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American Red Cross Southern Shore Chapter New Volunteer Information Sheet
PAPERWORK American Red Cross Application – New volunteers will be given an American Red Cross Application to complete and return to the Red Cross office. Health Status Record – New volunteers will be given a Disaster Services Human Resources Health Status Record to complete. Both sides of the form must be completed, signed and dated. A Health Status Record must be completed annually in order for a volunteer to remain on the active volunteer list. Background Check – New volunteers will be asked to submit a computer background check after completing a one hour orientation session and attending two monthly Disaster Services meetings. Once the background check is approved, new volunteers can provide services in their interest area. Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR) Application This application will be completed by the new volunteer after the background check has cleared. Once a volunteer has completed the appropriate training, a DSHR number will be issued and a photo ID will be given to the volunteer.
ORIENTATION New volunteers will receive an orientation to the American Red Cross, the local chapter, and the services in which volunteers can participate once their American Red Cross application and Health Status Record are received. The orientation will generally be conducted in person by the Volunteer Coordinator.
MEETINGS Monthly meetings are conducted on the third Wednesday of every month at 6:30 PM at the American Red Cross office, 21 E. Main St, Millville, NJ. A notice is sent to all disaster services volunteers approximately two weeks before the meeting. It is important to attend as many meetings as possible in order to stay up-to-date on what is happening regarding disaster services, training opportunities, and other important information.
DISASTER SERVICES Disaster Action Team (DAT) - This team responds to local disasters, such as fires and other emergencies. The team is composed of disaster services volunteers who have completed the appropriate training and are available to be on the DAT call list for approximately one week a month. An on-call week consists of weekdays from 5 PM to 8:30 AM the next day and from Friday at 5 PM to Monday 8:30 AM on weekends. The Emergency Services Coordinator handles all calls on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 5PM. A call schedule is distributed monthly by the Emergency Services Coordinator. Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) - This team responds to calls from national AFES and processes emergency services requests for the military and their families. The team is composed of disaster volunteers who have completed the appropriate training and are available to be on the AFES call list for approximately one week a month. The AFES on-call week is similar to the DAT on-call hours as noted in the section above. A call schedule is distributed monthly by the Emergency Services Coordinator. Emergency Shelters - Emergency shelters are set up when a major disaster occurs in the local community, the region/state, or nationally. Disaster volunteers, who are interested in assisting in shelters, can indicate whether they are interested in being called for local, regional, state and/or national disasters once they have completed the necessary training. Administrative/Office Support - Disaster volunteers who are interested in assisting with administrative support can help with filing, preparing shelter kits, doing inventory, computer data input and numerous other tasks. Volunteers can work flexible hours for as little as an hour a week or as much their schedule allows. Other Services - Disaster volunteers may have a special talent or skill that can be of use to Disaster Services and should notify the Volunteer Coordinator or Emergency Services Coordinator of their particular ability.
TRAINING In order to actively participate in the various services provided by the Disaster Services Department, volunteers need to be trained in their areas of interest. The following are some of the courses that are necessary to volunteer in certain areas, such as DAT and Shelters. The first four courses below should be taken in order. The courses below are provided free of charge to the volunteer, except for a charge of $2.50 for the CPR/AED/First Aid manual. A schedule of courses and locations is periodically sent to volunteers. Fulfilling Our Mission/Introduction to Disaster Services – This course provides an overview of the American Red Cross and will help volunteers to understand the various functions involved in preventing, preparing for and responding to a disaster and the role each disaster volunteer plays. Mass Care - This course provides basic information about the activities of the Mass Care function during a disaster. Participants learn the various roles and responsibilities of Service Associates and the services provided by this function. Shelter Operations - Prepares Red Cross and other agency staff to effectively and sensitively manage shelter operations as a team to meet the needs of people displaced as a result of disaster. Shelter Simulation - Provides hands on implementation of the opening and closing of a Red Cross shelter. Discusses the needs for assessment and provides a document for further use by the participant. CPR/AED/ First Aid - The Red Cross provides community Adult CPR/AED, Child CPR and First Aid over a three-session period. The certification received for these courses is good for one year. The courses are not provider courses, which have a longer expiration. Volunteers who already have a current certification should provide a copy of it for their file. Other Training Courses - There are numerous other courses provided by the Red Cross for volunteers depending on their area of interest. Once a volunteer decides on their interest area, the courses can be taken at various Red Cross locations in the tri-state area. The Volunteer Coordinator can assist volunteers in locating the courses.
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