Disaster Response Manual

We are a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. Our mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission. There are 18 State/Regional organizations that are prepared to partner together in responding to disasters to assist survivors in their recovery efforts. We are not a full-fledged disaster response organization, but when catastrophic disasters strike, Fellowship people want an avenue to respond to survivors by praying, giving and/or going.

Disaster Response Manual

This Disaster Response Manual is intended for the use of CBF national/state/regional staff, local churches and volunteers to plan and prepare for disasters and to respond according to our abilities in an efficient, safe and effective manner under given circumstances. There will be periodic reviews and amendments as necessary which will be distributed to the State/Regional Coordinators and the State/Regional Disaster Response Coordinators.

Acknowledgements

This Manual has been compiled based on the contribution of many individuals but special thanks are given to North Carolina Baptist Men for their generosity and assistance in providing material from their Disaster Recovery Handbook.

Leadership

The CBF is a federation of organizations and CBF national follows a resource model in providing assistance based on invitation. During times of emergency and disaster response, a more military model (command and control) is necessary to coordinate assignments and work plans. Because disasters are ultimately local, it will be the responsibility of each State/Regional Disaster Response Coordinator (DRC) to assume the responsibility of being the person in charge. Each State/region is encouraged to have a DRC with appropriate backups.

Additionally, each DRC is encouraged to recruit and develop an Advance Team that will provide local on-site leadership in implementing the State/Regional plan. The plan is based on the resources available to the State/Region in terms of volunteers, equipment, supplies and funding.

The contact information provides a listing of the CBF Disaster Response leadership across the Fellowship. It is expected that DRC's will be in communication with each other to develop appropriate response plans for each event. This includes the development of contingency plans in case the DRC and the Advance Team of a particular State/Region become victims of a disaster and are incapacitated to implement their initial plans.

Organizational Structure

The following sample organizational chart depicts how CBF disaster response can work. The solid line represents accountability and responsibility. The dashed line reflects advisory and supportive roles. Of course, the capacities and structures of local churches and state organizations will not be uniform, so this chart reflects possibilities. For example, some churches may not want to develop care groups with team leaders in favor of a more general church-wide approach.

Section II. CBF Initial Disaster Preparedness Plan

Introduction

The hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 seriously tested the ability of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) to respond to the destruction left in the aftermath of the storms and to domestic disasters in general. The experience surfaced a series of observations and lessons that have been used to develop a plan of approach for preparation and response to future disasters. The experience involved State Coordinators, a State Missions Director, Pastors, Church Missions Directors, a host of volunteers and CBF personnel.

Given the configuration and structure of CBF, the heart of any response is the local CBF church and its members who donate their time, money or supplies to actively engage in addressing a particular disaster. Without these volunteers and donations in cash and in kind, the CBF state, regional and national organizations could not even attempt a response.

However, these volunteers need to be linked to a coordinated plan in order to be more effective.

The purpose of this document is to describe an Initial Disaster Preparedness Plan (IDPP) that is adaptable for disaster response by the CBF community. The plan will improve preparedness before disasters occur and it is based on realistic intentions for service, capabilities and resources available through CBF national, state/regional organizations and partners.

This IDPP outlines an approach based on the current state of affairs in CBF. It is designed to do the following:

Define the scope of response as it relates to the level and type of involvement depending on the nature of the disaster.

Develop the resources of local churches to respond in their communities and to the most neglected (those with the greatest needs and fewest resources) around the world.

Establish an administrative structure that features a network of state organizations and local churches.

Build alliances with like-minded organizations that already have the infrastructure in place to respond.

Each disaster will be different so a specific plan of action will need to be drafted for each incident. This general plan provides the umbrella organizational structure to do this more effectively. Essentially it is a disaster preparedness plan that allows specific action plans to be developed and implemented swiftly and efficiently. However, each state/regional organization is invited to develop their own IDPP that reflect their goals and objectives.

Scope of Response

One of the driving ideals to which we pay attention in CBF Global Missions is the call to minister among the most neglected in their time of need, particularly when disasters strike. We tend to want to work among those who are different and distant from us culturally and economically. We should do this, but before we can do it extensively, we need to lay a foundation through several levels of involvement based on realistic expectations. Developing the response program progressively will eventually allow us to do more among our communities and the most neglected and at the same time take care of our own church members. The scope of response involves both the extent of our involvement and the type of response (nature of activity) that is offered. Both of these elements depend on the nature of the disaster and the capacity of CBF to respond.

