Emergency & Disaster Services

Here's the latest information regarding our Emergency & Disaster Services provided by the American Red Cross Adirondack Saratoga Chapter.  For more information beyond what we have below, please contact Cheryl Murphy – our Director of Emergency & Disaster Services.  You can contact Cheryl at the Chapter Office at 792-6545 or via e-mail at murphyc@usa.redcross.org. 


Responding to Your Disaster

Did you know that American Red Cross disaster volunteers respond to emergencies whenever and wherever they strike 365 days a year? Mission-focused volunteers work to ensure that emergency or disaster-related needs of the community are being met.

When a disaster strikes, Red Cross volunteers are on the scene providing shelter, food, vouchers for new clothing and replacement medications and counseling -- caring relief, day and night. If needed, they set up disaster shelters, conduct damage assessments, meet the immediate needs of disaster victims - services which are provided on a person to person basis. The American Red Cross Adirondack Saratoga Chapter responded to 101 disasters and assisted 345 individuals in our five-county jurisdiction with food, clothing or shelter last year alone. Volunteers with the Disaster Service Human Resource System (DSHR) support the efforts of the Red Cross in disaster-affected areas nationwide by organizing volunteers on the scene.

"Introduction to Disaster Services Training".

Armed Forces Emergency Services: Emergency communications and assistance to members of the armed forces and their families.

Community Preparedness Education: Provides information to people in our community on how to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Volunteers give presentations on disaster and health and safety topics.

Description of Disaster and Emergency Services

Whether it's a local single-family fire or a hurricane, the Red Cross is on the scene providing emergency care and comfort to both victims and emergency workers. Red Cross Disaster Action Teams are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, helping families and individuals get back on their feet after a disaster. The American Red Cross Adirondack Saratoga Chapter responded to 101 disasters and assisted 345 individuals in our five-county jurisdiction with food, clothing or shelter during 2008. Emergency assistance may include temporary housing, food, clothing, basic household furnishings, help with health care needs and referrals to other agencies to assist in their recovery.

Volunteers with the Disaster Service Human Resource System (DSHR) support the efforts of the Red Cross in disaster-affected areas nationwide by organizing volunteers on the scene.

Time commitment varies depending on level of involvement. Training is required and is provided throughout the year, and is generally at no cost to the volunteer.

Disaster Services Training Opportunities

American Red Cross training is required for every disaster volunteer position and includes the three core courses Fulfilling Our Mission, Mass Care Overview and Shelter Operations that all can be completed in one day. Basic courses required for specific volunteer positions are listed after the description of the position. A curriculum of advanced training courses can be tailored to individual interests.


Mass Care

Sheltering
Volunteers perform a variety of functions at shelters that provide a safe environment, and often serve and a center of news, referrals and other information for clients to assist in their recovery plans.

Feeding
Volunteers provides meals, snacks and beverages through fixed Red Cross service delivery locations and mobile delivery, using emergency response vehicles (ERVs) and other vehicles.

Bulk Distribution
Volunteers provide needed essential items, as well as items for clean up and recovery, through fixed Red Cross service delivery locations and mobile delivery with emergency response vehicles (ERVs) and other vehicles. Bulk Distribution may be a phased system of delivery, initially supplying essential, life sustaining items and later supplying clean up and recovery items. Volunteers also provide assistance by listening and providing information, advocacy and referrals.

Community Programs
Volunteers provide information and services such as those provided at emergency aid stations and reach out to meet the communities disaster caused needs.


Client Services

Client Casework
Volunteers meet with individual families to help assess their needs and start the road to recovery. Assistance given to victims may include emergency financial assistance with food, clothing, sheltering and referrals and distribution of personal care items and cleaning materials. Basic course requirements: ARC Core Courses, Client Assistance Cards and System and Client Services - Providing Emergency Assistance

Health Services
Licensed health volunteers provide emergency and preventive health services and secure resources to meet the health needs of people affected by disaster and staff providing disaster relief.
Basic course required: ARC Core Courses, Health Services Response

Mental Health Services
Licensed mental health volunteers provide mental health-related services and secure resources to meet the psychological health needs of people affected by disaster, staff providing disaster relief and the families of Disaster Services staff assigned to relief operations.
Basic courses required: ARC Core Courses, Fundamentals of Disaster Mental Health, Client Casework: Providing Emergency Assistance and any relevant Client Assistance System and Client Assistance Card training

Welfare Information and Family Reunification
Volunteers serve individual and families within the disaster affected areas, facilitating communication from inside the disaster-affected area to outside the affected area. Services include pre-disaster planning, family reunification and communicating disaster specific information and special instructions for welfare information.
Basic courses required: ARC Core Course and Safe and Well Training Course


Material Support Services
Basic training for each of the following is: ARC Core Courses and Logistics

Facilities
Volunteers identify and/or interpret requirements for all types of facilities and acquire services, materials and supplies needed for the operation of these facilities during a disaster relief operation.

