airs disaster drtmanual

ALLIANCE OF INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SYSTEMS

AND UNITED WAY OF AMERICA

Disaster Response Team

Training Manual

May 2009

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CONTENTS

DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM ROSTER………………………………………………...4

Section I Partnership Between AIRS/UWA ...............................................................7 Vision and Mission Statements..........................................................................8 History................................................................................................................9 Essential Functions..........................................................................................10

Section II Disaster Response Team (DRT) Recruitment and Selection ...............11 Recruitment and Training…………………………………………………………...12 Disaster Response Team Application – Part I .................................................13

Disaster Response Team Application Part II……………………...……………...15 Disaster Response Team Re-enlistment Letter …………………..……………...16

Team Member Interview .................................................................................17 Acknowledgement of Participation Requirements……………………………….19

Section III Disaster Response Team Job Descriptions .........................................20 Disaster I&R Specialist ....................................................................................21 Disaster Volunteer Manager ............................................................................22 Disaster Mental Health Specialist ....................................................................24

Disaster Database/Technology Specialist……………………………………......25

Section IV Incident Command System ...................................................................27 Incident Command System Description ...........................................................28 Incident Command System Organizational Chart ............................................29

Section V Request for Disaster Response Team Activation.................................30 How to Request DRT Activation ......................................................................31 Application to Mobilize the DRT.......................................................................32 Memorandum of Understanding – AIRS and Requesting Agency ...................34

Section VI Deployment of the DRT..........................................................................37 Sample Pre-Deployment Letter........................................................................38 DRT Deployment Checklist..............................................................................42 DRT Team To Go Kit .......................................................................................44

Section VII On-Site....................................................................................................45 Sample Orientation Checklist...........................................................................46 Emergency Coordinator Checklist ...................................................................48 Public Information Officer Checklist .................................................................50 Liaison Officer Checklist ..................................................................................51 Operations Section Chief Checklist .................................................................52 Emergency Resource Manager Checklist........................................................53 Volunteer Resources Supervisor Checklist......................................................54 Planning Section Chief Checklist .....................................................................55

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Logistics Section Chief Checklist .....................................................................56 Finance Section Chief Checklist ......................................................................58 Self-Care Tips..................................................................................................59 Sample Performance Appraisal .......................................................................60

Section VIII Exiting the Disaster Site ......................................................................61 Sample Exit Interview ......................................................................................62 Section IX Post Disaster ..........................................................................................63 Post Disaster Checklist ....................................................................................64 Deployment Evaluation ....................................................................................65 Sample Thank You Letter to Lending Agency..................................................67 Sample Release of Records ............................................................................68 AIRS Expense Reimbursement Policy.............................................................69 Expense Reimburse Form ...............................................................................72

Section X Appendices ..............................................................................................73 Acronyms.........................................................................................................74 Disaster Preparedness Tools...........................................................................76 Section XI Related News Articles ............................................................................77 American Red Cross Disaster Operations Report ...........................................78 2007 California Wildfire Response...................................................................81 Section XII DRT Committee Minutes, Training and Certificates ......................... 102

The AIRS and UWA Disaster Response Team would like to express its sincerest thanks to the following members for the development of this manual: Linda Daily, Trisha Ferrell, Michelle Hartness, Tracy Hayes, Charlene Hipes, Kay Parker and Janna Shoe.

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Disaster Response Team Roster Vickie Bateman, CVA Volunteer Management 957 Junco Drive Columbus, IN 47203 812-375-0327 [email protected]

Judith Cantil Aloha United Way PO Box 1096 Honolulu, HI 96808 808/543-2214 [email protected]

Mona Freels 211 San Diego PO Box 881307 San Diego, CA 92168-1307 858/300-1230 [email protected]

Theresa Galles Great Twin Cities United Way 211 180 E 5th Street, Suite 211 St. Paul, MN 55119 651/291-8408 [email protected]

Alicia Girard PATH, Inc. 201 East Grove Street Bloomington, IL 61701 309/834-0541 [email protected]

Debra Harris Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Inc. One Crisis Center Plaza Tampa, FL 33613-1238 813/969-4911 [email protected]

Michelle Hartness United Way of Inner Wisconsin 351 Oak Street Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494 715/818-6110 [email protected]

Tracy Hays United Way of Larimer County 424 Pine Street, Suite 102 Fort Collins, CO 80524 970/407-7051 [email protected]

Kathryn Johnson PATH, Inc. 201 East Grove Street Bloomington, IL 61701 309/834-0586 [email protected]

Chris Juett First Call for Help Iowa, Inc. 1030 5th Avenue SE, Suite 100 Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 319/398-5372 X 12 [email protected]

Sherry Miller Michigan Association of United Ways 1627 Lake Lansing Rd. Suite B Lansing, MI 48912 517/371-4360 x 14 [email protected]

Melissa McCoy American Red Cross/United Way 211 2116 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA 50312 515/471-8353 [email protected]

Jonathan Padget VIA LINK PO Box 15409 New Orleans, LA. 70175 504/897-4877 [email protected] [email protected]

Kay Parker 2-1-1 Texas/United Way of Brazos Valley P.O. Box 10883 College Station, TX 77842 979/696-4483 x 103 [email protected]

John Plonski Covenant House International 5 Penn Plaza, Second Floor New York, NY 10001-1810 212/727-4040 [email protected]

Lisa Schiller United Way of Greater Cincinnati, 211 2400 Reading Road Cincinnati, OH 45203 513/762-7253 [email protected]

Shari Sinwelski Didi Hirsch-Suicide Prevention Center 4760 South Sepulveda Blvd. Culver City, CA 90230 310/ 895-2352

Theresa Thomma UPCAP Services, Inc./U.P. 2-1-1 Call Center PO Box 606 Escanaba, MI 49829

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[email protected]

906/786-4701 [email protected]

Debby Thornton Community Council of Greater Dallas 1349 Empire Central, Suite 400 Dallas, TX 75247-4033 214/871-5065 x 222 [email protected]

Sherri Vainavicz Heart of West Michigan United Way 211 118 Commerce Ave., SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503 616/752-8641 [email protected]

William York 211 San Diego PO Box 881307 San Diego, CA 92168-1307 858/300-1237 [email protected]

DRT RESERVE TEAM MEMBERS DRT RESERVE TEAM MEMBERS Bonnie McNatt Bush Crisis Center Tampa Bay One Crisis Center Plaza Tampa, FL 33613-1238 813/964-1964 x 3446 [email protected]

Joyce Easley Neighborhood Service 220 Bagley Ave. Suite 626 Detroit, Michigan 48226 313 961-1060 [email protected]

Hope Santonocito Central Referral Service/2-1-1 Way Public Safety Building 45 Elm Street Buffalo, NY 14203 716/842-2630 [email protected]

Janna Shoe 2-1-1 Texas/United Way Helpline 50 Waugh Drive Houston, TX 77007 361/742-5891 [email protected]

Chee Vang Greater Twin Cities United Way 211 180 E 5th Street, Suite 211 St. Paul, MN 55119 651/291-8412 [email protected]

Jennifer Waite United Way's 2-1-1 of WNC 50 South French Broad Ashville, NC 28801 828/255-0696 x 312 [email protected]

Valerie Wethered 2-1-1 Maryland/First Call for Help United Way of Central Maryland 100 South Charles Street, PO Box 1576 Baltimore, MD 21203-1576 410/895-1453 [email protected]

AFFILIATE DRT REPRESENTATIVES: AFFILIATE DRT REPRESENTATIVES: Louisiana Luease Graham Centerpoint Community Services 2121 Fairfield Avenue, Suite 130 Shreveport, LA 71104 318/227-2100 Ext. 25 [email protected]

NW-AIRS Bill Brackin Volunteers of America of Western Washington PO Box 838 Everett, WA 98206 425/609-2213 [email protected]

Oklahoma Janice Harris 902 N. 15th St. Collinsville, OK 74021 918-295-1244 [email protected]

Oklahoma Edwina Reddick United Way of Lawton-Fort Sill 1116 SW A Avenue Lawton, OK 73501 580/355-0218

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[email protected] South Carolina Melina Favor United Way Association of SC 2711 Middleburg Dr. Suite 302 Columbia, SC 29204 803 929-1000 x 102 [email protected]

Texas Mary Mays 2-1-1 Texas Information & Referral Network 909 W 45th, Bldg 5 MC 2077 Austin, Texas 78751 512/483-5112 [email protected]

Virginia Denny Huff Council of Community Services PO Box 598 Roanoke, VA 24004 540/985-0131 x 115 [email protected]

DRT LEADERSHIP DRT LEADERSHIP AIRS Larry Olness Heart of Florida United Way 1940 Taylor Blvd. Orlando, FL 32804 407/849-2360 Fax: 407/244-2802 [email protected]

AIRS Trisha Steiniger Call Center Manager United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg 2001 Maywill Street Richmond, VA 11807 804/225-7916 [email protected]

United Way of America Linda Daily United Way of America 701 N. Fairfax Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703/ 836-7112 x 474 914/924-7356 – Cell [email protected]

AIRS Charlene Hipes P.O. Box 33095 Portland, OR 97292 503/257-3537 503/784-3431 Cell [email protected]

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SECTION I

National Disaster Response Team

A Partnership between

The Alliance of Information and Referral Systems and

United Way of America

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Disaster Response Team Vision and Mission Statements

Vision Statement The Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) and United Way of America (UWA) will increase the capacity of the Information and Referral field to respond to disasters by establishing a Disaster Response Team consisting of trained professionals who can establish or supplement a call center during times of Disaster and provide training to the field during non-disaster times. Mission Statement To increase the capacity of the Information and Referral field to respond to Disasters.

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Disaster Response Team History

In 2005, the need for a trained and enabled Disaster Response Team was demonstrated as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, a call for 2-1-1 and I&R professionals was made throughout the country. Over 170 volunteers were deployed to Monroe, LA, Houston, TX and Jackson, MS. This response was reactive to the situation and even though many 2-1-1 and Information and Referral (I&R) professionals responded to the call, there was no formal screening or deployment process. United Way of America (UWA) commissioned two after-action reports on activities in the Gulf Coast area. One report specifically detailed the efforts of United Way of Northeast Louisiana, in Monroe, LA, while the second report discussed the entire Gulf Coast area’s efforts. Both reports discussed the actions taken by I&Rs to respond to the increased needs in the community pre, during, and post disasters and also discussed the lessons learned and efficiencies that should have been in place. Many areas of need were identified, including the need to have an established disaster response team in place in the event of a disaster. Training these professionals on the technical, physical and emotional aspects of disaster relief work would need to be a key component of this team. UWA’s National Professional Council (NPC) made a recommendation during their December 2005 meeting for UWA to establish a Disaster Response Team. The creation of this team would better prepare the I&R field to respond during times of disaster, as well as establish guidelines for responding. UWA and AIRS formed a partnership in April 2006, to jointly develop, recruit for, train and manage the Disaster Response Team. The news of the creation of a Disaster Response Team was shared with the United Way system at UWA’s Community Leaders Conference in May 2006 and with AIRS affiliates at the AIRS Training Conference in June 2006. The field received the news of this team enthusiastically. Applications were solicited at both meetings and over 50 have been received. The first training sessions were conducted at the 2006 AIRS Training Conference.

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Disaster Response Team Essential Functions

The Essential Functions of the Disaster Response Team are as follows:

Priority Essential Functions 1 Connecting victims of disaster quickly with

emergency services. 2 Collaborating with emergency services to

assure the coordinated response during community emergencies.

3 Deploying volunteers to community agencies quickly while assuring appropriate skills. (Done by Volunteer Center)

4 Securing monetary and non-monetary donations and working with agencies and organizations in need.

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SECTION II

Disaster Response Team

Recruitment and Selection

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Disaster Response Team Recruitment and Training

RECRUITMENT: New members to the Disaster Response Team will be recruited annually from the field of Information and Referral (I&R) using the various means of communication used by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS), e.g., website, newsletter, conference, etc. To be considered for the Disaster team, applications and a current resume need to be returned to the Disaster Response Team staff. The Disaster Committee will notify those selected. TRAINING: The National Disaster Response Team will be a fully trained team ready to deploy during times of disaster as defined by United Way of America (UWA) and AIRS Disaster Committee. The key components of the team are the core disaster positions that comprise the core response team and a database of fully trained 2-1-1 and I&R professionals that are ready to deploy or work virtually to support the needs in the disaster affected community. Training is the most important activity of this team. All volunteers are encouraged to complete and evaluate their proficiencies in the following areas:

- National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) Certification - Crisis Call Management Training - Critical Incident Stress Management - Disaster Response Training - Disaster Taxonomy/Database Management - AIRS Certification (CIRS/CRS), preferred - Mental Health/Suicide training

In addition to the above education, trainings will be made available through both UWA and AIRS national, regional and state conferences and through partner organization training conferences, (i.e. Points of Light Foundation (POLF), AIRS online training portal and UWA hosted webinars).

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Disaster Response Team Application – Part I

Applicant Name:

Agency:

Title:

Applicant Mailing Address

Applicant Telephone: Work: Home:

Cell:

Applicant E-mail Work:

Home:

Emergency Contact for Applicant: Name: Relationship:

Home Phone: Cell:

Describe Your Job Duties:

Language(s) Spoken Fluently:

Language(s) Written Fluently:

Executive Director’s Name:

Executive Director’s Mailing Address:

Executive Director’s Telephone: Work: Home: Cell: Executive Director’s E-mail: Work:

Home:

AIRS Certification: Circle all that apply CIRS CIRS-A CRS OTHER:________________________________ DISASTER TRAINING: Check all that apply:

Intro To Disaster (American Red Cross) Disaster Mental Health (American Red Cross) NIMS Crisis/Suicide Critical Incident Stress Management Other, Please Describe:____________________________________________ Other, Please Describe:____________________________________________

Disaster Professional Skills: Check all that apply ___Volunteer Management ___Mental Health ___Disaster I&R ___Training ___Disaster Resource/Data ___Logistics

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___Public Relations/Communications ___Crisis Call Center ___Emergency Operations Center ___Telecommunications I could deploy up to one week if necessary ____Yes ____No Limitations to Deployment: Attach detailed information, if necessary Special Needs: REFERENCES: On a separate sheet of paper, please provide three persons (not relatives or friends) that can attest to your work experience. For each reference, please provide the Name, Address, Telephone, and Email address. Additionally, please state your relationship with each reference (i.e. Personal, Professional, Colleague, etc.)