Levels of Involvement

There are basically three levels of involvement to consider as it relates to whom we work with in a disaster. These include CBF church members, communities both local and distant within the United States, and international settings among the most neglected.

Taking Care of Family

The first level of response should be directed to care for individual church members and their personal property as well as to church buildings. We must build on the basics of our ability to take care of the fellowship family.

This may seem shocking and self-centered, but it is simply a practical and logistical move that needs to be done first.

Serving members gives that initial focus of where to begin work, particularly when there has been a catastrophic event with destruction everywhere.

Obviously, if a church is not in the disaster zone, then immediate consideration can be given to other communities that are the victims.

The fact is that CBF is not a relief agency that is endowed with the infrastructure to launch a massive disaster response program. Our capacity in terms of available volunteers and other resources is presently shallow, so initially the level of involvement must necessarily be limited to match our capabilities. =

If CBF intends to expand involvement in disaster response, then a serious effort to build the capacity of local churches in the Fellowship must be initiated.

It is recommended that CBF churches establish a disaster response program that activates an assessment and recovery plan to serve its members. For example, following a disaster, the local church should be organized and mobilized to find out the status of its members within 72 hours.

If available, first response volunteer work crews from within the church could be assigned tasks until outside volunteers from other churches become available to assist.

Obviously, it is advisable to have a back up plan with other churches or organizations in the event a disaster is so severe that it immobilizes a church or state to react.

In time, the church will be able to extend services to others in the community through its own capabilities as well as through the resources found throughout the Fellowship. Additional guidance on establishing a local program is forthcoming in this document.

Taking Care of Our Communities

Having a plan in place to care for members will allow a church to more quickly extend involvement to include immediate neighbors of church members and the church facilities. This will demonstrate that we care for them too.

The response essentially becomes an outreach into the community by the local church. This provides a tangible witness around the life of the CBF church and indicates an active and caring community.

Through this response to members and neighbors, we discover people in the church with skills and willingness to work in disaster response. We can then build on this resource and experience for an even more effective response in a future disaster through the CBF network and alliances.

Taking Care of the Most Neglected

As our capacity grows by caring for members and our domestic neighbors, we are able to extend with greater promise to a third level of engagement with the most neglected in the United States and around the world. The people that surface in the local responses will become the people that could be trained to be involved internationally in difficult trouble spots through alliances with partners.

If there are no CBF churches in the zone where a disaster strikes, then consideration is directed toward areas that are most neglected in the overall response offered by government and other private organizations. CBF will look for a niche or area that may be overlooked.

The nearest CBF churches and the affected state organizations should confer and decide on an appropriate response. The response should be built on relationships established with local churches or other organizations that are in or on the edge of where the destruction occurred and still have the infrastructure in place to support communication, accommodations for volunteers and other basic resources needed for a response. These places will serve as staging areas and a base of operations.

Type of Response

A parallel effort to establishing a response plan for church members is the development of resources available to the church for implementation of the plan. The development of resources can progress in a variety of ways depending on the abilities of volunteers and the abundance of their networks. Several examples of scope of involvement as it relates to activity include the following:

Management and accommodation of out of town volunteers as part of a Recovery Operations Center (ROC)

Coordination of a distribution center for donated supplies

Management of a warehouse for pre-positioning supplies

Recruiting and training work crews with expertise in debris removal, temporary weatherproofing, mud-outs, water filtration and delivery, kitchen services, showers, drywall, painting, roofing, child care, etc.

Equipping and maintaining an equipment and supply trailer for first responders.
The dimensions of the response in terms of activity can be as wide as the volunteer base available to provide such services.

Just as we need to narrow the level of involvement initially to match our resources, we will need to do the same with the type and quantity of work we offer depending on who is available to do it. In the early stages of development, the response will necessarily be limited to the basics that we know we can do well.

For example, in the case of a hurricane response, two primary activities that we could do are general debris removal and temporary weatherproofing of homes. What we could not do perhaps would be new roofing for homes or repairing electrical services. The scope of activity can expand as skill sets are added by the type of volunteers that want to participate.

Decisions regarding the scope of response as it relates to level of involvement and type of work will need to be made for each disaster depending on the circumstances of need compared to available resources.

Structure/Organization and Roles

In a faith-based community like CBF, the core organizational unit for disaster response is the local church. The local church in turn is to be empowered to act by the state/regional and national CBF organizations as well as by other alliances for coordination, funding, volunteers, supplies and training.

