volunteers |
| ● | Nationally coordinated |
| ● | Proactive support |
| ● | Trained response |
| ● | Volunteer coordination |
| ● | Youth and young adult engagement |
Civil Defence aims to prepare for and assist individuals, groups, or communities affected by natural or man-made events, whether large or small, wartime or not.
The Corps is a unique voluntary support organisation following in the rich heritage forged by both the Civil Defence Services of WW2 and the Civil Defence Corps of the Cold War Period.
All members, both operational and support, are trained as Generalists (Community Emergency Responders), making them effective additions to professional services at incidents.
The Corps stands out due to its inclusive structure, welcoming everyone and dispersing trained units from small communities to large cities. It accommodates all ages, family, and work responsibilities, and both operational and support roles.
Volunteers can specialize in over 40 trades or receive additional training, but all are trained as Generalists.
Upon arriving at an emergency scene, CD Generalists (Community Emergency Responders) will support Emergency Services in various areas. Initially, they form composite teams, and as needs arise, they create specialist teams with higher qualifications. These teams are controlled by the Corps’ Incident Commanders, who respond to the overall commander or the emergency itself.
The areas for which the Corps is seeking to provide operational support for, have a strong crossover of skills required, and the reason everyone starts as a generalist, and far from everything:
| ● | Road Closures, Cordons, and other Security Support (in support of the Police and Communities). |
| ● | Medical Cover (in support of the NHS and Ambulance Services and Communities). |
| ● | Urban Search and Rescue (in support of the Fire and Rescue Services). |
| ● | Missing Persons (in support of the Police and Communities). |
| ● | Reception Stations and Evacuation Shelters (in support of Local Authorities, Communities, and industry, such as Rail, when needed). |
| ● | Welfare, Chaplaincy, and Feeding (in support of Local Authorities and Communities). |
| ● | Forest Wildfires and other Countryside Fires (in support of the Fire and Rescue Services, Forestry Commission, and Communities). |
| ● | Storm Response (in support of Local Authorities, Fire and Rescue Services, Forestry Commission, and Communities). |
| ● | Flood Response (in support of Local Authorities, Fire and Rescue Services, Environmental Agency, and Communities). |
| ● | Flood/Fire Area Evacuations (in support of Local Authorities, Police, Fire & Rescue, Environmental Agency, and Communities). |
| ● | Snow Rescue (in support of Local Authorities, Police, and Communities). |
| ● | Working with Heritage Organisations (in support of the National Trust, Heritage England, and other heritage bodies). |
Come find us....
We have just relaunched our Rally Points. If you’re interested in becoming a part of the Corps, take a look at our recruitment page. All you need do is either email our Recruitment Team on [email protected], or use our contact form here on the website. The choice is yours. You can even contact us through our Facebook pages.
We're introducing a new arms to the Corps
In addition to supporting emergency services and communities, we are introducing a new Civil Defence Music Service. This initiative aims to rebuild and maintain the British tradition of marching and concert bands, while also welcoming other ensembles to join this national effort, so…..
Are you a musician?
If you're a musician or someone representing an ensemble, and would you like to be a part of something new, take a look.....
This is a new area for us, and one based on the cooperation and joint performances.
Whether an individual player looking for a band or an established ensemble, we’d like to hear from you.
The Women's Land Army & Timber Corps are back!
Many families have had women who served their country in the Women's Land Army and the Timber Corps. In honour of them, we now have support roles under WLATC - so are you interested?
As the Corps continues to grow, we find new opportunities to honour our history, while breathing new life into the organisations that contributed to the resilience of the country.
Take a look at our at our page to find out more and maybe consider joining the Women’s Land Army and Timber Corps.
