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When a disaster strikes, the role of VOAD is one of
coordination, not response. It is for the member agencies of VOAD to
perform and deliver actual disaster response services. There are no
VOAD feeding canteens, donated goods distribution centers, or
shelters. However this does not mean that VOAD has no role once the
disaster strikes. VOAD has the vital and active role of coordination with
the goal to minimize duplication of effort and more efficiently manage
activities during disasters.
Below are some activities GAVOAD leadership will perform
during disasters:
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• Gather brief reports from member
organizations concerning their disaster activities and share them
with the other members. Ask members to report how they
are responding to the disaster to a particular person (determined in
advance, for example, a VOAD officer). This communication could take
place by phone, fax, or e-mail; whichever is quickest and most
useful for the members. This information sharing may foster
coordination among organizations on particular projects.
• Convene a meeting of all voluntary agency
members at or near the disaster site during state-level and/or
federally–declared disasters. Do this through a member
organization that is equipped to publicize the meeting and help lead
it. This organization is usually the American Red Cross, through its
liaison officer. A meeting such as this creates the conditions for
coordinated responses by VOAD members and gives visibility to the
VOAD and its ideals. At the meeting, member organizations should
explain what their organizations are doing, be alert for any areas
of duplication, and look for ways to coordinate their responses.
Depending on the severity of the disaster, subsequent meetings may
be scheduled.
• Work behind the scenes to identify a group or
groups to guide the long-term recovery. Stay involved with
disaster response events as they shift into the recovery phase. Use
your experience and judgment to encourage the creation of a resource
coordination committee—this group will often have a strong
interfaith organization as a member. Also, if a number of
community-based organizations new to disaster relief are interested,
this would be a good time to create a new local VOAD, which could
look beyond the recovery efforts to "the next time."
• When the recovery is well underway, convene a
special VOAD meeting to maintain the momentum created by the
disaster. Members will have some perspective on the disaster
response, and they will have experienced how essential coordinated
action is to effective responses. This would provide an excellent
opportunity to discuss the lessons learned, revise plans, strengthen
preparedness, and recruit new members. |
The VOAD may be asked by GEMA to provide a representative
to the State Operations Center during high alert operations. It is
important to remember that the role of VOAD in the EOC is to act only as a
liaison between government and the GAVOAD member organizations.
Throughout the response, it should be remembered that GAVOAD, like the
National VOAD, has no role in providing direct services to victims of
disaster, and no VOAD member organizations should be asked to provide such
services on the VOAD's behalf. All direct services are to be provided only
under the auspices of the member organizations themselves.
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