Role of the Local Church

Local churches are invited to consider establishing a first response protocol (tree) to serve their members and to engage in a parallel effort to develop human and material resources such as work crews, volunteer operation centers, Gifts-in-Kind management, first response trailers filled with equipment and supplies and other ministries as determined by the church and in partnership with the CBF network.

Each church that wants to participate should designate a leader to coordinate the effort. A sample ministry description for a Volunteer Church Disaster Response Coordinator (CDC) is provided in the ministry section of the manual.

The CDC will need to build a leadership team to cover the initial response and the recovery phases of a plan. A sample ministry description for a Volunteer Disaster Response Team Leader (TL) for a response tree also is provided in the Manual. The TL would be responsible for making preliminary estimates of needs and work orders which would be related to the CDC for specific assignments. The CDC would relate to the state leadership. Once again, the capabilities of a church will be determined by the interest and skills of volunteers.

A sample disaster response plan adopted by College Park Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida is provided in the Manual. This plan includes the development of care groups based on where members live in proximity to each other. These groups serve other purposes such as general social interaction and place for deeper spiritual formation. The plan also includes a sample equipment and material list for stocking a first response trailer and a ministry description for volunteer work crews.

Role of State/Regional CBF Organizations

Each CBF state/regional office must decide its own path and scope toward disaster response. The state organizations are positioned to have direct contact with local churches and can build a network of churches into a response plan. Leadership must come from the state and local levels because, in the end, an effective response to disasters is always determined by what happens at the local, even individual level.

Some CBF state organizations may feel no response is in order based on limited resources or they may rely on existing relationships with groups that have this capacity. However, if each state/region within CBF developed an ability to respond to disasters, we would have a network in place to assist neighbor states that become victims. For example, CBF Florida relied heavily on CBF Georgia, Virginia and Alabama to respond effectively to the hurricanes of 2004.

It may be that several states could specialize in water supply, mobile kitchens, or mobile showers that could be available to other states in time of need. Each state would not need the ability to do everything if we can spread the capabilities in key services among the states so that each critical sector is covered. Each state will know what resources are available to them from other states and from CBF national.

In order to improve coordination and build an effective response plan, each state that wants to participate will need to designate a Volunteer State Disaster Response Coordinator (DRC) or another position to develop a state-specific plan and to coordinate its implementation. The DRC will need to work directly with local Church Disaster Response Coordinators to build capacity and contingency plans.

Training opportunities in disaster response are available at local chapters of the Red Cross and Salvation Army. Special training can be explored through church-based partner groups such as the North Carolina Baptist Men, Texas Baptist Men, Virginia Baptist Resource Center or others known by the State. Appropriate training opportunities could be offered at annual state meetings.

The State DRC's also will need to relate to each other so as to know what is available from other states and to build those elements into their respective state plan. A ministry description for the Volunteer State DRC is provided in the Manual. The DRC will serve as the key link for other CBF organizations to contact for disaster response matters. The DRC would serve at the pleasure of the State/Regional Coordinator.

Role of CBF Atlanta

CBF Atlanta is available to assist the states/regions in the following ways:

Preparedness planning

Conference call coordination

Resources for volunteer management

Church-to-church coordination

Connections with chaplains and counselors

Immediate funding of up to $5,000 and designated gifts from churches/individuals if available

Communications such as stories and website postings

Global Missions does not have the staff to guarantee the deployment of an Advance Team or the tools to do the job, hence the need to develop these capacities within the states/regions.

CBF Global Mission will help States with the cost of logo identification for disaster response. It is important for volunteers to be associated and identified with a recognized disaster response organization. It generally provides permission and validation by authorities for entry into disaster zones. This identification can be in the form of CBF logo on brown hats, light blue shirts, magnetic strips for vehicles or other media as needed.

Appropriate literature such as Bibles, coloring books and stress management booklets are often a part of a response. Cost share arrangements with a state for such resources could be explored for these materials.

CBF Disaster Response Network

Figure 1 provides a sample organizational chart of how CBF disaster response can work. The solid line represents accountability and responsibility. The dashed line reflects advisory and supportive roles. Of course, the capacities and structures of local churches and state organizations will not be uniform, so this chart reflects possibilities. For example, some churches may not want to develop care groups with team leaders in favor of a more general church-wide approach.

