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Volunteer Spotlight - June 2006

Volunteer:	Daniel Nicholson, Sr.
Nominator:	Rebecca Gillis – Kentucky MRC Coordinator
Unit Contact Information:	Christian County MRC 521 Weber Street Hopkinsville, KY 42240 Phone: 270-887-6253 E-mail: CitizenCorps@peadd.info

MRC Unit Focus

The Christian County MRC strengthens the existing medical infrastructure of Christian County by providing a group of trained, credentialed, and affiliated volunteers to assist the community in its time of need.

Volunteer Background Information

Daniel Nicholson currently serves as the Chairman of the nine-county Pennyrile Regional Citizen Corps Council in Kentucky, which consists of elected officials, first responders, emergency management leaders, judges, and business and community leaders.

Mr. Nicholson is the training coordinator for Christian County Emergency Management in Hopkinsville, KY. He coordinates courses and instructs National Incident Management System and Incident Command System (ICS) courses to local first responders, elected officials, and the county search and rescue team. He also is a Certified Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Course Instructor through the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Domestic Preparedness, where he teaches first responders and others who need WMD awareness-level training.

Mr. Nicholson also was a training and executive officer of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, overseeing operations and planning. He participated in a Red Cross Disaster Action Team as an Emergency Management Agent for a small town in Pennsylvania and was certified in New York to teach the Community Emergency Response Team train-the-trainer course.

What did the Volunteer do to be in the Spotlight?

As an active volunteer in Christian County, Mr. Nicholson serves as the Chairman of the Pennyrile Regional Citizen Corps Council. He has assumed the duties temporarily as MRC Coordinator due to a staff change at the Christian County MRC. He also volunteers with Christian County Emergency Management and serves as their training coordinator.

When and Why did the Volunteer Join the MRC?

Mr. Nicholson has been involved with the MRC since it began in 2002. He was originally a member of the Tioga County MRC in New York. He moved to Kentucky 8 months ago and became active with the Christian County MRC as it was starting.

Mr. Nicholson also volunteered with other Citizen Corps programs. When the MRC was developed, he recognized that both medical and non-medical volunteers would be needed, and he wanted to contribute the training and military experience he had in operations and logistics.

What Activities has the Volunteer Been Involved in With the MRC Unit?

Mr. Nicholson assumed the role of interim MRC Coordinator for Christian County by acting as the current point of contact for the MRC. He also has taken various ICS-level courses to conduct training for MRC volunteers and is coordinating the unit’s training for volunteers.

It has been challenging for Mr. Nicholson to assume the role of interim MRC Coordinator. Nevertheless, he is optimistic about the unit’s success due to its solid group of medical and non-medical volunteers.

Fun Facts

Mr. Nicholson was among five volunteers selected to receive an award from the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security.

Also, Mr. Nicholson received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Presidential Volunteer Service, awarded by the USA Freedom Corps and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation for dedicating 4,000 hours to volunteer service.

Last Updated on 6/20/2006