Local Disaster Assistance

--Volunteers are a driving force for American Red Cross --

Fire Destroys Home  LDN 8/15/07     

Wildfire blazes in Springdale Township  MNA 8/1/07

Family Escapes LDN 5/21/07           

Fire leaves Fountain family homeless  LDN 5/3/07

Fire destroys family’s home, truck  LDN 2/5/07

Home destroyed in raging inferno  LDN 11/21/07

As we read headlines and articles in our local papers like these, we all hope that a disaster does not strike our own lives.  We hope that we never need to ask for assistance in our lifetime and can find comfort in knowing that there are groups in our area who will be there when we need them.

One of those groups is the Disaster Action Teams (DAT) of the West Shore Chapter - American Red Cross which serves Lake, Manistee and Mason counties.  During the last fiscal year, these volunteer teams have responded to 33 calls for assistance in the tri-county area donating countless hours providing services to meet the emergency needs of 79 family members. 

However, when most people see one of these teams on a disaster scene, they do not realize the depth of the assistance they provide.  Some have the false impression that they are there only to provide emergency response personnel coffee and donuts.   "We do so much more than that!" can be heard from many of the DAT Team volunteers when questioned about canteening.   

When a disaster situation or fire occurs in Lake, Manistee or Mason counties, emergency response personnel, once on scene, determines if the services provided by the American Red Cross are needed.  Once it is determined assistance is required, central dispatch notifies the chapter.  Depending on which county is requesting assistance determines which on-call DAT Team is alerted by the chapter via pagers.  The team members then call into the number which appears on their pagers to obtain information about what type of situation they are responding to, what services are being asked for, along with directions to the scene. 

 DAT Team members are scheduled in teams of two or sometimes three volunteers who are trained to provide common services.  Team members carry pagers for approximately one week at a time, and sometimes longer so that someone is available 24/7.  Each volunteer is ready to roll into service anytime a page is received.   

One of the team members carries large plastic tote containers with all of the supplies and equipment needed to provide clients with the assistance they need.  These totes carry small personal hygiene items, and things the family needs to get them through the first few days.  Stuffed animals for the children and quilts or afghans for teens and adult are also included.   

DAT volunteers are quick to point out that local businesses have been very generous in donating canteen items as well.  Amongst the paperwork carried by the DAT Team is a listing of places that have agreed to work with the West Shore Chapter during canteen situations.  Donuts, coffee in the winter and ice in the summer are much welcomed by family members and emergency workers alike. 

Being a DAT Team member requires a lot of dedication on the volunteer's part.  Before a volunteer is assigned to the team, they must complete a background check along with training courses in introduction to the Red Cross, introduction to disaster services, family services, mass care, shelter operations and diversity.  These classes give the volunteers the tools needed to evaluate the particular situation and provide the best possible service.  They never know what type of situation they will be called for or even when.   

When the team arrives on the scene, they interview the clients in order to best meet their needs. As each situation is different, immediate emergency needs provided are three night's lodging, food for a week and clothing for each household member fully based on their needs.  If vital medications have been lost, the team will arrange for a volunteer nurse to assist the family in obtaining emergency medications.  Mental health counselors are also available to the team if they feel the family needs additional emotional support beyond what they have training to provide.   

There have also been instances when the DAT Team arrives on the scene to find that the family is no longer there.  Some may have been taken to the local hospital, a neighbor's house or even a family member's house across town.  The DAT Team will then head to the new location in order to make sure that the family's needs are met.  

Many of the DAT Team members also volunteer to respond to national disasters.  Several of them were deployed to assist during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005.   

All services provided to the families are given free of charge and made available by local donations.  Contrary to what many believe, the American Red Cross and the West Shore Chapter receives no funds from any governmental agency though mandated by Congress to provide assistance to those affected by disasters. 

Manistee County DAT Team volunteer Chris Gravlin was quoted by the Manistee News Advocate in an article about the DAT Teams saying, "What really makes you understand how much of a volunteer-driven organization this is, happens when you consider there are two paid employees in our Red Cross unit and 300 volunteers." 

Ask any Disaster Assistance Team member and they will tell you that they get great satisfaction from their volunteer experiences.  You can also get satisfaction by helping us, to help you, help them by making a donation to the West Shore Chapter.