Disaster Action Team

  Each year more than 200 families in Mecklenburg and Iredell Counties are displaced from their homes due to fire and other disasters. Disaster Action Teams (DATs) are staffed by trained volunteers who are on-call week nights and weekends to respond to these local disasters and provide immediate assistance to those affected. There are also individual volunteers who are on-call week days to respond week days to respond to small local disasters.

Just as in large disasters such as hurricanes and floods, your local Red Cross provides financial assistance to local victims of disaster for emergency items like food, clothing, bedding and shelter.  DAT members are often the first faces of the American Red Cross to these local victims.

DAT Member Qualifications:

• Dependable and available to respond based on chosen schedule
• Communicates and interacts well in a team setting and with team captain
• Completes required training: DAT Workshop, First Aid/CPR

New Training Opportunities:

In addition to our expanded schedule of DAT Workshops, which provide basic training for DAT responders, we are also now offering a DAT Captain Workshop. The DAT Captain Workshop is a great opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of leading a Disaster Action Team.  The course will explore topics concerning problem solving, the chain of command at disaster sites, preparation for DAT on-call periods and DAT responses.  Participants will learn about the commitment DAT Captains make to Emergency Services staff and the DAT Members and how they can have a positive impact on the future of the DAT program.  Please call Will Harrison with any questions regarding the course, spring dates and enrolling.  This course will be offered according to demand for any present DAT Captains and Leads.  We hope to see in our spring training soon!

Contacts

For more information regarding the Disaster Action Teams, please contact the Emergency Response/Recovery Manager Rick Schou at 704-378-4624 or e-mail SchouR@usa.redcross.org or contact the Disaster Action Team Coordinator, Will Harrison at (704) 378-4627 or harrisonwil@usa.redcross.org.

Chapter Responses, Locally and Nationally

Although the American Red Cross is not a government agency, its authority to provide disaster relief was formalized when, in 1905, the Red Cross was chartered by Congress to "carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same." The Charter is not only a grant of power, but also an imposition of duties and obligations to the nation, to disaster victims, and to the people who generously support its work with their donations.

Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's immediate emergency disaster-caused needs. When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, and health and mental health services to address basic human needs. In addition to these services, the core of Red Cross disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and families affected by disaster to enable them to resume their normal daily activities independently.

The Red Cross also feeds emergency workers, handles inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area, provides blood and blood products to disaster victims, and helps those affected by disaster to access other available resources.

Volunteering: Being a Part of the Disaster Human Resources System (DSHR)

National Disaster Assignments - Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I sign up to work on a Disaster Relief Operation?

All you have to do is enroll in DSHR!

What is DSHR?

The DSHR (Disaster Services Human Resource) is the database used by the American Red Cross to recruit and deploy disaster workers on relief operations.

How do I join?

Joining the DSHR is simple. There is an enrollment application, a Code of Conduct form, Statement of Understanding, and a Health Status Record form. You must also pass an online background check.

Are there any classes required?

Yes. DSHR enrollment requires that you complete the online Introduction to Disaster Services http://www2.redcross.org/flash/course01_v01/, you must also be certified and have a current CPR/First Aid. Finally, you must have taken at least one specialty class, for example Community Services, Client Casework, or Human Resources in Disaster.

How long will I be on a Relief Operation?

While there is always uncertainty with a disaster, the American Red Cross asks that you commit three weeks to assignment.

Do I get paid?

NO. The American Red Cross is a volunteer organization; however you will be provided transportation and meals.

I still have questions, whom do I contact?

Click here to view the NEW DSHR Organizational Chart.