District of Columbia DEFENSE FORCe

Service and Response

Our Mission

The District of Columbia Defense Force (DCDF) was established to provide trained and organized volunteers capable of accomplishing a variety of crisis/emergency response, security and community service missions.

The DCDF is available to serve as a force multiplier for public safety, homeland security and public service agencies within the District of Columbia government if requested to do so.

Specific assignments may include but are not limited to:

▪ Augmenting local emergency operations and communications centers during crises;

▪ Providing trained teams for crowd control, traffic control and security; and

▪ Performing ceremonial functions.

The DC Defense Force is a member of the Citizens Corps advisory council for the District of Columbia and has worked on numerous occasions with Serve DC in the Executive Office of the Mayor.

Here are some of the missions performed by DCDF volunteers:

April 5, 2008 ― Seventeen members of the DC Defense Force assisted the Metropolitan Police Department by providing physical security and visitor assistance during the 2008 Martin Luther King Parade in Washington's Ward 8.

November 11, 2007 ― Ten members of the DC Defense Force served as parade marshals for the 2007 Veteran's Day Parade along Constitution Avenue in the District of Columbia.

June 2, 2007 ―Ten members of the DC Defense Force assisted the Metropolitan Police Department by providing physical security and visitor assistance during the District of Columbia's annual Unifest street festival in Anacostia.

April 7, 2007 ― Eleven members of the DC Defense Force worked in partnership with the DC Metropolitan Police Department to provide security and visitor assistance during the District of Columbia's Martin Luther King Day celebration. Two of our troops served as escorts for Mayor Adrian Fenty.

January 2, 2007 ― At the request of the District of Columbia National Guard, 12 DCDF officers and enlisted personnel participated in the screening of candidates for the DC Army National Guard's Youth ChalleNGe Academy.

September 17, 2006 ― At the invitation of Serve DC, four DCDF members participated in "Operation Deep Rescue" disaster training exercise for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

August 26, 2006 ― Twelve DCDF members participated as observers and participants in Amtrak's "Operation Code Black" disaster training exercise at Union Station.

August through December 2006 ― Three DCDF members who are Community Emergency Response Team trainers served as instructors for CERT courses conducted by Serve DC, part of the Executive Office of the Mayor.

July 19, 2006 ― Two DCDF members who are CERT trainers provided light search-and-rescue training to students participating in TEAM DC youth program.

July 4, 2006 ― Working with other organizations partnering in the DC Citizen Corps, seven DCDF members staffed first aid tents and provided visitor assistance during the annual Independence Day celebration on the Mall.

June 10, 2006 ― Seven DCDF members assisted the National Fuel Funds Network, National Low Income Energy Consortium and National Energy Assistance Directors' Association with preparation for the 2006 Joint Low Income Energy Conferences held in Washington, DC.