Signature of Applicant:

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Disaster Response Team Application – Part II Verification and Consent for Background Check

I verify that the above information is accurate. I give AIRS/United Way of America permission to inquire into and verify my educational background, references, licenses, police records and employment history. I also give permission to the holder of any such information to release it to an authorized representative of AIRS/United Way of America. I agree to hold harmless AIRS/United Way of America from any liability, criminal or civil, that may arise as a result of the release of this information about me. I also hold harmless any individual or organization that provides information to the above named organizations. I understand AIRS/United Way of America will use this information only as a part of my volunteer application. I understand this information will be maintained in confidential files and accessible only to authorized agency personnel. _____________________________ __________________________________ Print Name Social Security Number _____________________________ __________________________________ Signature Date _____________________________ __________________________________ Witness Date

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Sample Re-enlistment Letter

Greetings AIRS/UWA Disaster Response Team Members,

We learned several lessons from our deployment to California and unfortunately we have also lost a few members along the way for various reasons. Looking forward, we are instituting a few changes to the team and we wanted to give you the first chance to choose a team that best fits your schedule before we begin recruitment to fill the vacant slots. We know things change and the time that you had in 2007 may not be there in 2008.

National Disaster Response Team Criteria: Required to respond and be on-site within 48 hours (Requires approval letter from Agency President/Executive)

Required to deploy up to 7 days Required to attend annual training Willingness to train others

National Disaster Trained Reserve Team Criteria: Willingness to respond if available Ability to deploy up to 7 days Willingness to train others

In order to remain a team member, we need you to consider which team meets your situation and send an affirming email by January 11th 2008. If we do not hear from you by that date, we will assume that you are no longer in a position to continue being a member and we thank you for your past commitment! Sincerely, Trisha Ferrell, Co-Chair, Disaster Response Committee

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Disaster Response Team Member Interview Applicant’s Name:

Interviewer: Date:

Review application and verify all information is correct. Completed

Review volunteer job description. Completed

Questions: 1. What qualifications do you currently have that could assist the DRT in meeting its

disaster mission? 2. What is your motivation for volunteering for this disaster team? 3. Describe the most satisfying part of your current job. 4. Describe the least satisfying part of your current job. 5. What are the characteristics you prefer in a supervisor? 6. Name some of the emotional and physical challenges you expect to encounter in responding to a disaster. 7. How long a period would you be able to deploy? 8. What questions can I answer for you? 9. Do you have any physical or dietary limitations that the agency will need to accommodate if you are asked to travel to the disaster site? To be Completed by Interviewer: 1. Disposition:

2. Interpersonal skills:

3. Reactions to questions:

4. Physical or dietary restrictions:

Recommended Action: 1. Place as _________________________ Available _______________________ 2. Consider/hold in reserve for the position of ________________________________ 3. Additional investigation required: Yes No 4. Not suitable for DRT at this time. Notification:

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Volunteer notified ___________________ Phone eMail Mail (Date) Signature: ________________________________ Date: ________________ Interviewer Signature: ________________________________ Date: ________________ Staff

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Acknowledgement of Participation Requirements/ Approval to Participate

AIRS/UWA National Disaster Response Team

Acknowledgement of Participation Requirements/ Approval to Participate

I, the undersigned, do hereby consent and agree that ___________________________________________________________________ (insert employee name) my employee has my approval to participate as a member of the AIRS/UWA National Disaster Response Team. I understand that the criteria for participation requires that my employee be on-site at a designated Disaster Response location within 48 hours of a deployment request, the ability to remain on-site for up to 7 days, attendance at a 2-day annual training event, and the willingness to train others. I also understand that AIRS/UWA will cover/reimburse expenses related to deployment or training to include, but not limited to, travel/lodging/meals. I further understand that AIRS/UWA will not cover salary/benefits/overtime, and these expenses will remain part of the agency. Name:___________________________ Date _____________ Address:____________________________________________ E-mail Work: ________________________________________ E-mail Home: _______________________________________ Work Phone: ________________________________________ Home Phone: _______________________________________ CEO Signature: ______________________________________ Disaster Response Team Member Signature: ______________________________

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SECTION III

2-1-1 Disaster Response Team Job Descriptions

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National Disaster Response Team Job Description Position Title: Disaster Information and Referral Specialist Status: Volunteer Department: National Disaster Response Team Reports To: Alliance of I&R Systems (AIRS) and United Way of America (UWA) GENERAL SUMMARY: The Disaster I&R Specialist will respond to a national disaster, authorized by AIRS and UWA, to assist in the affected I&R center. Position will likely consist of sitting for extended periods of time at a desk, working on a computer, and answering the telephone. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Answers incoming calls at the I&R center. 2. Assesses the caller’s need(s) and makes appropriate community referrals. 3. Is responsible for documenting demographics, caller needs and referrals provided. 4. Adheres to all operational standards of the National Disaster Response Team and the I&R Center

for which the Specialist is volunteering. 5. Attends resource-sharing meetings, as assigned. 6. If appropriate, makes follow-up calls to determine whether caller’s needs were met. 7. Seeks out and researches information on community resources, if assigned the task. 9. Performs other related duties as assigned by management.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

1. Knowledge of information and referral practices and procedures. 2. Highly developed organizational skills. 3. Knowledge of and skill in using computer software, including Microsoft Office programs, Outlook,

and database programs. 4. Skilled in operating various office equipment, particularly a personal computer, calculator, facsimile,

copy machine, digital camera, document shredder, and typewriter. 5. Ability to pay close attention to detail and coordinate various activities simultaneously (multi-task.) 6. Ability to communicate with callers, co-workers, and management staff in a courteous and

professional manner. 7. Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. 8. Ability to maintain high ethical standards and confidentiality in accordance with United Way, AIRS,

Federal and State standards and policies. 9. Able to travel for up to one week. 10. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work on a team. 11. Must be flexible in a constantly changing environment. 12. High initiative and ability to work with minimal supervision. 13. Positive attitude essential.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Certified Information and Referral Specialist Certification (CIRS), or current license in mental health discipline, preferred. Experience with database programs preferred. NIMS Certification, preferred. Bi-lingual, a plus. BENEFITS On-site training, housing, meals and transportation are provided. Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by volunteers assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. This job description may be revised at any time.

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National Disaster Response Team Job Description Position Title: Disaster Volunteer Manager Status: Volunteer Department: National Disaster Response Team Reports To: Alliance of I&R Systems (AIRS) and United Way of America (UWA) GENERAL SUMAMRY: The Disaster Volunteer Manager will respond to a national disaster, authorized by AIRS and UWA. The Volunteer Manager will assist the affected I&R Center to recruit and manage volunteers who will respond to disaster calls. This position may also assist with the management of disaster resources. Position will likely consist of sitting for extended periods of time at a desk, working on a computer, and standing while conducting presentations. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Recruits, screens and qualifies appropriate volunteers to assist in the I&R center. 2. Acts as a liaison with the local volunteer center to provide coordinated and seamless services to the

disaster volunteer community. 3. Coordinates the deployment of volunteers to assist the I&R in responding to calls. 4. Provides for supervision, critical incident debriefing, evaluations and follow-up with volunteers. 5. Attends resource-sharing meetings, as assigned. 6. Provides for logistics to ensure housing, meals, transportation and training are available throughout

the volunteer experience. 7. Performs other related duties as assigned by management.


1. Knowledge of information and referral practices and procedures. 2. Highly developed organizational skills. 3. Must have experience in volunteer management and orientation practices. 4. Experience in disaster management, a plus. 5. Knowledge of and skill in using computer software, including Microsoft Office programs, Outlook,

and database programs. 6. Skilled in operating various office equipment, particularly a personal computer, calculator, facsimile,

copy machine, digital camera, document shredder, and typewriter. 7. Ability to pay close attention to detail and coordinate various activities simultaneously (multi-task.) 8. Ability to communicate with volunteers, co-workers, and management staff in a courteous and



EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Must have Certified Information and Referral Specialist Certification (CIRS), or current license in mental health discipline, preferred. Experience with volunteer database programs preferred. NIMS Certification, preferred. Bi-lingual, a plus.

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BENEFITS On-site training, housing, meals and transportation are provided. Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by volunteers assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. This job description may be revised at any time.

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National Disaster Response Team Job Description

Position Title: Disaster Mental Health Specialist Status: Volunteer Department: National Disaster Response Team Reports To: Alliance of I&R Systems (AIRS) and United Way of America (UWA) GENERAL SUMAMRY: The Disaster Mental Health Specialist will respond to a national disaster, authorized by AIRS and UWA. The Mental Health Specialist will assist the affected I&R center by monitoring the stress of the incoming demands on the I&R volunteers and staff. The Mental Health Specialist will maintain a daily briefing and debriefing process for all I&R members. Position will likely consist of sitting or standing for extended periods of time. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Provides basic training related to disaster related stress as it affects callers, co-workers and self. 2. Provides daily debriefing for I&R staff and volunteers. 3. Provides initial post disaster counseling, as appropriate. 4. Observes and assesses staff who may be demonstrating signs of stress and intervenes, as

appropriate. 5. Attends resource-sharing meetings, as assigned. 6. Performs other related duties as assigned by management.


1. Knowledge of information and referral practices and procedures. 2. Highly developed organizational skills. 3. Must have experience in volunteer management. 4. Must have experience in disaster management. 5. Knowledge of and skill in using computer software, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel,

Microsoft Outlook, and database programs. 6. Skilled in operating various office equipment, particularly personal computer, calculator, facsimile,




EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Must have current license in mental health discipline or documented Critical Incident Stress Management training. NIMS Certification, preferred. Bi-lingual, a plus. BENEFITS On-site training, housing, meals and transportation are provided. Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by volunteers assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. This job description may be revised at any time.

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National Disaster Response Team Job Description Position Title: Database/Technology Specialist Status: Volunteer Department: National Disaster Response Team Reports To: Alliance of I&R Systems (AIRS) and United Way of America (UWA) GENERAL SUMAMRY: The Database/Technology Specialist will respond to a national disaster, authorized by AIRS and UWA. The Database/Technology Specialist will be the connection between updating agency resources onto the software program, as well as updating those working the I&R lines with information. This person will track what the agency needs are within the community and try to connect the needs with donations. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Updates information frequently and provides uniformed copies of resources to each I&R Specialist, removing all outdated information as it occurs.

2. Creates a hard-copy Resource Manual containing, at a minimum, law enforcement, fire response, hospitals, and emergency medical service providers, transportation, Red Cross, post office, medical examiners, City/County/State/Federal information numbers, FEMA, mental health facilities and health facilities within 24 hours of arrival.

3. Updates computer database, if possible; 4. Begins data collection protocols on incoming calls. 5. Provides key word search guides to help volunteers; shares with Volunteer Manager. 6. Monitors types of calls: crisis, specific needs, lack of resources and particular communities that

need more attention. Passes information to the Operations Section Chief and Volunteer Manager and begins researching resources to meet these needs.


1. Knowledge of information and referral practices and procedures. 2. Highly developed organizational skills. 3. Must have experience in I&R resources and database management. 4. Must have general knowledge about researching and organizing community resources. 5. Knowledge of and skill in using computer software, including Microsoft Office programs, Outlook,

and database programs. 6. Skilled in operating various office equipment, particularly personal computer, calculator, facsimile,


professional manner, and able to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. 9. Ability to maintain high ethical standards and confidentiality in accordance with United Way, AIRS,

Federal and State standards and policies. 10. Able to travel for up to one week. 11. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work on a team 12. Must be flexible in a constantly changing environment. 13. High initiative and ability to work with minimal supervision. 14. Positive attitude essential.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Must be certified as a Certified Resource Specialist (CRS) through the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems. NIMS Certification, preferred. Bi-lingual, a plus. BENEFITS On-site training, housing, meals and transportation are provided.

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Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by volunteers assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. This job description may be revised at any time.

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Section IV

Incident Command System

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NIMS/ICD System Description INCIDENT COMMAND DESCRIPTION:

The 2-1-1 Emergency Coordinator position should be staffed by the DRT team

member assigned to this individual disaster. The 2-1-1 Emergency Coordinator has a GENERAL STAFF to assist in the

management of the incident. These members are: o Operations Section Chief o Planning Section Chief o Logistics Section Chief o Finance / Administration Section Chief

The 2-1-1 Emergency Coordinator has a COMMAND SUPPORT STAFF

assisting in the decision making process. These members are:

o Public Information Officer o Liaison Officer

See following page for INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE.

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Planning SectionDRT

Logistics Section DRT

Operations Section DRT

Call Center Specialists DRT/Local Volunteers

Volunteer Logistics

DRT

Emergency Resource Manager

DRT

Executive Director

Requesting Agency

Emergency Manager

Requesting Agency

Emergency Coordinator

DRT

Public Information Officer

DRT EOC Liaison

DRT

Finance Section

DRT

Volunteer Manager

DRT

Local Volunteers

Mental Health Specialists

DRT

NIMS/ICS Organization Chart For DRT

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SECTION V

Request for DRT Activation

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How To Request Activation Of the

Disaster Response Team A formal request can be made by the I&R Center for additional or replacement staffing to maintain an adequate level of service to the public when their community experiences a man-made or natural disaster of such significant magnitude that the governor declares a sate of emergency. Upon review by the DRT Leadership, a decision to mobilize a team may be granted. If an event does not rise to the level of a declared emergency, the DRT deployment will most likely be considered a mutual aid situation. All deployment is contingent on availability of financial resources and availability and utilization of state and local resources. Given that the situation is very fluid, and what is needed can change several times over a short period, the Disaster Response Team will deploy with four to eight (4-8) members who can perform a number of functions, including:

• Emergency Coordinator • Public Information Officer • EOC Liaison • Operations Section Chief • Emergency Resource Manager • Volunteer Manager • I&R Specialist • Mental Health Specialist • Logistics Section Chief • Training Coordinator

Other duties may arise once the DRT is on site and those roles can be considered and filled as necessary and appropriate.

