Community Matters: Disaster Response, Part 3

Newton County Community Matters, a coalition of faith-based and non-profit organizations serving the people of Newton County, met in regular session, Thursday, March 27, and continued its discussion of the community's roles in disaster response. Minutes of the meeting relate this final portion of the discussion.
Janice Mann initiated the discussion at January's meeting of "Disaster 101 – A Presentation for Arkansas Communities (from a voluntary organization perspective)." Mann reminded attendees their role as community members and leaders is to prepare for, respond to, recover from and learn from a disaster.
Mann shared handouts that included a review of the phases of disaster, definitions of the phases, the sequence of delivery of assistance, and the structure of recovery services. During the slide presentation Janice talked about the components of a Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG).
Operations/Program Services is the administrative subgroup. It consists of the officers and committee chairs of the LTRG as well as a recovery coordinator who oversees the overall operation and assures the components are functioning smoothly and effectively.
Casework and case management are extremely important. Caseworkers gather initial information on who was affected by the disaster event, whether they have immediate needs and what their needs might be for the long term. Case Mmanagers come alongside individuals and families to more thoroughly assess long term needs, what assets they have available to recover on their own, what benefits they may receive from insurance, FEMA, the state, and then help the individuals and families develop a recovery plan then implement and work through that plan.
The case manager tries to fill any resource gaps by presenting the case to an unmet needs committee to solicit resources to meet unmet needs. Case management seeks out resources and matches those to disaster caused needs.
Construction management works closely with case management in home repair, replacement and rebuilding. Together they assess what the individual or family needs in construction assistance to reach a new normal after a disaster event. Construction management secures building materials and supplies needed for the tasks at hand, works with volunteer management to schedule work teams and manages volunteer construction work teams. They make sure the teams have work available that matches their skills, and materials and supplies on the job site for the project at the time they are needed.
Volunteer management handles all inquiries from teams before arrival, secures volunteer housing, makes housing assignments, orientates work teams on arrival, provides information about the disaster event, the general effect it had on the area and residents, provides information about the area and area attractions, restaurants and, medical care. Volunteer management also works with construction management on job assignments and provides directions to the job sites.
These above are the main functioning components of an LTRG/Recovery Services, but if the effort proves more support is needed, this is scalable and may include materials management, allocations management, and emotional/spiritual care.

Next, Mann talked about Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). National VOAD includes members and partners of all major voluntary response organizations, government agencies, and businesses. States also have the opportunity to participate in NVOAD and there is an Arkansas VOAD.
"The core values of the VOAD are what we call the 4 Cs – Communication, Cooperation, Coordination, and Collaboration," Mann said. "That is how VOAD rolls - organizational, not operational. Each member/partner maintains its own identity and operations."
Mann emphasized local communities, counties and regions can follow suit and organize COADs (Community Organizations Active in Disaster). The goal of Community Matters is to have a disaster response component that will function as a COAD/LTRG in the case of a disaster event that requires an organized response from the voluntary sector.
Partners in these organizations work together to: assess the scope of community need, provide relief to those affected, resource the community’s recovery, address survivors’ unmet needs, coordinate voluntary non-profit assistance, avoid duplication of efforts and services, disseminate accurate and timely information for those affected and those responding. Through these organizations, more resources are identified and available, fewer resources are wasted, access to assistance is increased, services are streamlined, relief and recovery assets are brought to disaster affected areas, and personal assets and other recovery benefits are leveraged with no cost service to stretch resources and meet unmet needs.
The VOAD/COAD: works together with community partners as well as VOAD partners, serves as a preparedness and training resource for communities, churches, community groups, and families, is an immediate resource for LTRGs and Unmet Needs Committees, and supports disaster affected communities for the long haul, Mann continued.
Mann then shared a series of slides that showed how VOAD and member/partner organizations provide: leadership development, consultation, more partnerships and connection, program design and development, funding, training, volunteers, relief supplies, and come with response trailers and equipment. She showed known member response organizations feeding survivors and relief workers, sheltering those displaced from their homes, providing donations management, and volunteer management.
Response teams provide a caring presence, remove debris, prevent further damage by tarping roofs, cleaning out flooded homes, and Mann noted volunteers affiliated with known response organizations are trained in these tasks.
"We all work together to share resources and training so that we are equipped for the tasks at hand. Community facilities not affected by the disaster can be used for all sorts of relief and recovery centers and offices. The LTRG organizes funding, materials, supplies, and volunteer labor to get repairs done and homes rebuilt. We all work together to meet disaster caused needs and minimize duplication of services and with time, those individuals and families affected by the disaster have recovered and are living a new normal," Mann concluded.