Cost

The cost will be the time of volunteers and staff, the value of donated materials and the cost to support the final response plan which will vary depending on the incident. Costs will be covered by gifts from the constituency or other sources made available to each organization.

Conclusion

Local church interest and involvement in disaster response will vary from church to church and from region to region depending on the frequency and types of disasters encountered and the ability and availability of volunteers.

Each church and each State/Regional organization is encouraged to recruit a Volunteer Disaster Response Coordinator to develop an appropriate IDPP for their circumstances to help build a CBF network or responders.

What has been proposed will better coordinate the use of time and resources to make an appropriate and effective response as a positive witness where we live and in places around the world where we serve.

Section III. Guidance for Developing State/Regional IDPPs

The record-breaking hurricane season of 2005 has once again tested the ability of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to respond to the aftermath of these storms and other disasters.

All state/regional CBF organizations that can expect catastrophic events in their areas or would like to be a player in the Fellowship response to such events are called upon to develop an Initial Disaster Preparedness Plan (IDPP) that suits their goals and objectives.

Some states may enter into full partnerships with other groups who do disaster response while some may want to develop their own capacity, or some combination of the two, to develop an effective response.

The IDPP for each state/region will describe the general direction of the response using human and material resources in partnership with other state, regional, national CBF bodies and other partners.

The specifics of a response will change according to the nature and extent of the damage and available resources.

The following is a suggested list of elements for states/regions to consider while developing their IDPP. Please refer to the CBF Disaster Response Field Manual for sample job descriptions and additional information. The basic elements of the IDPP include leadership, volunteers, tools, Gift In Kind (GIK), partnerships and finances.

Leadership

Identify the leadership for disaster response and name a Disaster Response Coordinator (DRC). Some states/regions may consider consolidating and appoint a regional DRC. Each state/region will be the responsible for defining and directing the specific response as appropriate. Each DRC will have the master list of tools and supplies and can coordinate with other state/regional DRC's for needed volunteers, tools and supplies.

The DRC will have direct access to the Dallas office for volunteer and GIK management and the Atlanta office for church-to-church coordination, counseling services, and finances.

Identify your strategy and intent in disaster response. For example, take care of CBF church communities and focus on one impacted area in a marginalized community doing basic things like debris removal, temporary weatherproofing or mud-outs. It is advisable to stick to simple tasks that can be done without much training or supervision and to focus these tasks in a well defined area based on need and opportunity.

Select an Advance Team of volunteers within the state/region that will form the nucleus of the disaster response leadership team. The Advance Team will be the first ones deployed into the disaster zone to make connection with victims, assess damage, and formulate and implement the specific plan of action for that disaster.

The size of the team may vary but may include a Team Leader, Recovery Operation Center (ROC) manager, Assessment Manager, Volunteer Manager, Logistics Manager (Gift In Kind), and Communications Manager.

Guiding Questions/Principles Regarding Leadership:

Who is the person responsible (DRC) for making decisions in the field?

Is an Advance Team in place to cover each major element of a response?

Do you have alternates for the DRC and Advance Team in case someone is unavailable?

Pick one area to work rather than scatter your resources.

Keep the work plan simple to use unskilled labor. For example, concentrate on basic debris removal, temporary weatherproofing and/or mudouts. Add additional activities only if you have the volunteers and resources to do it.

What is the trigger point to get involved in a response?

Prepare a situation report (sit rep) each day to keep up with the changes and submit it to the national DRC.

Volunteers

Recruit volunteers from churches in the state/region that want to be involved in disaster response. The success of the recruitment will determine what areas the state/region can offer in the response.

The Volunteer Office in Dallas can provide support and additional contacts for volunteers.

The logistics of inviting, supporting and engaging volunteers will need to be made clear. It is the responsibility of the state/regional DRC to issue the invitation for volunteers once the assessments, work orders and accommodations are in place.

Guiding Questions/Principles Regarding Volunteers

Who is the Volunteer Manager?

What are the plans for volunteer accommodations (housing, food, showers, etc.)?

How long should each volunteer team plan to be in the disaster area? Are there circumstances under which the volunteers will not be able to work on certain days, ex. no work on weekends, holidays, etc.?

Volunteers should be self-sufficient and should be informed up-front to be flexible.

Make sure there are enough assessments/work orders to keep the volunteers busy.

Volunteers should be registered with the Dallas Office and should have supplemental insurance.