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Application to Mobilize the DRT Name of Agency Requesting Mobilization:

Agency Mailing Address:

Contact Person: Title:

Telephone: e-mail:

Cell Phone:

Executive Director’s Name: Phone:

e-Mail address:

Agency Mailing Address:

Nature of Emergency/Impact on the I&R Service: Please detail and use additional paper if necessary.

Positions Requesting: Please check all that apply. I&R Specialist Database/Technology Specialist Volunteer Management Specialist I&R Center Management/Logistics Emergency Operations Center Assistance Mental Health Specialist Public Information Officer Training Coordinator Other:_________________________________

Additional Staffing is Needed for: Please check all that apply. Management expertise Work overload of staff Evacuation of I&R Center Adverse environmental conditions Management of volunteers Localized pandemic Other: _________________________________

What will be the anticipated environment within the I&R center and in the field?

What is your normal (non-disaster) call volume?

What is your current call volume?

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Are cell phones working: Yes No Is e-mail/internet working: Yes No

Is your I&R Center accredited? Yes No What is the anticipated length of time needed? Are there any roadblocks, flooded roadways, etc. that would prevent a team from reaching the I&R center? If so, what arrangements have been made to get responding personnel through? Staging Area and Contact Information: Address: Other personnel contact name and phone: Where will the members of the DRT be housed?

Have arrangements been made?

Should arriving DRT members rent a car? If not, who will pick them up? Who will provide transportation while they are there? Do you have a logistics person in charge? If so, what is their name and contact information? Does your state have liability insurance for volunteers that deploy during times of disaster?* * The federal Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (VPA) is the primary federal law providing individual volunteers with protection from liability. For AIRS Use Only. Request: Approved Denied Name of person reviewing request:__________________________ Names of DRT members assigned: 1. 2. 3. 4. Date of Deployment and Length of Anticipated Stay:____________________________

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Memorandum of Understanding Between

The Alliance of Information and Referral Systems And

(Insert Name of Requesting Agency) I. Purpose The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to define the working relationship between the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems’ (AIRS) Disaster Response Team (DRT) and (Name of Requesting Agency) (hereinafter referred to as Requesting Agency) in preparing for and deploying to a disaster/emergency. . II. Concept of Operations Each party to this MOU is a separate and independent organization. As such, each organization retains its own identity in providing service, and each organization is responsible for establishing its own policies and operational procedures. III. Methods of Cooperation In order that the resources of all organizations are coordinated and used to the fullest advantage, all organizations have agreed that close liaison will be maintained between AIRS and (Name of Requesting Agency) during the Disaster Response Team’s deployment and for any follow-up. It is understood that the DRT member’s home agency will pay salary/wages of the deployed DRT member. DRT members will pay their other expenses up-front and then AIRS will reimburse the member from the submission of an expense report. IV. AIRS agrees to the following:

1. To participate in planning and preparedness activities and events, to include selected staff and volunteer training for the DRT.

2. To provide oversight of the DRT member selection, training, policies, procedures, and finances.

3. Assist in maximizing resources so as to enable an effective disaster/emergency response to the Information and Referral (I&R) field.

4. Coordinate the deployment of the DRT to the Requesting Agency. 5. To the best of AIRS ability, deploy DRT members who will have the skills and

experience necessary to address the needs of the affected I&R Center. 6. Provide (name of requesting agency) with DRT member names, contact

information, arrival/flight information and skills, strengths and expertise applicable to each member.

7. Provide the expense reimbursement for deployed DRT members, such as: food, mileage to and from airport, car rental, parking and other expenses approved by AIRS.

8. Notify (name of requesting agency) of any conflicts, of any type, that may be brought to our attention during or after the DRT deployment.

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V. (Name of the Requesting Agency) agrees to:

1. Complete the Pre-deployment letter (attached) and forward to AIRS prior to DRT deployment, so that members will be familiar with the overall conditions of the situation.

2. Provide AIRS with contact information for three key staff, including e-mail , cell phone number, home phone number and other pertinent telephone numbers (e.g. number at the EOC where staff might be working), and pagers, if any.

3. Make housing/ hotel arrangements prior to deployment of the DRT member(s) and provide AIRS with the housing information (hotel name, address, phone number, etc.) to pass on to the deployment team.

4. Meet the DRT at the airport and provide transportation to the housing facility, or notify AIRS that DRT members need to rent a car, catch a shuttle, etc. (Note: If the DRT is met at the airport, then on-going transportation assistance will need to be provided throughout the deployment period).

5. Realize that DRT members are volunteers who are leaving their full-time positions to provide their expertise, and as such will be utilized to their full potential and treated with courtesy.

6. Notify AIRS immediately of any conflicts, of any type, that might occur during the DRT deployment.

VI. Miscellaneous

1. This MOU is made in the spirit of cooperation between AIRS and (name of requesting agency) and does not confer or create any right, benefit or trust responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity, by any third person or party (public or private) against either agency, its officers, or any person.

2. This memorandum of understanding does not create a partnership or a joint venture, and neither party has the authority to bind the other.

3. It is understood by all parties that all financial reimbursement will be made only to the DRT members and that no financial reimbursement will be made to the Requesting Agency.

VII. Term of Memorandum of Understanding This memorandum of understanding shall be effective on (date) and terminate on (date, six weeks later). It is understood by all parties that at any time this memorandum of understanding may be terminated by written notification from either party to the other.

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VIII. Signatures ______________________________ ____________________________ Charlene Hipes Date: CEO Alliance of Information and Referral Systems ______________________________ ____________________________ Name: Date: Title: Name of Requesting Agency:

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SECTION VI

Deployment

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Sample Pre-Deployment Letter Agency Letterhead Date Dear (Volunteer Name): Thank you for agreeing to serve as Disaster (Job Title). Please note below the dates of your assignment. We would appreciate it if you would read all of the contents of this letter and when you have completed it, e-mail (name) at (e-mail address) and acknowledge receipt of this letter and provide him/her with your arrival and departure information. Volunteer Position __________________ Dates of Service____________________ Location of Service__________________ In order to make your volunteer experience as meaningful as possible, we want to ensure you are emotionally and physically prepared for the I&R disaster environment. Working Conditions The working conditions are intense; call volume is decreasing/increasing daily. Space The site of the I&R is very crowded with over (insert number) volunteers answering calls. You must be ambulatory; the site does not meet ADA standards for accessibility. Telephones The telephone system is operating, but we are still having problems maintaining long distance connections. Resource Database The internet connection to the resource database is still sporadic; so, several times a day we have to capture our data by hand. The resources change constantly, so we have volunteer resource specialists assisting us in maintaining the data. Call Volume You can expect to be answering calls constantly. We are still experiencing an abandonment rate of approximately 25%, but we expect that to improve as more volunteers like you arrive to assist us. Staff We have a fantastic, talented staff that has been working 24/7 for five weeks, many with their own losses. We would appreciate it if you would be sensitive to the stressors they have experienced and recognize that their own sense of community keeps them coming into the I&R center each day.

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Cultural and Ethnic Communities Our community is multi-lingual with neighborhoods where English is not the primary language. We have staff and volunteers recruited that are bi-lingual, but we ask that you are sensitive to the issues of diversity in our community. Housing, Meals and Transportation Currently there are not hotel rooms available. You will be staying at a local community member’s home. You will be provided with a bed and access to a bathroom with a shower and your host will provide your daily transportation to and from the I&R center. Meals are provided daily by either the American Red Cross or one of our local disaster serving organizations. If you have special dietary needs, we may not be able to meet them. The grocery stores have limited stock and there are only a few restaurants currently operating. Please feel free to bring your own food, but keep in mind that refrigeration is not readily available. WHAT TO PACK Comfortable Clothing At this time staff are wearing what they have available, so comfortable clothing is the rule. The I&R will provide with you with several t-shirts with our logo, so you will be easily identifiable when you are in the center and in the community. It is also our understanding that you have 1) a National Disaster Response Team shirt and 2) National Disaster Response Team vest and 3) a Disaster Response Team Badge. Please bring all of these items with you, as well. Pack enough clothing for your entire stay. More than 50% of our citizens have only sporadic access to utilities and laundromats are not available. Snack Food If you prefer, you are welcome to bring your own snack foods with you. Cell Phones The local cell towers are working, but cell traffic is very heavy and it is still difficult to get a call in and out of the region. Please bring another means long-distance service for contacting your family (i.e. phone card with minutes, long-distance dialing code, etc.) Alarm Clock You will be working 8-hour shirts and we cannot guarantee your host family will have an alarm clock in every bedroom; please bring your own. Books or Other Hobbies/Interests In your ‘down’ time, you will want to have something to do that feels familiar to you. This is highly recommended as a way to manage stress. Identification Please bring your National Disaster Response Team badge and one other form of identification with you.

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Pre-deployment Packet Please bring this packet with you. Emotional Preparation You will be asked to monitor yourself for stress and fatigue. The working conditions add to the stress of managing a high volume of emotionally charged calls. You will also be monitored for stress by either a mental health professional or a peer trained in crisis incident management. These people are charged with ensuring all volunteers and staff take breaks from their duties, that they de-brief daily and have tools to manage the disaster environment. Some of the most common signs of crisis induced stress include:

• Fatigue • Irritability • Difficulty concentrating • Mistakes on the job • Emotional outburst not relative to the situation

You will receive performance appraisals daily the first three days, at the end of the first week and at the end of your deployment. If you are on loan from another I&R center and being compensated by that center, a copy of the final appraisal will be forwarded to your employer. When You Arrive You will be met at the airport by a representative of the I&R. They will have a large red sign with ‘AIRS’ on it. They will transport you to a staging site where you receive your housing assignment and an orientation to the community and the disaster. After the orientation, you will be taken to your housing site and given time to unpack. Depending on the time of your arrival, you may go directly to the disaster training site to receive instruction on how to use our telephone and resource database and receive an overview of community disaster resources. You will be partnered with a staff person or an experienced volunteer to assist you in learning the local resources. They will also be supervising you and writing your performance appraisals. Final Thoughts Thank you for agreeing to assist the I&R in this disaster. You have been selected to assist not only for your I&R experience, bur also for your flexibility, your sense of humor and your compassion. If you have questions or concerns, please contact (name) at (telephone and email address). Please let your family know that the telephone systems are working, but that emergencies and helping people locate resources are still priority. You may not be able to call them daily. Generally, the phone lines are more available late in the evening or

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in the early morning. We want you to be able to call home, but we also want you to be aware of some of the limitations. When you have read all this information, please e-mail (name and email address) and provide us with the following information:

• Full name • Where you are coming from: Name of organization, city, state • Form of transportation: air or car. If by air, please make airline reservation into

the (name of airport/city). • Date and time of arrival • Airline name and flight number, if not traveling by car • Date and time of departure • Airline name and flight number, if not traveling by car

After you send the e-mail, please follow-up with a phone call to (name and phone number) and leave a message with the same information. Because our internet and telephone systems are working below capacity right now, we want to make sure we get your information. Again, thank you for your assistance. We look forward to seeing you soon. Sincerely, ________________________________ Name Title

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National Disaster Response Team Deployment Check List

When you are notified of deployment you will have 48 hours to be on site and ready to work in disaster relief. Please use this check-list as a guide for packing. Packed Alarm Clock (battery operated) You will be working 8 – 12 hour shifts and we cannot guarantee that you will be provided with an alarm clock. Broadband Card Please bring a broadband card to access internet capabilities. Books or other hobbies/interests In your down time you will want to have something to do that feels familiar. Cash Make sure you have enough cash for your entire deployment. You may not be able to get to a bank or use debit/credit cards. Cell Phone Local cell towers may or may not be functional. Please notify your family that they may not be able to get through. Comfort Items If there are items that are hard for you to use, please bring your own. Example: pillow or blanket. Comfortable Clothing Pack enough clothing for your entire stay. Don’t forget your Disaster Response Team Shirts. Documentation Please bring all documentation needed. Airplane tickets, Itinerary, DRT Manual and forms. Agency and personal contact information. Flash Card/Jump Drive/Memory Stick Whatever you call it, bring it. ☺ Flashlight and batteries There may be an occasion when we are left in the dark. ☺ GETS Card If you have a GETS card, please bring it. This will give you priority access in making outbound calls when a telephone system is maxed out. Identification

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Please bring two forms of picture identification with you. One should be your Disaster Response Team ID. Laptop Computer Please bring your laptop computers. We may not have access to computers. LCD Projector If you have access to a LCD Projector, please bring it. It may be needed for training volunteers. Medication Remember to pack your medication and have enough for your entire time of deployment. Prescription Glasses/ Contacts Remember contact solution, glasses/contact cases. Sanitation Supplies Hand sanitizer, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, feminine supplies, body soap, shaver, brush or comb. Sense of Humor Don’t leave home without it. Snack Food Make sure you pack your favorite snack foods. This will provide a comfort during long strenuous hours.

