News

Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster

Published Date: 11.07.2011

Source: Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center

An article at EmergencyMgmt.com explained that there has been significant progress in recent years with the integration of national nongovernmental organizations in state and federal response planning, particularly since the creation of Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). These efforts resulted in the identification of additional human and physical resources, which augment the disaster planning landscape and ensure greater coordination during response.

The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned from this article that despite progress, there is ample opportunity for improvement in the coordination of the nontraditional disaster response organizations. Although these organizations provide a superb service, their mission statements do not reference planning and response to disasters. Consequently, the actions of some VOAD entities are not fully coordinated and, therefore, they are not integrated into the community disaster response plan.

While it is essential to maximize the collective assets of public and private stakeholders, it is also advantageous to obtain extra resources and assistance from local VOAD groups. Deliberate coordination and planning with voluntary organizations (e.g., American Red Cross, food banks, faith-based groups, scouting programs, senior citizen councils) can yield supplementary benefits when responding to disaster.

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