Disaster Services Volunteers
Disaster volunteers respond to natural disaster events that happen in the jurisdiction of the Quad Cities chapter which includes Scott, Muscatine, and Louisa counties in Iowa, and Henry, Rock Island, Bureau, Whiteside and Mercer counties in Illinois. Disaster response includes survey and damage assessment, shelter management, mass care, family services, physical and mental health services, and disaster welfare inquiry. Volunteers receive training in each of these areas and can specialize in specific functions for local and national disaster response.
Disaster Action Team (DAT) members respond to the local disaster situations and provide the necessary Red Cross disaster assistance to people suffering from a natural disaster event. DAT members have the training and authority to initialize the chapter response to one-family disasters and the start-up for a large scale disaster response. Our DAT members receive guidance from our Disaster Services Committee and the DAT member conducts the on-scene damage assessment, interviews the family to determine needs, and then provides the appropriate Red Cross emergency assistance.
Appointed By: Disaster volunteers and DAT members are approved by the Disaster Chairman and the Disaster Services Committee in consultation with the Director of Emergency Services. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in disaster training and to experience disaster assignments beyond our chapter area. Volunteers may choose to become members of the Red Cross Disaster Services Human Resource System (DSHR). DSHR is the mechanism that Red Cross utilizes for response to major disaster events around the United States and its territories. DSHR members agree to a two or three week commitment to serve on a national disaster assignment.
Qualifications: A desire and commitment to assist people in need. Training required: First Aid, CPR, Introduction to Disaster Services, Survey and Damage Assessment, Mass Care Overview, Emergency Assistance to Families I and II, Shelter Operations, and Shelter Problem Solving. There are other functional training courses specific to the interests of the volunteers.
The American Red Cross of the Quad Cities Area is working hard to significantly build our capacity to respond to a 150 family disaster by 2012. Thanks to a $27,500 grant from the WalMart and Sam’s Club Foundation, the Red Cross was able to purchase a new disaster trailer, 150 cots, and 160 blankets. The Red Cross has also been able to recruit and train 52 new disaster volunteers and promote ten current disaster volunteers to a supervisor-level position, all of which helps increase our human and material resources for disaster response.