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Disaster Response Team To-Go Kit

The Disaster Response Team Crash Kit responsibility will be assigned to a member of the Team by AIRS or United Way of America upon deployment. Item Amount Legal Pads 4 packages of 12 count for documentation Pens 4 boxes Pencils 4 boxes Stapler with staples 5 staplers and 4 boxes of staples Paper clips 3 boxes Highlighters 3 boxes Tape dispenser with tape 4 dispensers and 4 rolls Whiteout 2 bottles Sticky Notes 11 packages Scissors 5 pairs Rulers 4 Desk Clocks battery powered 3 (have local center provide for DRT when we

arrive) Whiteboards 5 (have local center provide for DRT when we

arrive) Large First Aid Kit 1 Batteries 4 packages AAA, 8 packages AA, 2 packages

C, 2 packages D, 1 package 9 Volt Phone Books 5 copies (have local center provide for DRT

when we arrive) Maps and Atlases 5 copies (have local center provide for DRT

when we arrive) Mapping Software 1 copy Documentation • Updated DRT Directory 5 copies

• DRT Emergency Operations Plan 2 copies

• Most Current List and jump disk of Emergency Resource Partners and MOU’s/MAA’s

• Volunteer Training Manual Radio • Battery Operated Disposable Cameras • 4 Packages

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SECTION VII

On-Site

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Sample Orientation Checklist The Orientation is the responsibility of the affected 2-1-1 Center. Volunteers must be oriented as quickly as possible after arrival. Welcome

___Sign Confidentiality forms ___Sign Volunteer Job Descriptions and Review Expectations ___Review Performance Appraisal Checklist ___Sign Volunteer Waiver and/or Agreements ___Provide disaster 2-1-1 identification (if needed, other than DRT badge)

Introductions and Tours

___Volunteer to the Trainer ___2-1-1 Staff Present ___Tour of the Facility

Review of Administrative Details

___Days and times of shifts ___Attendance at pre-shift/post-shift briefings and/or critical incident debriefing ___Arrival and Check-out Procedures ___Telephones

o How to answer o How to transfer o How to place on hold o Password/Log-in, if required

___Parking ___Restrooms ___Break Areas ___Meals – Where they are provided and times ___Housing Information ___Introduction to Housing Host, if possible

Materials to Review

___Mission Statement ___Summary of Disaster Conditions ___Organization’s Role in the Disaster ___Policies and Procedures ___Emergency Procedures ___Confidentiality and/or HIPAA ___Map of Community ___Map of Facility

Community Resources and/or Resource Database

___Required Demographics from Callers ___Required Data Regarding Needs ___Required Data Regarding Unmet Needs

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___Required Data Regarding Referrals ___Missing Person’s Reports ___Gifts/Donations ___How Rapidly Changing Resources are Managed ___How Data is Used (Why it is important to capture) _________________________________ __________________________ Signature of Trainer Signature of Volunteer

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Emergency Coordinator Checklist

(Check off each item as completed) ______ Assess the level of disaster based on the best information

available.

______ Report assessment to DRT, make decision to deploy.

______ Write Incident Action Plan, deciding what positions are needed and who will fill positions.

______ Identify self to the staff as Emergency Coordinator and call to

action DRT members that are needed and in what capacity they will be needed.

______ Create Disaster Response Team schedule with contact cell phone

information. ______ Gather and brief DRT; schedule daily briefings. ______ Report to the requesting agency with any legal ramifications and

liabilities. ______ Establish liaisons with City, County, State, FEMA and other

agencies. ______ Evaluate progress of emergency efforts. ______ Approve requests for purchasing and release of resources include

requesting agency in process. ______ Authorize release of information to the public through the Public

Information Officer - include requesting agency. ______ Check MOU agreements with other agencies and services. ______ Check with appropriate entities for updated information on

potential cost reimbursements. ______ If additional aid assistance is needed, determine availability of

immediate staffing, number of relief personnel and special equipment.

______ Establish contact with City and County Emergency Managers.

Inform them that the Disaster Response Team is mobilizing and the estimated time for responding – include requesting agency.

______ Establish contact with City and/or County Dispatch 9-1-1 centers.

Inform them that the Disaster Response Team is mobilizing and the estimated time for responding – include requesting agency

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______ Work with Resource Coordinator to identify shelters, detours/road

closures and other information to prevent further injury due to exposure to danger. Brief Planning Section Chief.

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Public Information Officer Checklist

(Check off each item as completed)

______ Scan various media for information about the situation and about potential resources. All information taken from broadcast must be given to Emergency Coordinator for verification before passed onto Operations Section.

______ Coordinate with City/County Public Information Officer’s to ensure

consistent messaging – include requesting agency.

______ Be prepared to be present at the City/County Joint Information Center and relay information back to the Emergency Coordinator.

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Liaison Officer Checklist


______ Devise a disaster activity log that records the agency’s disaster activities. This log is the basis for the After Incident Report, potential PR materials, and for a defense in a liability action.

- meetings held at the agency - phone conversations from outside agencies in which requests are made

or agreements about disaster work are reached - actions initiated by management and staff

_____ Collect, evaluate, disseminate information about current agency operations.

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Operations Section Chief Checklist


______ Develop a plan for call specialists to report in for availability, as well as a way to find out status of reporting for duty.

______ Assess the situation, define the problems and establish priorities. ______ Develop a list of needed supplies and resources to continue operations,

meet with Emergency Coordinator with those needs.

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Emergency Resource Manager Checklist


_____ Oversee all information and referrals. Update information frequently and have uniformed copies at each station; remove all outdated information as it occurs.

______ Create a hard copy Resources Manual containing, at a minimum, law

enforcement, fire, hospitals, emergency medical service providers, transportation, Red Cross, post office, medical examiners, City/ County/State/Federal information numbers, Mental health and Health facilities. Present the Resources Manual within 12 hours.

_____ Update computer database. _____ Provide key word or taxonomy search guides to help volunteers, share

with Volunteer Manager.

______ Monitor types of calls: crisis, particular communities that need more attention, specific needs, lack of resources; pass information to the Operations Section Chief and Volunteer Manager.

______ Monitor call stats, number of calls; pass information to the Operations

Section Chief and Volunteer Manager. ______ Establish communications with agency service providers (program

managers) and get a status report of various programs affected by the emergency.

_____ Ask the agencies what resources they need: food, clothing,

transportation, volunteers. Pass information to the Operations Section Chief & Volunteer Manager.

_____ Determine which agencies would be able to receive truckloads of

donation/supplies. Get the address, phone number and contact person for these locations. Share information with Operations Section Chief and Volunteer Manager.

_____ Determine if there are areas in the region where telephone service is

disrupted, making transferring calls impossible.

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Volunteer Resources Manager Checklist


_____ Determine roles and skills sets needed for: Crisis Counselors, I&R Specialists, Resource Confirmation, Donor Match. Begin recruiting volunteers with those skills sets by working with the Volunteer Resource Center.

_____ Give a tour of the facility where volunteers will be working (bathrooms,

kitchen) routines, etc.

_____ Provide daily briefing to volunteers with key updates on resources and key words.

_____ Create a ticker board with updates during the shift, including daily shift messages. _____ Use positive messaging to keep volunteer moral high. (Avoid DO NOT GIVE or DON’T). _____ Give call stats to volunteers daily.

_____ Train volunteers how to access all pertinent information. _____ Recruit a team to collect volunteer/ donor information. Make sure all

volunteers answering calls are collecting pertinent information regarding volunteers/ donors and pass the information to this team.

_____ Determine language skills of volunteers and disperse accordingly. _____ Put together an information/appreciation board. This board should

include:

Schedules Photos A request section (snacks, beverages) Locations of area stores (restaurants, pharmacy, drug stores, hot

spots for leisure) Locations of banks and/or ATMs Thank yous Recognition of when a difficult situation was handled Debriefing and counseling opportunities

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Planning Section Chief Checklist


______ Along with Emergency Resource Manager, develop a display of

information for the command center.

______ Determine the resources (services, people, supplies) needed to follow through with agency services (or agency emergency plan).

______ Determine the need and if necessary, arrange for staff and volunteer child

care. ______ Collect documentation from all Units for proper archiving.

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Logistics Section Chief Checklist


______ Set up housing for out of town volunteers.

______ Determine if a back up generator is needed. ______ Keep the website updated with links to disaster related resources. ______ Research the missing person’s registry website. Have it available at all

work stations for quick usage. ______ Establish work stations with Microsoft programs for out of town volunteers

to do their own work and check their email

______ Have first aid supplies in the office including band-aids, Tylenol, Advil, feminine items, bug spray, nail clippers, disinfectant wipes, etc.

______ Develop a menu calendar to feed all volunteers. _____ Develop transportation needs for food. _____ If volunteers are needed for making meals, coordinate with the Volunteer

Resource Center to recruit food volunteers. _____ Call and confirm with volunteer the day before meals are to be served to

be sure they are still providing the meal. Post the schedule and menu for the week on a corkboard.

_____ ID ingredients, if possible, to reduce risk of food allergies and instruct

volunteers to alert you of any current food allergies. _____ Set up snacks and beverages (remember healthy snacks). _____ Provide all receipts to the Finance Section Chief. ______ Have special office supplies ready including clocks, erasable poster

paper, maps, a functioning TV, etc. ______ Make sure all workstations have the proper supplies including file folders,

phones with headsets, and basic office supplies (pens, paper, sticky notes, disinfectant wipes).

______ Work with the Volunteer Resource Center with the number of volunteers

needed to perform transportation needs. ______ Secure contact names and cell phone/pager information for building

(maintenance) personnel.

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______ Establish a transportation route and calendar to transport food from restaurants to call center.

______ Establish how many volunteers are needed to provide transportation for

out-of-town volunteers to and from hotels to the call center. ______ Ensure that staff has necessary documents and that all documents are

kept archived and organized completely – sign in logs, action plans, photos, press releases, messages, etc.

______ Review preliminary situation reports and initial damage assessment and

update general staff on the findings. ______ Evaluate progress of emergency efforts every 4, 8 and 24 hours.

______ Oversee sanitation, maintenance, lighting and clean up.

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Finance Section Chief Checklist


______ Gather preliminary cost estimates, preliminary damage estimates, budgetary impact, when possible, and brief DRT.

______ Contact United Way of America for information on Cost Recovery

Guidelines. ______ Create an accounting system for all emergency related expenditures. ______ Evaluate possibility of reimbursement for operational expenses. ______ Forward all reports to the Planning Section for archiving processes. ______ Attend the Disaster Site’s briefing to seek information about public

assistance or grant programs being made available through the state or FEMA.

______ Develop a cost recovery plan to be activated in the event of an

emergency. The plan will include the formula for computing emergency-related expenses and forms to be used to capture accurate cost figures.

______ Document loss or damages thoroughly, including narrative and photos,

before any clean-up is done.

______ Detail all overtime worked (exact hours), where and what service was provided during these hours.

______ Detail all payroll, transportation and per diem information for any loaned

staff received through mutual aid.

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Self-Care Tips

• Accept what you cannot change (the Chain of Command, organizational structure, waiting, equipment failures, lack of equipment, etc.)

• Pace yourself; take frequent breaks.

• Establish a ‘buddy system’ to watch out for each other. • Eat regularly. Avoid sugar, high fat foods and caffeine.

• Get as much sleep as possible.

• Talk to people when you have time or feel like it. • Give yourself permission to feel bad; you are in a difficult situation. Recurring

thoughts, dreams, or flashbacks are normal. • Communicate with your primary social supports as frequently as possible.

• Adhere to the team schedule and rotation. • Establish routine activities, such as regular meals, rest breaks, washing,

sleeping. • Limit on-duty work hours to no more than 8 hours per day. • Make work rotations from high-stress to lower-stress functions as often as

possible.

• Recognize and heed early warning signs for stress reactions. • Drink plenty of fluids, such as water and juices. Avoid over use of alcohol,

tobacco, caffeine and drugs. • Keep a positive frame of mind. Although you’re in a serious situation, you can

still look for the hope and the good in the situation.

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Sample Performance Appraisal The performance checklist should correspond with the job description and training checklist. Name:_________________________________ Date:___________________ Job Assignment:_________________________________________________

Job Tasks Good Average Poor N/A Comments Answers calls promptly Demonstrates professionalism with the caller

Uses database/ resources effectively

Demonstrates skills in managing callers

Collects appropriate demographic data

Uses resource data correctly

Understands the scope of the disaster

Demonstrates ability to manage volunteers

Able to research and gather data

Other Policies & Procedures Maintains confidentiality Signs-in/out daily Reports on time for shift Other Interpersonal Skills Works well with others Communicates effectively Demonstrates flexibility and positive attitude

Manages emotional and physical needs during work shift

Is organized and able to multi-task

Participates in de-briefing Other

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SECTION VIII

Exiting the Disaster Site

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Sample Exit Interview

This form should capture information regarding the entire experience. Please mark the response that best describes your experience. RECRUITMENT AND PRE-DEPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT Question Yes No N/A Comment Was the job described the one to which you were assigned?

Did the organization provide you with information to prepare you for the experience?

Was the organization prepared for your arrival?

Did you receive housing, meals, transportation and other important information and assistance?

ORIENTATION AND TRAINING Question Yes No N/A Comments Did you receive an orientation to the organization?

Did the organization provide you with the tools to complete your work daily?

Did the training assist you in completing your daily work?

SUPERVISION AND SUPPORT Question Yes No N/A Comments Was supervision available to you throughout your work?

Did you receive supportive information regarding your performance?

Was debriefing available to you on a regular basis?

Were you offered additional services? Were you furnished the resources necessary to perform your duties?

Please provide us with information that you think would assist us in improving our disaster work. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I worked at the 2-1-1 as: I&R Specialist Resource Specialist IT Specialist Mental Health Specialist Volunteer Manager Other_____________ I was at the 2-1-1 site for: 0-3 days 3-7 days 8-14 days 14-28 days More than 28 days

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DAYS, SERVICE AND THE WORK YOU PERFORMED!

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SECTION IX

Post Disaster

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Post Disaster Checklist Volunteers ___Take 1-3 days off before resuming normal work schedule, if possible ___Submit copy of exit interview to AIRS ___Submit expenses to AIRS/UWA ___Make notes on any after thoughts (or recommendations) for later discussion with

AIRS/UWA AIRS/UWA ___Follow-up with volunteers to ensure their safe return home ___Discuss exit interview with volunteer(s) ___Follow-up with 2-1-1 disaster site – seek recommendations for improvement I&R Disaster Site ___Send thank you letter to lending agency who allowed their staff to volunteer ___Schedule monthly debriefings with staff and volunteers for the next three months ___Follow-up with AIRS/UWA with recommendations for future disaster practices

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Disaster Response Team Deployment Evaluation

AIRS/UWA DRT will utilize this evaluation to improve our system for deploying and providing disaster services. Your comments and concerns are greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!! Name: __________________________________________________________________ Incident deployed to: ____________________________________________________ Deployment dates: From: ________________________ To: ____________________ Organization: ___________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________ State: _________________ Zip Code: ________________ Work Telephone: __________________ Home Telephone: ___________________ Cell phone: ______________________ Email Address: ______________________ Please rate the following questions using the below listed rating scale: 1= Strongly agree 2= Agree 3= Not sure 4= Disagree 5= Strongly disagree Deployment: 1 2 3 4 5 Method used to contact you to deploy worked well.

