Disaster Volunteer Management Training
It is not a matter of if … it is a matter of when.
Every agency will experience a disaster of some description sometime in their history. Within the world of I&R, that sobering truth has been brought home by the extraordinary experiences of I&R professionals responding to the Florida hurricanes of 2004, Katrina, Rita and Wilma of 2005, and so many other disasters across the country, including the recent wildfires in California.
As a result of those experiences, AIRS and United Way of America were determined to capture lessons learned and pass them on to you.
The following training course focuses on the preparation for a disaster and operational management during a disaster - in particular how to prepare for and handle an influx of all manner of volunteers. Although the emphasis is on 2-1-1, there is content that every I&R agency will find very helpful.
This training course was made possible by a generous grant from the National Human Services Assembly, Volunteer Impact Grant and by our partners in the United Way of America. Feel free to incorporate this training into your disaster preparedness plans.
This free "Managing the Surge", package includes:
- Introductory Message
- Disaster Management Training Curriculum (including document templates)
- Disaster Management Trainers Manual
- Disaster Management Handouts/Tools
- Disaster Management Powerpoint
Here are more I&R diasaster resources:
- Sample Disaster Plan (Word file which allows agencies to customize material to create a disaster plan for their own organization)
- Disaster Training Outline (AIRS Disaster Training provided at the 2002 Conference)
- Family Disaster Plan and Personal Survival Guide - sample material from 2-1-1 San Diego (Staff are better able to respond to a disaster on a professional level if they feel they have properly prepared their own families for a disaster situation)
- Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) Primer - Background information on the Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) program, mandated and administrated by the National Communications System
TSP Vendor Handbook - This the the offical handbook for your telecommunications service provider - they may not know much about the TSP program and this is their guide on what they are supposed to do for you if you are eligible
- TSP User Manual - This is the official manual covering the TSP program along with instructions on how to apply and sample forms
- TSP-SF315 - This is the form to request under the TSP program that a phone service receives priority attention in the event of a major disaster
- Disaster Acronyms ("the language of disasters")
Other Resources:
- Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
- American Red Cross
- ICES Disaster Resources: Preparedness & Recovery
- Emergency Communications & Technology Information
- Access to Care (removes financial barriers to mental health treatment for those impacted by 2005 Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, including residents who lived in impact zones and those who lost a loved one as a result of the hurricanes)
Archived articles from a special edition of The Journal of the Alliance of Information & Referral Systems, Volume 15; focussing on I&R in Times of Disaster (edited by Dick Manikowski):
- Hurricane Hugo Activity Report
Warren Nance
First Call for Help, United Way of Central Carolinas - Disaster Aftermath: Redefining Response - Hurricane Andrew's Impact on I&R
Gigi Laudisio
Switchboard of Miami - The Role of Generic I&R in Disaster Response: INFO LINE of Los Angeles and the Civil Disturbances of 1992
Burt Wallrich
INFO LINE of Los Angeles - I&R in Times of Crisis: The LINC Experience
Norma B. Gandy
LINC Service of the Memphis Shelby County, Public Library and Information Center - Hurricane lniki: The ASK-2000 Experience
Dina Dray, Sandy Salmers, & Kaleinani Larsen
ASK-2000 - Issues in Disaster Preparedness for Information and Referral Providers
AIRS Disaster Preparedness Task Force