Tools

For any job, it is best to have the right tools at the right time to do the job well.

Determine the tools needed to do the job based on the available pool of volunteers to sustain the work.

Build the tool box by determining the inventory of tools available through churches and partners such as pickup trucks, chain saws, bobcats, trailers, etc.

Submit a proposal to CBF Global Missions to acquire needed tools that are unavailable.

Each state/region will not need to possess all the tools to sustain a full response. For example, a state CBF organization may own and maintain a portable shower that could be pre-positioned and deployed for use in another state that does not own one.

Pre-positioning means that critical equipment for an early response (post search and rescue) can be deployed near the disaster zone but out of harms way before a predictable disaster hits such as a hurricane.

It is important to reiterate that a volunteer team be recruited to maintain and deploy tools such as a portable shower trailer as necessary. This includes where to store the tools and how they will be accessed. During the "off-season," equipment can be used within the Fellowship on initiatives such as Rural Poverty, Habitat for Humanity, etc. However, a protocol or agreement on deployment in the event of an emergency should be in place for the equipment ahead of time.

The procurement, disposition and maintenance of the tools will need to be coordinated by the respective DRC's in order to have the needed infrastructure and supplies where and when a response is initiated.

Guiding Questions/Principles Regarding Tools:

Who is responsible for the inventory, maintenance and storage of the equipment?

If specific equipment is required and not available in the Tool Box, who purchases it and from where does the funding come?

What protocol will be followed when the equipment is to be deployed, perhaps to another state?

Is there a team of volunteers available to support the maintenance, deployment and retrieval of the equipment?

Gifts-In-Kind (GIK)

One of the first reactions of people to help after a disaster is the impulse to send something to the victims. These goods and supplies are termed Gifts-In-Kind or GIK.

Handling GIK takes an enormous amount of energy, planning and arrangements, but it provides a valuable service to victims.

One state (perhaps Georgia) could develop the capacity to warehouse non-perishables and early-response supplies along with the tools and equipment to set up a GIK distribution system in the field.

Consider the timing, delivery, storage, and distribution of GIK and its appropriateness for each disaster. Prepare to receive and deliver GIK quickly within the first four to six weeks as the GIK stream from donors dies quickly.

Make arrangements with possible GIK suppliers ahead of time. For example, a state may decide to become a first-response distributor of water and ice delivered by the National Guard or a distributor for goods supplied by the Red Cross.

Consider pre-positioning GIK in strategic locations to allow for "just-in-time" delivery of GIK using smaller trucks.

When sending GIK, consider sending a volunteer team to help with off-loading and distribution.

Guiding Questions/Principles Regarding GIK:

Who is responsible for managing GIK?

Is there enough storage to support a distribution?

Are there enough volunteers and support infrastructure to conduct an orderly distribution?

What are the specific requirements for the kind of GIK you want to receive: On pallets and shrink-wrapped? Random packaging?

Is an advance inventory of GIK requested?

What kind of vehicle should make the delivery? Can you handle 18-wheelers, 20-foot U-hauls, etc.?

What kind of GIK is not desired?

What are the hours during which GIK can be received?

Can a map with specific directions to the storage/distribution center be sent in advance to those arranging transport?

Who updates and how often, the Needs List?

What are the guidelines for discontinuing GIK distribution?

Partnerships

It can prove to be very helpful in crafting a specific response if the state/regional Disaster Response Coordinator develops relationships with state/local partners such as the Baptist Men's Groups, Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Red Cross, Salvation Army, Volunteers of America or other groups.

CBF Global Missions can pursue partnerships for the entire Fellowship but their effectiveness will depend on relationship building at the state/local level.

Guiding Questions/Principles Regarding Partnerships:

Who is responsible for building partnerships?

What groups do a good job in your area?

Make a plan to cooperate before disaster strikes.

Finances

Depending on availability of funds, CBF Global Missions may be able to allocate up to $5,000 for a state/region to respond to a disaster. Additional funds may be available if constituency supports a response through designated giving.

Consider other sources of funding or GIK supply lines with the state/region.

Guiding Questions/Principles Regarding Finances:

Keep track of the different streams of funding.

Put in place a respectable accounting of the income and expenditures that will stand up under an audit.