1 2 3 4 5 Response time to confirm your deployment was reasonable.

1 2 3 4 5 Arrangements for scheduling airfare and other expenses were clearly

defined.

1 2 3 4 5 Information on how and where to report upon arrival was clear.

Other Comments Regarding the Deployment Process: Disaster Call Center: 1 2 3 4 5 Duty or duties assigned to you were clear.

1 2 3 4 5 Duty or duties assigned to you matched your skill set.

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1 2 3 4 5 Hours worked met what was explained prior to deployment.

Disaster Call Center continued: 1 2 3 4 5 The DRT met the needs of the organization.

1 2 3 4 5 Communication within the team was open.

1 2 3 4 5 Communication with the effected organization was clear.

1 2 3 4 5 Chain of command within the team was clear.

1 2 3 4 5 Chain of command within the effected organization was clear.

1 2 3 4 5 Training within team was effective.

1 2 3 4 5 Training within effected organization was effective.

1 2 3 4 5 Team members took breaks during the day.

1 2 3 4 5 Food and snacks met my dietary needs.

1 2 3 4 5 Team discussed concerns and improvement strategies.

1 2 3 4 5 Team had a chance to debrief, nightly.

1 2 3 4 5 I would deploy again with the DRT if given the opportunity.

Other Comments regarding the Call Center:

List 3 DRT accomplishments: List 3 challenges for the team: Overall Comments:

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Sample Thank You Letter to Lending Agency Date Executive Director Agency Name Address City, State, Zip Dear___________ Thank you for supporting (your agency name) during the (disaster name) disaster. The I&R center was a key conduit for linking victims of the storm to the resources the community provided for recovery. Your staff, (staff name(s) managed over xxxxx calls in the xxxx days they worked on the phones. They became an integral part of the I&R Recovery team. While they were at the I&R center, they were monitored for disaster related stress. Our supervisors will continue to follow-up with them and all the staff who were loaned to our organization for the next few months. We would appreciate your support in encouraging them to call in monthly for debriefing and to touch base with the individuals they came to know so well while they were in (city, state). These calls will take approximately 45 minutes and are scheduled as close to the lunchtime hour as possible. The date and time for the next call is below:

Date Time Call-in Number As a contributing partner, we also maintained performance records on your employee. They received a (exemplary, good, average, etc.) performance appraisal and final appraisal. If you would like to receive copies of these, please have your employee sign the attached release and we will be happy to share the information with you. If you have questions about our follow-up process or anything related to the volunteer program, please do not hesitate to contact me at: (telephone and email address). Again, we are grateful for your response to our request for assistance and for allowing your employee to be a part of our emergency response. Without you, we would not have been able to assist the thousands of victims needing resources. Sincerely, Executive Director/CEO

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Sample Release of Records

I __________________________, authorize the release of all performance appraisals Your Name conducted on my behalf during my volunteer time at __________________________. Name of I&R Disaster Site These records will be mailed in an enveloped marked, “Confidential” directly to my supervisor, named below: Supervisor Name Mailing Address _____________________________ ___________________________ Print Name Date

_____________________________ Signature

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AIRS EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT POLICY Business related expenses of employees/volunteers traveling and other expenses incurred are reimbursable by the organization under the following policies and procedures. While every effort has been made to address a wide range of circumstances and appropriate behavior, no set of policies and procedures can cover all events and contingencies. Ultimately, the faithful execution of the intent of these policies depends upon the sense of responsibilities and the personal integrity of the staff and volunteers in ensuring the appropriate and economical use of AIRS funds and the accurate, timely accounting of expenses. Staff/volunteers are expected to conduct AIRS business with integrity, in compliance with applicable laws and in a manner that excludes consideration of personal advantage. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Chief Operating Officer and/or the Board President or Treasurer. The policies relating to meals and travel are also applicable to Consultants, and this information should be included with any contract. AMERICAN EXPRESS CORPORATE CARDS: AIRS will provide, as required, American Express cards for staff/volunteers who are required to travel. By way of guidance, the need should be an ongoing and frequent one, not simply a one time use or one trip annually. AIRS will pay the annual fee for the American Express Corporate cards.

The American Express card is to be used for travel-related business expenses only; the card must not be used for personal items.

Receipts for all charges must be submitted to the AIRS Accounting Manager (STAT) upon reconciliation of the American Express bill.

The card must be surrendered two weeks prior to the time the employee leaves the organization.

AIR AND TRAIN TRAVEL: In order to obtain the most favorable fare, trips should be planned as far in advance as possible. You are required to travel coach class but business class is acceptable for lengthy international trips with pre-approval. It is acceptable to upgrade from coach at your own expense (certificates/reward miles, etc.). AIRS does not require the remittance to the corporation of frequent flyer miles. However, staff/volunteers should not deliberately patronize a single airline to accumulate frequent flyer miles if less expensive comparable tickets are available on another airline. LODGING:

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Comfortable but moderately priced lodging should be used whenever possible. Expensive hotels should be avoided whenever possible. Only charges for the hotel room and tax should be charged. Movies and gym fees are not reimbursable. The traveler has the responsibility to ensure that hotel reservations are canceled when a trip is canceled or when there has been a change in date or hotel. Failure to do so will result in a "no-show" charge from the Hotel and these fees must be paid by the staff/volunteer. MEALS: AIRS will reimburse you for the reasonable actual cost of your meals while you are traveling on AIRS business. Alcohol will not be reimbursed for personal meals. An itemized meal receipt must accompany your expense report. LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: The most economical means of local transportation should be used, consistent with time constraints, number of people traveling together, and safety considerations. A compact sized car must be rented when traveling on AIRS business unless three or more employees are traveling together, or unless the employee is transporting equipment and supplies which warrant the use of a larger vehicle. The final itemized folio for the car rental must accompany your expense report. Many major hotels in Metropolitan areas provide free shuttle services to and from the airport. If this service is not provided, you should check on airport bus service to hotels. Taxis may also be used when they prove more cost effective than other means of transportation. Limousine service should be used only when it is clearly the least expensive means of transportation. LAUNDRY, DRY CLEANING AND OTHER EXPENSE: Laundry and dry cleaning expenses will be reimbursed while traveling on company business only when trips last longer than three (3) working days. Toiletries and similar items are not allowed expenses. MILEAGE AND PARKING: Mileage for business use of personal vehicles will be reimbursed at the rate published in the U.S. Government Federal Register. Mileage is reimbursed to and from your destination with the exception of a normal workday, wherein on that day reimbursement will be made for mileage in excess of daily commuting miles. Personal vehicles should be used only when it is the most economical means of travel, which usually would exclude long inter-city trips. Mileage will be reimbursed when using your personal car for trips that would otherwise be made by air, but the total mileage reimbursement will not exceed the lowest available round trip coach airfare for the same destination. Traveler must supply documentation to support what the airfare would have been at that time. Parking fees and tolls incurred by employees traveling on company business will be reimbursed. Employees/volunteers must use long-term parking lots at airports when parking for more than four hours.

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Parking tickets and other traffic violations are the responsibility of the employee and will not be reimbursed. BUSINESS MEALS/REFRESHMENTS FOR GUESTS: On occasion, it is appropriate to host guests at meals. This must be for specific business reasons and conducted in a manner that reflects the proper image of AIRS as a charitable organization. Participants should be predominately guests and include only those necessary to support the business purpose of the occasion. Refreshments, lunch, etc., provided for an on-site meeting are allowable. CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND MEMBERSHIP FEES: Conference registration fees are appropriate expense charges if the employee/volunteer has been assigned to attend a conference. Membership fees may also be appropriate. BILLING OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS: An employee may incur business travel expenses, which will be reimbursed by an outside organization. In these cases, the preference is to have the outside organization directly pay the expense. MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES: There may be other miscellaneous expenses not specifically covered under other policy statements, which could be allowable expenses under certain circumstances. In all cases, the criteria should always be, was a necessary expense incurred to further the business interest of AIRS, or was an extraordinary situation, which arose while conducting business for AIRS. RECEIPTS: Receipts are requested for all travel expenses if possible. However, a receipt must be provided to support any travel expense in excess of $25. Receipts are required for all non-travel related expenses such as office supplies, copies, postage, etc.

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Expense Reimbursement Form

**PLEASE NOTE: Original Receipts are Required!** Reimbursable Expenses Related to DRT Deployment Name of DRT Member: Who Should the check be made out to: Address Where Check Should Be Mailed:

Date Item Amount

TOTAL $0.00 Submit to: AIRS/UWA Disaster Response Team Charlene Hipes PO Box 33095 Portland, OR 97292 Fax 503/251-8383

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Questions? [email protected] * Please mail with original receipts.

SECTION X

Appendices

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Acronyms Appendix A

AIRS — Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, a membership organization that provides professional training, accreditation and certification for 2-1-1 centers, helplines and information and referral centers, as well as specialized I&R centers throughout the world. ARC — American Red Cross, a disaster response and service agency. ARES – Amateur Radio Emergency Service - A regional network of amateur radio operators, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. Similar to the Federal Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES). CAN — Coordinated Assistance Network works with the disaster sector to support an enhanced overall system of disaster relief in America. CAP – Civil Air Patrol - An auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force that has volunteered its services to conduct various emergency services missions. These missions are mainly the use of light aircraft in search and rescue, civil defense and disaster relief operations. CNCS — Corporation for National and Community Services, a non-profit organization that provides oversight and support for federally funded volunteer management programs such as AmeriCorps and Citizens Corps. DHS — Department of Homeland Security, the agency responsible for managing domestic incidents and disasters in the United States. EOC — Emergency Operations Centers, management stations created in disaster areas. They may be managed by FEMA if they encompass an area that has been federally declared a disaster. They are the one-stop center for citizens to access the federally available assistance. In some disaster areas, 2-1-1 representatives have been asked to be available to provide I&R to citizens on a walk-in basis. FEMA — Federal Emergency Management Agency, a part of the Department of Homeland Security. HSPD — Homeland Security Presidential Directives, the presidential decision that created the Department of Homeland Security and the related mandates for how government incident management would be structured.

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ICS — Incident Command System, a command structure mandated by the federal law for government agencies preparing for disaster response. I&R — Information and Referral, the act of linking persons in need to information and/or resources to meet the need. NENA — National Emergency Number Association, membership organization comprised primarily of 9-1-1 centers. NIMS — National Incident Management System, the federal mandate outlining how government agencies should respond to disasters (incident) in order to be reimbursed for allowable expenses. NVCN — National Volunteer Center Network, a membership organization comprised of Volunteer Centers throughout the USA. NOAA - NOAA Weather Radio - broadcast system that furnishes continuous weather messages around the clock on dedicated very high frequencies. It is a part of the warning system managed by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration NVOAD — National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters is a national coalition of secular and faith-based organizations that have clearly defined disaster missions and inter-organizational agreements defining how they will work together. There are local VOADs in many communities that are affiliated with NVOAD. RACES – Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services - An emergency service, authorized by the Federal government, designed to make efficient use of radio amateurs, and in accordance with approved civil defense communication plans. 2-1-1 — the three-digit dialing number assigned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and used by communities to access information and referrals on health and human service resources. UWA — United Way of America is a membership organization that provides support and services to the local and state United Ways throughout the United States. Many United Ways support and host 2-1-1 centers locally and regionally. Additional disaster terms can be found at: www.fema.gov.

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Disaster Preparedness Tools Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) has a series of documents posted on their website including Business Contingency Plans, template for an I&R Emergency Plan, and sample Memorandums of Understanding. For more information go to: www.airs.org. Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) ABCs off I&R has training on disasters for I&R Specialists and Resource Specialists. For more information go to: www.airs.org. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have links to fact sheets on illnesses, as well as information on how to prevent diseases from spreading. For more information go to: www.cdc.gov. Corporation for National and Community Services (CNCS) has an Effective Practices Collections specific to managing volunteers during disaster. The series can be found at: www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index. The Department of Homeland Security has a website that features disaster preparedness materials for families, kids and for businesses. The site is useful for staff and volunteers who need to create a disaster response plan for their home or for 2-1-1s looking to start business continuity plans. The site is: www.ready.gov. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an online training series which includes a section called Developing and Managing Volunteers. For more information go to: www.fema.gov/emi. Lutheran Disaster Response has developed a volunteer toolkit for their faith-based disaster response teams. For more information go to: www.ldr.org. National Human Services Assembly has produced a white paper outlining the need for systems to be in place to manager disaster volunteers called From Research to Action. For more information go to: www.nassembly.org. National Voluntary Organizations Assisting in Disasters (NVOAD) Volunteer Management Committee developed a white paper in 2003 called Managing Spontaneous Volunteers in Times of Disaster: The Synergy of Structure and Good Intentions. For more information go to: www.nvoad.org. The National Weather Service lists weather conditions, watches and warnings by location. For more information go to: www.nws.noaa.gov. The federal government now mandates that local, regional, state, tribal and federal government entities organize their disaster management response through an Incident Command System (ICS). For more information on the ICS, go to: www.fema.gov/NIMS.

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United Way of America has developed disaster preparedness tools for 2-1-1 centers. Those tools are available through the United Way of America 2-1-1 staff. They can be reached at: 1.800.892.2757, Ext. 211.

SECTION XI

Related News Articles

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American Red Cross Disaster Operations Report Monday 04/13/09 – 2:00 pm

*** General Guidelines for Using This Report ***

• This information is provided to you for use as a Red Cross partner agency. Please do

not share this report outside of your organization or with the general public. • Any official request for additional information or clarification (such as press inquiries,

service delivery coordination, etc.) should be directed to the proper contact at Red Cross national headquarters.

• The service delivery numbers presented in the report may lag the actual situation on the ground due to reporting times and processing of information. Please call if you have questions regarding particular data items.