Response Technology
Volunteers provide internal support activities on a disaster relief operation and deal directly with employees and volunteers from other activities assigned to the relief operation. The Response Technology activities are Communications (RCM), Computers (RCO), Networking (RNT) and Resource Management (RCS).

In-kind Donations
Volunteers provide a good image as the voice of the Red Cross when responding to calls with donations from the public as well as calls from Red Cross units.

Invoice Review
Volunteers provide guidance and information to local chapters and vendors.

Life and Safety Asset Protection
Volunteers provide as safe and secure an operating environment as is possible for employees and volunteers, as well as clients and visitors, on disaster relief operations. Life Safety and Asset Protection employees and volunteers also provide for the protection of the facilities, infrastructure, equipment, vehicles, supplies and assets of the Red Cross.

Procurement
Volunteers procure and/or replenish supplies through donations, loans, rentals and/or purchases, as required, for disaster relief operation activities.

Transportation
Volunteers determine how many vehicles will be needed, by whom and for what purpose.

Warehousing and Supply
Volunteers ensure all supplies received at the warehouse are in acceptable, usable condition and are accurately inventoried as they are delivered.


Staff Services
Basic courses required: ARC Core Courses and Workforce Planning and Acquisition

Staff Health
Volunteers initiate Staff Health activity on the disaster relief operation.

Staff Relations
Volunteers provide consultation and assistance to supervisors and workers with routine worker-related problems.

Staff Support
Volunteers provide support to employees and volunteers, including lodging, travel arrangements and financial assistance. Establish and maintain employee-and volunteer-related records.

Training
Volunteers gather the resources and make the preparations necessary for deploying to a disaster relief operation.

Workforce Planning and Acquisition
Volunteers use all available human resources, and in collaboration with other activities, ensure that enough qualified workers are obtained and placed throughout the relief operation to provide services in a timely manner.


Partner Services
Basic Training requirements: ARC Core Course, Collaborating to Ensure Effective Service Delivery

Emergency Support Services
Volunteers ensure an adequate work location and receive an orientation from FEMA about work location operations when opening and staffing various FEMA locations (e.g., National Response Coordination Center, Regional Response Coordination Center, Joint Field Office, Emergency Response Team Advanced, Disaster Operations Center, FIRST team, etc.) in support of relief operations.

Government Liaison
Volunteers establish, maintain and nourish the organization's relationship with all levels of government to ensure that Red Cross service delivery to affected clients and partners is timely, efficient and effective and that the mission of the Red Cross is achieved.

Labor Liaison
Volunteers obtain supplies and information necessary to coordinate relief efforts of the relief operation with unions and their members.

Community Relations Liaison
Volunteers establish, maintain and promote coordination of Liaison Community Relations activities at the national headquarters level through effective communication and assignment of employees and volunteers to fulfill requests for services.

Voluntary Agencies Liaison
Volunteers establish, maintain and promote coordination of Voluntary Agencies Liaison activities at the national headquarters level through effective communication and assignment of employees and volunteers to fulfill requests for services.


Information Management Support Service

Disaster Assessment
Volunteers provide decision-making information for a disaster relief operation by gathering, analyzing, interpreting and distributing accurate and timely information about the extent of the damage, overall impact, weather conditions and demographics of a disaster-affected community.

Analysis and Planning
Volunteers review and analyze cross-functional information to discern operational trends and circumvent possible problems; apply analysis to guide decision-making and foster appropriate operational planning; and make recommendations for consideration and implementation.

Financial & Statistical Information Management
Volunteers performs three main categories of tasks: controlling Client Assistance Cards (CACs) and Disbursing Orders (DOs); managing and updating the hard copies of client case files; and, consolidation and data entry of financial and statistical information on a disaster relief operation.

Information Dissemination
Volunteers develop a plan and system for ensuring that information is shared with all disaster relief operation employees and volunteers, chapters, service areas and the Disaster Operations Center.


Organizational Support

Fundraising
Volunteers coordinate the fundraising efforts of units affected by the disaster and develop special fundraising activities to help meet Red Cross service delivery costs. Identifiable Red Cross fundraising must be conducted following a disaster to ensure adequate financial support for the disaster relief operation.

Public Affairs
Volunteers establish a plan to disseminate information to the general public, advice to disaster relief operation leadership disaster-affected chapters, service area, and serve as a liaison between the disaster relief operation and the media (to the relief operation).