*** Request to Partners ***

The Red Cross is always interested in feedback from your field units. Identification of underserved areas, special population needs, opportunities for improved cooperation in service delivery, or any other issues that we can work on together are very useful in ensuring community needs are being met. Please also provide local contacts for your organization so that we can put them in touch with the local Red Cross representatives. Please contact the Partner Services group with these comments and suggestions. Various contact points are provided throughout this document, and you can always ensure a Partner Services contact at Red Cross National Headquarters is notified by sending e-mails to [email protected] or calling 202-303-4026.

Event Locations Impacted

Red Cross Response

Alabama – Tornado A tornado that affected Marshall, Jackson, and DeKalb Counties caused damages to several communities on Saturday.

• Madison-Marshall Chapter, Huntsville, AL;

• DeKalb County Chapter, Ft. Payne, AL

The chapter • deployed a Disaster Action Team

(DAT) • coordinating with county agencies • provided support to victims in the

affected area.

Arkansas – Tornadoes A tornado that touched down in Polk County knocked out power to residents and damaged structures on

• ARC of Greater Arkansas, Little Rock, AR;

• Ouachita Area

The chapter • deployed a Disaster Action Team

(DAT) • placed Emergency Response

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Red Cross Response

Thursday. Chapter, Hot Springs, AR

Vehicles (ERV’s) on standby.

Florida – Floods Flooding affected several localities in Florida from the central areas of the state to the northwest areas.

• Capital Area Chapter, Tallahassee, FL

• Central Panhandle Chapter, Panama City, FL

• Northwest Florida Chapter, Pensacola, FL

• North Central Florida Chapter, Jasper, FL

The chapters • opened shelters as needed • provided over 4,000 meals • provided mobile feeding • provided clean-up kits and other

bulk distribution items • provided meals to emergency

workers • sent out damage assessment

teams.

Georgia – Floods A levee failed in Albany yesterday flooding a neighborhood.

• Southwest Georgia Chapter, Albany, GA

The chapter • opened a shelter • is meeting with the local

emergency management.

Georgia – Tornadoes There were four tornadoes that swept across Pickens, Chattahoochee, Hancock, Richmond, Columbia, Burke and Sumter Counties that destroyed homes, affected several others and left thousands of residents without power on Friday and Saturday.

• Central Georgia, Macon, GA;

• Middle Flint Chapter, Americus, GA

• Augusta Chapter, Augusta, GA

The chapters • deployed Disaster Action Teams

(DAT), • provided canteen services to

hundreds of residents in the affected area

• gave Individual Assistance (IA) to disaster victims.

North Dakota - Floods A major Levee breach prompted the evacuation of dozens of affected area residents in Barnes County on Sunday.

• Minn-Kota, Fargo, ND

The Chapter • opened a shelter • provided canteen services to the

evacuees.

Oklahoma - Wildfires Numerous wildfires, fanned by hurricane force winds are estimated to have damaged or destroyed over 100 homes throughout western Oklahoma on Thursday. Dozens of injuries were reported.

• ARC of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK;

• North Central Oklahoma, Stillwater, OK;

• Cimarron Valley, Enid, OK;

• ARC of South Central Oklahoma, Ardmore, OK;

• Heart of Oklahoma, Norman, OK;

• Logan County Chapter Guthrie,

The Chapters • provided Mass Care (MC) to

emergency responders and affected area residents throughout the state,

• opened a shelter • placed other shelters on standby,

and • supported several community

shelters.

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Red Cross Response

OK; • West-Central

Oklahoma Chapter, Elk City, OK

South Carolina – Tornadoes Severe storms, which included some tornadoes, destroyed or caused major damage to scores of homes and left many area residents without power between Friday and Saturday.

• ARC of Upstate South Carolina, Greenville, SC;

• ARC of Central South Carolina, Columbia, SC;

• Aiken County Chapter, Aiken, SC

The Chapter • deployed a Disaster Action Team • opened 3 shelters, • provided Mass Care (MC), Health

Services (HS) and Mental Health (MH) assistance and

• offered Individual Assistance to tornado victims.

Tennessee – Tornadoes Dozens of homes were destroyed when several tornadoes touched down in Rutherford, Benton, and Sumner Counties on Friday. Deaths and many injuries were reported.

• Nashville Area, Nashville, TN;

• Heart of Tennessee Chapter, Murfreesboro, TN

• Mid South Chapter, Memphis, TN;

• Benton County Chapter, Camden, TN

The chapter • opened a shelter, • deployed two Emergency

Response Vehicles (ERV’s) • provided Mass Care • has two mobile feeding routes • supplied bulk distribution (comfort

kits, cleanup kits) to residents in the affected area.

Texas – Wildfires Several Wildfires burned over 600 acres, damaged homes and prompted the evacuations of thousands of local area residents within the north central portion of the state on Thursday.

• Dallas Area, Dallas, TX;

• Chisholm Trail, Fort Worth, TX;

• ARC of North Central Texas, Wichita Falls, TX;

• Heart of Texas, Waco, TX

The Chapters • provided canteen services to

emergency responders, • staffed evacuation and command

centers and • deployed an ERV.

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2-1-1 Disaster Response Team – 2007 California Wildfire Response

Beginning on Sunday, October 21, 2007, San Diego County was hit by 7 separate fires that by the time they were contained had caused 10 deaths and 112 injuries, consumed 369,000 acres and destroyed about 1,600 homes, 800 outbuildings, 253 structures, 239 vehicles and two commercial properties, according to the county's report.

More than 6,200 fire personnel fought to control the wildfires at an estimated cost of $41.3 million. About 515,000 county residents were asked to abandon their homes during the October firestorms, the largest single fire evacuation in the nation's history.

Leadership Overview: Larry Olness On October 24, 2007 I, in my role as AIRS Disaster Co-Chair placed an call to San Diego 2-1-1 followed up by email asking for an update to their wildfire response and if they needed assistance. Over the next hours numerous phone calls were exchanged with the end result being a formal request for deployment of the DRT. Additionally, a specific request was made for five Information and Referral Specialists and three Resource Specialists. Charlene Hipes, Chief Operation Officer, for the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, Inc. (AIRS) immediately sent out the following announcement to the DRT:

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Subject: URGENT: THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE: WE NEED YOU! AIRS Disaster Response Team and Disaster Committee - 2-1-1 San Diego is looking for help. We need trained I&R and Resource Specialists that could deploy immediately for up to 1 week. We are working on the logistics, but we will probably be able to cover the hotel costs up front, but you will need to cover your flight and meals and then get reimbursed. Please let me know ASAP of your availability and I will confirm the details as we work them out with those that are able to deploy. I notified Lynn Pharr, Disaster Manager, United Way of America, (UWA) of the deployment request and asked about funding from UWA to assist with costs. Lynn made an inquiry to Brian Gallagher, CEO, UWA and was able to commit up to Twenty Five Thousand. ($25,000); Charlene Hipes contacted AIRS President Jamie Moore with a similar funding request and was able to receive a commitment for Thirty Thousand Dollars. ($30,000) Activities: Describe activities and services you performed and the location and conditions under which you worked: My role was to coordinate with the Agency requesting deployment. I served as a contact point with Charlene regarding DRT Member deployment. I screened potential additional volunteer responders. I acted as a conduit between the DRT and other requesting agencies in CA. Additionally, I responded on-site to observe and assist as needed. I performed these roles from a variety of locations including from my office ad home in Orlando, at the UWA in Alexandria, VA, at various airports and from San Diego, CA. The problems encountered were not related to location conditions; rather they had to do with the challenges related to travel and location. It was difficult to be responsive and informed while being out of contact for hours at a time, having to work from a PDA and playing phone tag. Coordination: Describe coordination procedures and any examples of jurisdictional considerations or problems: The procedures for contacting the DRT were laid out in the plan but did not hold up. Numerous parties (San Diego, L.A., other Cities) reached out to various parties (UWA, 2-1-1, AIRS) expecting that their requests for assistance were being responded in a timely fashion. There was not a clearly defined role for the DRT once deployed that addressed leadership role within the host agency. Personnel: Describe site supervision including administrative structure, communication, appropriateness of assigned duties, accountability, duty schedules and crew rest, objectives, and staff meetings: The administrative structure was not clearly defined. Members of the DRT were included and excluded from Leadership meetings. Although a Disaster organizational structure existed at times questions arose as to who was making decisions. The DRT members were selected and deployed based upon identified and requested skill sets. As the situation evolved members were called upon to assume other roles. Logistics: Housing, food, transportation, expenses, distinctive clothing, communications equipment: The DRT members were housed at a hotel a few miles from the worksite. Two vans were rented to shuttle individuals back and forth between the two.

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DRT Members were previously supplied with distinctive shirts. The duration of the deployment necessitated wearing of other items. Additional volunteers were deployed that did not have the DRT apparel. As previously mentioned when the initial deployment call went out no funds were identified. The hotel expenses were covered by AIRS. Flights and meal expenses were on a reimbursable basis. The host agency provided food throughout the event. Briefing/Debriefing: Adequacy of information, directions, guidance given prior to assignment and effectiveness of exit interviews; The decision to deploy sporadically to and from the site resulted in different levels of information sharing and exit interviews. Significant or Unusual Factors: Events, issues, conditions, needs, or personnel that had influence on performance, perspective, or effectiveness: A number of individuals who were not members of the DRT were deployed on behalf of the DRT including into single volunteer sites. Recommendations for Future Study or Actions: Feedback to improve training, activation, coordination, utilization, logistics, debriefing, for future disasters: Memorandum of Understanding between DRT and host Agency Deploy as team Defined Entry/Exit Strategy Passionate Concerns: Experience that left lasting impact that must be addressed, changed, prepared for, or removed from future disaster response: I am impressed by the caliber and dedication of the DRT members and the volunteers from the field who volunteered. I am equally impressed by the way San Diego was able to respond challenges the fire presented.

History of Disaster Response Team

In 2005, call for 2-1-1 and I&R professionals across country, 170 were deployed to

Monroe, LA: Houston, TX: and Jackson, MS with no formal screening or deployment process

United Way of America (UWA) commissioned two after action reports on activities in the Gulf Coast Area. Both identified need to have an established disaster response team in place to respond to a disaster with specialized training including technical, physical and emotional aspects of disaster.

UWA National Professional Council (NPC) made recommendation during December 2005 meeting to establish 2-1-1 Disaster Response Team to respond and to establish guidelines for responding.

AIRS Board approves recommendation of Disaster Committee to explore “Disaster Response Team” approach to disasters in November 2005.

UWA and AIRS form partnership in April 2006 to jointly develop, recruit for, train and manage 2-1-1 Disaster Response Team. News of creation and recruitment of

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potential team members is announced at UWA’s Community Leader’s Conference in May 2006 and with AIRS affiliates at the AIRS Training Conference in June 2006. Additional announcements made at State conferences throughout the year

Over 50 applications have been submitted in addition to numerous inquiries. Team meets in Dallas, TX to receive Critical Incident Stress Management Training

on April 13, 14 Members of team deploy to San Diego, CA Oct to Nov.

Plan Assumptions

Disaster Operations are different than daily operations Not all skill sets are present in a call center Disasters can occur anywhere Disasters vary in magnitude Take care of family first

Team Composition

Volunteer Management Professional Mental Health Professional Telecommunications Professional Disaster Resource/Data Professional Disaster Call Center I & R Professional Public Relations/Communications Professional Emergency Operations Center Professional Logistics Professional Disaster Call Center Management Professional Training Professional Crisis Call Center Professional

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Participant Story: Joy DePrault I was ready to go home for the day. Checking my inbox for last minute messages, I saw one from Charlene Hipes at AIRS. "URGENT: THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE: WE NEED YOU!" the subject line read. The AIRS/ UWA 2-1-1 Disaster Response Team was requesting deployment of members to San Diego to help with wildfires that had been raging for more than two days by that time. Thinking about my schedule for the coming week, I sighed. "Do I really want to read this?" I thought. My boss stared at me and said, "Joy, you should go. You're on the national team for a reason." Geesch. Not wanting to over-react, I told him I'd check with one of the team leaders in the morning to see what was up, hoping that they'd find all the volunteers they needed by then. After all, Florida's really far from California-- it would be so expensive... On Wednesday morning, I called Larry's number. "We need 25 and only have 3," he said. "Can you come?" Afterwards I discovered that 22 DRT team members responded from all over the nation-- from Hawaii to Virginia, from Michigan to Florida. How great is that? I flew out early the next morning (flights for that same day wouldn't get me to San Diego before midnight Pacific coast time.) Arriving in San Diego almost 12 hours after I started my day in Florida, I was asked to manage the night shift from 8 pm until 8 am each night. "Sure," I replied, feeling like the biggest sucker in the ocean, but knowing that this was probably the time frame wherein most of the locals really needed their sleep. Some of them had been working 'round the clock for three days. So, OK. I discovered that the 211 San Diego center normally received about 300 calls each day, and forwarded their night calls to a neighboring center. The day before I arrived, one day's disaster calls totaled close to 30,000, and almost 60 phones had been ringing non-stop for the past 72 hours! A visit to the call center revealed a very typical early response scenario: lots of phones, fabulous volunteers, notebooks containing the latest disaster info, a large white board with scribbles clarifying the latest directives, and thousands of paper call logs stacked up in a sorting room. People everywhere trying to help-- I was thrilled. After a briefing, a meeting with the current managers and a quick tour of the facility that evening, I was blessed to plunge right in. The coordination between call center staff, local government

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employees and resources, and hundreds of local volunteers was like a feast to my soul-- to see everyone "playing so well in the sandbox" was truly a joy. As each new hurdle presented itself, people worked together to find the best solution. IT folks and center managers tried to maintain a common vision, and worked to change the single, cramped call room into two large rooms full of computers and phones in order to give web access to the latest disaster information (getting rid of the clumsy notebooks.) A special team was called in to rapidly develop a web database for logging calls, which was implemented only two days later. We even had a training room and all the air conditioning we needed (unlike my familiar hurricane disasters...) Over the next 5 days the call volume gradually decreased, and we were able to integrate data entry into the schedule as new volunteers stepped up to the plate. San Diegoans rock when it comes to volunteering-- overall there were more than 1,600 volunteers during that first week! Although I was tired by the time I went home 6 days later, I found that I was blessed to have been working nights-- the camaraderie and efficiency of the night specialists and data entry volunteers brought a new meaning to the word 'teamwork,' and I was grateful for the experience. I thank AIRS and United Way of America for spearheading and funding this marvelous assistance, and for the opportunity to witness the powerful service that 211 in disaster can be to its community. P.S. If you're ever deployed, don't forget the Tylenol PM-- I was able to sleep 6 hours straight each day! Participant Story: Trisha Ferrell On October 24, 2007, the national 2-1-1 Disaster Response Team (DRT) co-chairs sent word to all DRT members that 2-1-1 San Diego was in need of assistance due to the exponential surge in 2-1-1 call volume. A 2-1-1 I&R center that was typically handling 300-400 calls a day was now handling 25,000 calls a day. Their staff was not only in need of assistance handling calls but managing the outpouring of community volunteers and giving their staff some much needed respite. I arrived in San Diego on Friday afternoon and was assigned to manage the volunteers taking disaster related calls from 8pm – 8am. There were actually 2 DRT members assigned to this shift because of the volunteer training needs and floor supervision. 2-1-1 San Diego had partnered with “Volunteer San Diego” to be the point of entry for all volunteers to sign up for 4 hour shifts at the 2-1-1 center. This process worked very well. In fact 2-1-1 San Diego has processed over 1,600 volunteers in a week and a half’s time. When the volunteers arrived to the center they were greeted by a volunteer receptionist then instructed to sign contact information and confidentiality forms. Once they completed the forms the new volunteers would go to the training room for a 30 minute training session on how to answer the calls, complete the intake forms and provide the most current information to each caller. Those repeat volunteers would go straight to the make-shift call center for their four hour shift. There were many repeat volunteers including the entire staff of the San Diego District Attorney’s Office. The office was closed for business due to the fires so the DA mandated that all 60 employees volunteer their work time at the 2-1-1 center. 2-1-1 was being advertised by the news networks, radio shows, newspapers, emergency managers and City Commissioners as the number to call for all disaster related information. The types of calls that came in were general fire information (i.e. where was the fire spreading),

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information on evacuation mandates (reverse 911 was in place but some individuals would call 2-1-1 to verify that it was a legitimate call before they evacuated), road closures, volunteer opportunities, shelter information, was it safe to return to their communities, water safety issues, new fires spotted and smoke sightings. There were other calls but these were some of the most frequent ones. At first, the computers were not set up so all calls were documented on a paper in-take form and the volunteers were using binders of information that would be updated as soon as new information came in. Thanks to the generosity of the City Council, IBM and others computers were operational by October 27th. Now began the job of entering the over 120,000 intake forms from previous days. During my shift on Saturday, we had half of the volunteers taking calls and the other half doing data entry. Overnight calls had slowed down quite a bit, Friday we only had about 300 and Saturday about 450. At 8am Sunday morning – the end of my shift -- the decision was made to start sending the DRT member’s home since the call volume was going down and the fires were more contained and had moved away from residential areas. The recovery process was in full swing and the San Diego Emergency Management had established four Local Assistance Centers (LAC). These centers serve as a one stop center for the individuals that lost their homes to initiate the filing processes with FEMA, American Red Cross, Small Business Administration, Property Tax Reduction Information and others. As of October 29th, calls were down to about 2,300 a day and the center had gone back to rolling the overnight calls to the 2-1-1 in San Bernardino County. I feel fortunate to have been able to go to San Diego and assist when needed. I was impressed at how they were able to manage the surge of volunteers and the surge in call volume. As I work on our disaster plan I will look back on what San Diego has in place and how I can make it work in our community. The partnerships this 2-1-1 had in place prior to disaster striking were very important. Because of these partnerships staff from IBM and Northrop Grumman was staffing the center 24/7 to ensure the technology was installed and operational at all times. The City Council lent over 60 computers to the center and dropped two additional T-1 lines and a T-3 line for the center to handle the influx of calls coming in which allowed them to handle over 25,000 calls a days. San Diego Emergency Management (SDEM) had a direct line into the 2-1-1 center to provide updates by phone and would also e-mail all information. SDEM also had included a direct link to 2-1-1 San Diego’s Emergency Wildfire website. http://www.211sandiego.org/

Summary of Deployment Evaluation – 8 Responses

Deployment

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Method used to contact you to deploy worked well. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 3 2 1 1 1 Response time to confirm your deployment was reasonable. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 4 3 1 Arrangements for scheduling airfare and other expenses were clearly defined. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 2 5 1 Information on how and where to report upon arrival was clear. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 3 2 1 1 1 Other Comments Regarding the Deployment Process Perhaps an improvement would be a “quick contacts” deployment sheet or wallet card with the cell-phone and email it to all of the DRT participants in the field. This could also possibly tie in with a DRT skill/contact bank where team members can keep their contact info and deployment history current: then an administrator/supervisor for any particular deployment can pull the info on the fly and distribute the contact card/sheet upon arrival (or even email it pre-deployment).

I felt that I was basically just told to show up. My flight schedule prevented me from attending an orientation meeting on the evening of 10/25 - initially felt very uninformed – out of the loop. In retrospect, guess it would really have helped to have had something in writing at the hotel upon arrival indicating where to report the next morning – who I was to room with, etc. Even though some of the details regarding deployment were sketchy, I believe the process was the best it could be under the circumstances. Both Charlene and Larry replied quickly to my inquiries, and I wasn't worried about anything, just did the "go with the flow" thing...

Disaster Call Center

Duty or duties assigned to you were clear. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 2 4 1 1 Duty or duties assigned to you matched your skill set. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 5 1 1 1 Hours worked met what was explained prior to deployment. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 2 2 4 The DRT met the needs of the organization. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 3 2 3 Communication within the team was open. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 3 1 2 1 1

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Communication with the effected organization was clear. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 1 1 4 1 1 Chain of command within the team was clear. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 2 3 1 1 1 Chain of command within the effected organization was clear. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 3 2 2 1 Training within team was effective. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 1 5 1 1 Training within effected organization was effective. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 1 4 1 1 1 Team members took breaks during the day. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 2 1 3 2 Food and snacks met my dietary needs. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 3 2 1 1 1 Team discussed concerns and improvement strategies. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 4 2 1 1 Team had a chance to debrief, nightly. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 5 1 2 I would deploy again with the DRT if given the opportunity. Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree 6 1 1

Other Comments Regarding the Call Center I felt there was a huge disconnect between the “DRT” and the 2-1-1 “worker” who came to help. I don’t feel my skills were used and I was not communicated with effectively. Too many people making the major decisions…..2-1-1 San Diego, DRT, All the Various Managers of 2-1-1 San Diego (newly appointed as result of this disaster) While I embrace change; I think there needs to be some consistency or sense of order.

The 2-1-1 Call center staff was great considering the enormous amount of pressure they were under. My only observation was that we need a standardized format for disaster information layout on white boards and binders. In the event of adding a new system the old system should not be discarded until the new one is up and running and without glitches. The 12-hour shifts may not have optimized utilization of the team: it was exhausting, and participants often stayed longer than 12 hours, as a necessity to facilitate a transition. Some team members did not adhere to the schedule, and some did. Perhaps rather than 2x12 hour shifts with no scheduled overlap, the team might benefit from a 3x9or10 hour shift schedule with an hour or 2 of clearly defined overlap?

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I felt that there was a strong disconnect between most of the team and 211 San Diego staff at the beginning. It would have been very helpful to have had daily team meetings at a specific time to assess status, needs, goals and progress on exit strategy. When there were just a few of us left, we were included in the 211 San Diego staff meeting. That was very helpful. Also, need to develop exit strategy from the onset – establish benchmarks very early on, realizing that organization may not fully understand the scope of their needs at the onset.

I felt that there was some confusion in this area. I was happy to help in anyway possible, but it sometimes seemed like I was being asked to do tasks just to keep me busy. For example, I spent the majority of one day shadowing someone in the regular 2-1-1 call center in order to train others that had been deployed to work in their the next day. After spending several hours doing this and organizing some training materials I was later told it was no longer needed. Ultimately I stopped asking for projects to work on and just did what seemed to be needed. This seemed to be more productive. I would suggest the previous shift writing down tasks needed to be completed by next shift in addition to verbal debriefings. One issue I ran into on the night shift was around the paper intake forms. We sorted them according to need after they were entered into the database as told in transition but in reality they didn’t need to be sorted because the paper was going to another agency for scrap. Something small but it was time consuming because not all forms were in order.

DRT Accomplishments

Provided much needed respite Respond quickly to needs of the volunteers. Training volunteers to do the job. Making sure there were enough staff and volunteers available. Able to provide support for call center staff Able to guide volunteers in call handling Worked as a team to provide support to the affected area Helped to support San Diego 211 staff and volunteers in their effort to help the public. Got to share ideas and help document events and procedures. Helped to prepare for the next disaster event. Assisted in building capacity within the call center to respond to the calls from the

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community Developed / provided structure and processes for service delivery that they can continue to

use Provided 211 San Diego with needed respite Helping train the significant number of volunteers who showed up to answer calls. Previous disaster expertise (which was particularly helpful in the development of the Pangea

database. Give some respite to the staff We were able to provide the San Diego staff the time to re-energize by covering shifts. Good showing of team in a fairly quick turn-around. Much-needed relief for over-worked local staff and volunteers Technological assistance for the local call center Effective and professional disaster training for incoming volunteers

Challenges for the Team

Communication Teamwork/Team Building The long 12 hour shift. Pre-operational briefings to DRT members and affected area staff Resource management team, more people to garner resources and make them available to

call handlers Earlier deployment to affected areas Understanding by team that although a certain role is assigned, there are MANY skill sets

brought by all team members – let’s capitalize on that! As awful as I feel mentioning this – it’s important for team members to check egos at the

door – there were some issues…… There seemed to be a lack of communication between the call center and the I&R team. It

would have been helpful to formalize this process a little more. Helping to implement effective processes would have been helpful. I tried to do this as much as possible and by the time I left we had implemented a box in the call center to submit I&R questions.

It seemed like the decision to leave was made somewhat suddenly, without consideration of all of the duties the team had been fulfilling and who would do them once they departed. Sunday was a little chaotic once most everyone left and I was still there. Seems like more discussion about the assignment of duties once we left would have been helpful. Luckily, I casually asked who was going to train the volunteers that were coming in before I left or there would have been more chaos.

Clearly articulating to on-site staff how the DRT operates and provides assistance. Providing expertise & suggestions but not overstepping boundaries. In-depth pre-deployment communication with all local parties-- staff, volunteers, government

and other partners for clear understanding of resources and expectations (both sides) Effective pre-deployment assessment of need (tough to do quickly enough for immediate

deployment) and setting benchmarks that will determine departure of team Ability to include all deployed team members in daily briefing (over-lapping shifts presented

lack of opportunity to meet as a whole team)

Overall Comments

I felt honored to go to San Diego to assist, however, I felt the DRT was not sensitive to the

needs of the “workers” who came to assist. I know that it is not only me who felt like an “outsider” to the DRT Team.

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Overall everyone was nice and welcoming. It was a great experience. Would love to do it again. Thank you.

This was a great learning experience for us all, we are gathering experience that is invaluable to the DRT team. Each disaster has its own nuances to address. You are a great team to work with and I enjoy deploying with you all.

What an awesome opportunity to help. Please consider me for future deployments.

Some of the Lessons Reinforced Importance & value of collaboration Have an emergency plan developed and use it Know when to ask for help (211 San Diego KNEW they needed help and did ask early on) Develop strong relationship with local volunteer centers Use the opportunity to showcase 2-1-1 as the public information source it was intended to

be People in the community want to help and need to be asked Understand the demands that will be placed on the facility and plan for it (plumbing, air

conditioning, office supplies, etc.) Value of and need for daily team / staff briefings It was a good experience, personally and professionally. The 211 San Diego staff were very

gracious about the invasion and chaos in their workspace. They deserve much praise for the preparation and planning they had in place in advance of the disaster. It made all the difference.

All in all this was a good experience upon which to build, focusing on what went well and the opportunities to improve. It was a pleasure to serve.

I am grateful for the opportunity to help and learn while in San Diego. I would love to become a regular member of the team!

I thought the entire event was a tremendous learning experience. Our team needs to continue to work on team-building outside of disaster events so we're more effectively on the same page when we meet again in deployment. Also, it wouldn't hurt us to review some basic relationship principles, such as when/ how to discuss our business privately vs. in front of volunteers, how to make the chain of command within the team very clear and then FOLLOW the authority designated appropriately, and how to "play well" together (those itchy moments when someone may be cranky or tired...)

Overall I believe we were a great assistance to the San Diego call center, and look forward to participating in a deployment again if needed. Thanks for asking!

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Associated Press 2-1-1 San Diego

The County Office of Emergency Services directed people needing help or information to call 2-1-1.

Calls surged from 400 a day to an average of 11,837. That's a call every 7.3 seconds.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all those who responded and their organizations for allowing their participation:

Leo Amador Aloha United Way

Fermin Avila United Way of Denver

Judith Cantil Aloha United Way

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Joy Duperault United Way of Florida

Trisha Ferrell United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg

Theresa Gallest United Way of the Twin Cities

Michelle Hartness United Way of Inner Wisconsin

Charlene Hipes AIRS

James Maytas Contra Costa Crisis Center

Anjilina McCarthy United Way of Toledo

Sherry Miller Michigan Association of United Ways

Larry Olness Heart of Florida United Way

Jonathan Padget VIA Link

Shari Sinwelski VIA Link

Chee Vang United Way of the Twin Cities

Pam Winters Centrepoint/2-1-1 Call Center

We would also like to thank the Staff of 2-1-1 San Diego for working with us as we assisted and assessed the team. Additionally, we also wanted to add thanks for their efforts resulting in reimbursement of expenses related to the deployment.

Leadership Overview: Michelle Hartness/Charlene Hipes

Activities: Describe activities and services you performed and the location and conditions under which you worked: Assessment of San Diego 211 needs, coordinated DRT job assignments, DRT scheduling, DRT personal issues, liaison between DRT and 211 San Diego, coordinated other sites DRT needs w/ 211 CA. Coordination: Describe coordination procedures and any examples of jurisdictional considerations or problems: Unclear chain of command—DRT coordinated issues where they needed us. Personnel: Describe site supervision including administrative structure, communication, appropriateness of assigned duties, accountability, duty schedules and crew rest, objectives, and staff meetings: DRT had Duplicate skills on deployment—need to clarify roles prior to deployment and be open to change when on location, staff meetings during evening debrief and morning breakfast, relate info to DRT from San Diego 2-1-1 staff meetings, DRT is responsible for DRT.

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Logistics: Housing, food, transportation, expenses, distinctive clothing, communications equipment: Upon arrival transportation from airport to hotel was unclear, NO open ended airline tickets, need exit plan. Briefing/Debriefing: Adequacy of information, directions, guidance given prior to assignment and effectiveness of exit interviews; No exit interviews did send out evaluations. Briefing/Debriefing: Adequacy of information, directions, guidance given prior to assignment and effectiveness of exit interviews; Clearly define onsite actions—when DRT onsite we are in charge of DRT!!

Recommendations

Based upon the DRT San Diego Deployment, subsequent after action meetings held in San Diego and the surveys we are proposing the following recommendations. The establishment of a standing contingency fund which would allow for deployment of the team for a period of not less than 10 days. That a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) should be created that would define the relationships between the host agency and the DRT. That a defined Entrance/Exit Strategy be adopted for the Team. The establishment of requirements to be a member of the DRT Required to respond and be on-site within 48 hours (Requires approval documentation letter from Agency President/Executive) Required to deploy up to 7 days Required to attend annual training Willingness to train others The establishment of the requirements to be part of the DRT Reserve Willingness to respond if available Ability to deploy up to 7 days Willingness to train others

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That efforts be directed at enhancing a states ability to respond to disasters by assisting with the formation of State DRT’s and assistance through AIRS with disaster planning and the establishment of MOU’s. Attachment A FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT:

Bob Blancato 202-789-0470 [email protected]

2-1-1 RESPONDS TO

WILDFIRE DISASTERS As the wildfire situation in Southern California continues to improve, the 2-1-1- system in the six affected counties is being singled out for special recognition for its work in connecting people and needed services without overloading emergency services according to AIRS (The Alliance of Information and Referral Systems). 2-1-1- is a national partnership between AIRS and the United Way of America. AIRS and United Way created Disaster Response Teams during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The DRT system was activated for the wildfire disaster and it allowed professional 2-1-1- specialists from across the country to work with local staff and volunteers to provide the highest standards of 2-1-1 services in the affected areas. A total of 22 DRT members arrived between October 24 and 27. These volunteers came from Florida, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Hawaii, Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Oregon, North Carolina and other parts of California. 2-1-1 is a simple easy to remember three digit telephone number that puts people and services together. In only a few short years 211 has transformed access to human services. 2-1-1- services in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Riverside Counties responded to tens of thousands of important calls including 25,000 in San Diego alone last Wednesday. The critical role of 2-1-1 is to answer non-emergency calls in the midst of a disaster and for being part of the support system for helping people to put their lives together in the aftermath of a disaster. As of June 2007, 2-1-1 is available to approximately 198 million Americans or 65 percent of the U.S. population. 2-1-1- receives no federal funding or support for full nationwide implementation. However legislation to accomplish this is pending in the Senate (S 211-Clinton) and House ( H.R. 211 Eshoo) under the title of “Calling for 2-1-1- Act.” NOTE TO EDITORS: AIRS is the international professional association of information and referral providers throughout the United States, Canada and around the world. Incorporated in 1973 the mission of AIRS is to advance the capacity of Information and Referral Providers to better serve their communities. For more information go to www.airs.org .

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Attachment B San Diego Wildfires Experience Sherry Miller: Tuesday, 10/23/07 – Late afternoon – Message received that this is not an exercise – that the UWA/AIRS 2-1-1 Disaster Team will be deployed to California as a result of the wildfires. That message began an experience in disaster response that I will not soon forget. The United Way of America (UWA) / Alliance of Information and Referral Systems 2-1-1 Disaster Response Team was formed a year ago to respond to 2-1-1 Call Centers impacted by disaster. The 22-member team brings together individuals with specific skill sets ranging from volunteer management - to information technology - to logistics. All in all, there are eleven specific skill sets represented. It is our job to help the 2-1-1 Call Center develop capacity to respond. Wednesday, 10/24/07 - 10:01 a.m. President Bush has declared a federal disaster in San Diego County. The President’s signature triggers the availability of federal aid to supplement local recovery efforts. Thursday, 10/25/07 – Arrived in San Diego via Phoenix. In Phoenix, there was a family of four seated nearby. Their little girl, probably around 3 years old was tired, coughing and crying loudly. The mom apologized to the group by saying that they were from California, that their daughter is asthmatic and has not been able to breathe in 3 days. They were relieved to escape. Arrived round 10:30 p.m. California time - the smell of smoke hit me as I left the terminal.

Friday, 10/26/07 – met at 7:00 a.m. with the group - 16 are here in San Diego from the Disaster Response Team and headed for the call center. San Diego 2-1-1 has been plagued with problems – their software crashed, air conditioning doesn’t work – so it’s uncomfortable. The disaster call center is in a large room with tables, chairs – no computers, about 60 phones and is hot. Calls are coming in at a rapid pace – used to get around 300 calls a day, now getting upwards of 30,000 per day. Judy (from Hawaii) and I are assigned the task of call center management – volunteer recruitment, statistic gathering on volunteers and volunteer hours, set up and running the volunteer reception desk, creating ways for people to volunteer more and so on and so on. Add to that support for lead staff scheduled to assist in the call center – making sure they remember to be upbeat and motivate the volunteers. Volunteers come in 4 hours shifts – usually

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about 50 at a time. They have 15 minutes of training and then take to the phones. Resources are updated every 30 minutes and their notebooks of information are swapped out at that time. It takes 24 minutes to swap out the notebooks. The Disaster Response Team (DRT) is responsible for training, IT support, and many other functions. Today – at great cost – an air conditioner was set up outside and a large (2 feet in diameter) hose was stuck through the door to try and cool it off. It had two settings – on and off. Volunteers are helping everywhere and coming from everywhere. The San Diego District Attorney’s office has assigned their staff (60 people) to the call center in 8 hour shifts around the clock as the courts were closed. That will end on Monday, 10/29. Yesterday the mayor dropped in and thanked the volunteers. Got back to the motel around 9:30 p.m. – second shift is in place. Saturday, 10/27/07 – What a difference a day makes! Today our organizational systems, put in place yesterday, paid off. We have systems and signage in place at the volunteer reception desk including survey forms and skill inventories. Volunteers have put in nearly 5,000 hours this week. So far, in the last 6 days, we’ve taken over 115,000 calls. Calls from midnight to 4:00 a.m. were sparse but it really picked up at 6:30 a.m. to around 150 calls an hour and increased over the day. Today we moved from paper and pencil to computers and moved the call center to another room – all volunteers got trained in the new software that the resource folks had been populating around the clock. A foundation, with roots in Michigan, offered to write a software platform for use in the call center. They did that in a day and it was populated in a day by 2-1-1 Resource Specialists. Judy and I developed questions for a small focus group we facilitated this morning and learned much about their volunteer experience.

Air conditioner!

Volunteers –no computers!

Whiteboards where updates were communicated

Returning volunteers are taking lead positions which will help 2-1-1 in the future. I ended the day by calling people back from the 75+ e-mails that had been sent but not responded to before we arrived. About 20 of the people were still available and signed up to volunteer. Sunday, October 28 – It’s easy to understand how people forget what day it is and again, what a difference a day makes! Call volume overnight decreased and 2-1-1 San Diego decided that what they really needed from our team was overnight supervision of volunteers, volunteer recruitment and some IT expertise. The rest of the team made quick reservations and most flew

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out yesterday. I took some to the airport and will do that again Tuesday morning when the overnight supervisor is released. It’s funny, I had no idea that the airport was in downtown San Diego. It was dark when I got here on Thursday and I had only seen their call center and the Holiday Inn. It’s a beautiful downtown and I hope I get to see it other than driving through it. Again today, some great volunteers came through the doors. One was Rosie, who had been volunteering at Qualcomm (the stadium used for evacuees) who heard about the need at 2-1-1. Self-described as being ‘anal’, Rosie made quick work of applying her organizational talents to our volunteer reception area and other areas around the call center. When I ended up having to go pick someone up, she volunteered to come with me to show me the way and then actually transported some of our team back to their hotel. Yes, another team member arrived yesterday only to be told to turn it around and fly home. We had no number to reach her, and had known that she would not be needed, but had no way to stop her. Another team member, Annette, is here from West Virginia. She is a 40-something mom and grandmother and this was her first time flying. She was thrilled that her West Virginia boss gave her some extra time here in San Diego, following her services, to see the sights. Training volunteers was added to my duties yesterday – sharing that duty with two others. Volunteers arrive every 4 hours so there is a lot of training going on. On Monday we need to get an exit strategy timeline agreed to and in writing and start transitioning these tasks to 2-1-1 San Diego staff. Monday, 10/29 and Tuesday, 10/30 – The days are flying by – there are 3 of us left on the ground here – our overnight team member, Joy, left for her home in Florida this morning. I’ve been doing the training for volunteers every 4 hours – the call volume has really decreased, is now down to about 2700 calls a day. Reverse 911 is being used and we find that it needs to be explained during our volunteer training. I was told that one 2-1-1 caller said that she had tried Reverse 911, by dialing 119, but it didn’t work. So, she called 2-1-1. Ah….a teachable moment. Today (Tuesday) volunteers completed entering the 100,000+ calls on the new software platform that were done on paper. 2-1-1 San Diego has hired two of the volunteers as staff for the foreseeable future to get through the next month or so. Through all of this the 2-1-1 San Diego staff has handled this with grace – all of these people coming into their workplace and having to do things in such different ways. They have also extended this grace to others. We have established a transition plan which we hoped would allow us to leave a day early, but now it looks like we need to stay to train the volunteers they hired as staff and to train volunteers to enter all of the 1700+ volunteer data into a volunteer management platform. Volunteer Reception Today, a marvelous woman named Karen walked in the door. She is from Atlanta and accompanied her husband on a business trip to San Diego. She said she just could not sit around so she came to volunteer. She was perfect for our volunteer reception area and had everything in good shape…she also signed up to run the desk for the rest of the week – it makes things so much easier when that desk is staffed by folks who know the job. Now we have the same volunteers running the desk for 12 of the 24 hours each day. Perfect! Wednesday night we’ll start sending calls from 11:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. to San Bernardino 2-1-1. Wednesday, I’ll take Leo (from Hawaii) to the airport and Judy and I will spend the next two days transitioning duties to 2-1-1 San Diego. This is a great community.

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Wednesday, 10/31/07 – Got up and had breakfast with team members Judy and Leo and then took Leo to the airport. Today was about recovery – helping 2-1-1 San Diego recover from the disaster. Calls were no longer 1) can I go home and, 2) how do I get there? Calls were about how do I get back my home, my business and my life? One call center location was dismantled and then consolidated in another room and a volunteer database was established. Population of the database was begun by the volunteers, under Judy’s leadership. It will take a few days for that to get done. Today, I mainly worked with Rose, the volunteer they hired for the next month or so to work with volunteers. Although she has an IT degree, she has never used it. I did a crash course in Excel spreadsheets and helped her create some tools to use in the next few weeks. As for public awareness, this fire is the best thing that could have happened to this call center because they had a plan and rose to the occasion. They are now making the most of this opportunity to obtain the funds they need to get to the next level. Call volume continues to decrease and we have scaled back volunteers to 5 per shift. Thursday, 11/1/07 – Last day at 2-1-1 San Diego –The other remaining DRT member and I have made a strategic decision to arrive after the ‘rush’ in the morning to get a glimpse at the needs for additional training before we leave. Spent half day training Rose – the volunteer hired to coordinate volunteers until their new hire for this position comes on board in 2 weeks. Exit conference was held with 2-1-1 San Diego staff, where they answered the question of ‘did they get from us what they needed’ with a resounding ‘yes’. In the time there, over 120,000 calls came in, 1700+ volunteers came through the doors providing over 7,000 hours of volunteer service.

Volunteers at work with computers donated by a local business

Friday, 11/2/07 – Wake up call at 4:00 a.m. for the flight home – glad to be home in my own bed and own time zone. Some of the lessons reinforced: Importance and value of collaboration

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Have an emergency plan developed and use it Know when to ask for help Develop strong relationship with local volunteer centers Use the opportunity to showcase 2-1-1 as the public information source it was intended to be People in the community want to help and need to be asked Understand the demands that will be placed on the facility and plan for it (plumbing, air conditioning, office supplies, etc.) Value of daily team / staff briefings San Diego truly supported the efforts and shares in the success of 2-1-1’s response to the wildfires. At the onset, a local bank extended a substantial line of credit to 2-1-1 for the expenses of this disaster. Businesses supplied 50+ computers and then decided to just donate them to 2-1-1. Restaurants donated food for volunteers around the clock. Local and county government supplied laptops and assigned their staff to answer phones. A local foundation wrote software in a day which was populated in a day. Volunteers were in plentiful supply and eager to help – no matter what the task. The staff of 2-1-1 San Diego was gracious and welcoming to this total invasion of their workspace. At the end of the experience it was easy to understand why this call center will continue their success. They were prepared and had the support of their community. United Way was there from the onset - bringing in tables, chairs, and other necessities as well as marshalling other much needed resources. United Way will be there in 2-1-1 San Diego’s future as well, ensuring that callers can access information and referral not only in emergencies but each and every day. Sherry Miller Director, Michigan 2-1-1 Michigan Association of United Ways [email protected]

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SECTION XII

DRT Committee Minutes, Trainings and Certificates

airs disaster drtmanual

Documents