Role of CBF Atlanta

CBF Atlanta is available to assist the states/regions in the following ways:

Preparedness planning

Conference call coordination

Resources for volunteer management

Church-to-church coordination

Connections with chaplains and counselors

Immediate funding of up to $5,000 and designated gifts from churches/individuals if available

Communications such as stories and website postings

Global Missions does not have the staff to guarantee the deployment of an Advance Team or the tools to do the job, hence the need to develop these capacities within the states/regions.

In summary, each state/region is requested to consider their role in disaster response by preparing an IDPP for submittal to national CBF. The compilation of these plans will guide how the Fellowship does disaster response in the future.

Section IV. Sample Ministry Descriptions

Sample Ministry Descriptions:

Ministry Description for Volunteer State Disaster Response Coordinator

Ministry Description for On-Site Team Leader

Ministry Description for Assessment Manager

Ministry Description for Volunteer Manager

Ministry Description for Crew Chief

Ministry Description for Logistics Manager

Ministry Description for Truck Driver and Helpers

Ministry Description for Volunteer Church Disaster Response Coordinator

Ministry Description for Volunteer Care Group Leader for Local Churches

1. VOLUNTEER STATE DISASTER RESPONSE COORDINATOR (DRC)

Purpose of Ministry:

To develop and implement an effective State Disaster Response Plan.

Responsible to:

CBF State/Regional Coordinator

Relationships with:

CBF national DRC, other state DRC's, local church CDC's, other partners

Ministry Description:

Lead the state/regional effort by being the responsible person in charge during a response.

Assemble the Advance Team and pre-position as necessary.

Supervise or designate an on-site supervisor for the Advance Team.

Submit situation reports to the State/regional Coordinator and the national DRC. (Frequency begins at daily and then transitions to weekly.)

Recruit local church disaster response coordinators.

Assist local churches to develop a disaster response plan.

Assist in recruiting volunteer disaster responders.

Provide local/regional training events.

Develop formal and informal alliances with governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

Develop a communications plan and direct contact with the media.

Determine and coordinate the implementation of an exit strategy.

Conduct evaluation and prepare final report after the disaster response has ended.

Desired Results:

A well coordinated disaster response built on the skills and gifts of the volunteers that match the needs of the survivors.

Time Commitment (amount of time, length of service):

Varies with frequency of disasters and length of engagements. Some engagements could last months. Development and coordination efforts will require a weekly time commitment of five hours or more. Duration of assignment should be a minimum of three years, preferably longer.

Skills, Talents, Gifts, Qualifications:

Strong relational, organizational and computer skills.

Training Opportunities:

Ongoing opportunities with Red Cross, VOAD, Salvation Army, Texas Baptist Men, North Carolina Baptist Men, etc.

2. ON-SITE TEAM LEADER (TL)

Purpose of Ministry:

To develop and implement a situation-specific disaster response plan that reflects CBF identity and capability.

Responsible To:

CBF State/Regional DRC (could be one in the same person)

Relationships With:

CBF national DRC, other State/Regional DRC's, local church CDC's, other partners

Ministry Description:

Lead the state/regional effort by being the responsible on-site person in charge during a response. The DRC and the TL could be the same person.

Responsible for all activities at the Recovery Operation Center and will report to the State/Regional DRC.

Coordinate with the national DRC and the Dallas Office for related to CBF national assistance

Coordinate with other State/Regional DRC’s for volunteers and supplies.

Upon arriving at a disaster site, the TL will arrange for personnel as required to assist and deliver services to the various teams and job sites.

Develop formal and informal alliances with governmental and nongovernmental organizations as needed.

Develop a communications plan and direct contact with the media.

Determine and coordinate the implementation of an exit strategy.

Conduct evaluation and prepare final report after the disaster response has ended.

Desired Results:

A well coordinated disaster response built on the skills and gifts of the volunteers that match the needs of the survivors.

Time Commitment (amount of time, length of service):

Varies with frequency of disasters and length of engagements. Some engagements could last months.

Skills, Talents, Gifts, Qualifications:

Strong relational, organizational and computer skills.

Training Opportunities:

Ongoing opportunities with Red Cross, VOAD, Salvation Army, Texas Baptist Men, North Carolina Baptist Men, etc.

3. ASSESSMENT MANAGER

Purpose of Ministry:

To assess damage to structures and determine work orders that match the skill set of volunteers.

Responsible To:

On-Site Team Leader

Relationships With:

State/Regional DRC, Volunteer Manager, and other disaster team members

Ministry Description:

Lead the effort to assess damage and develop work orders.

Have a reasonable knowledge of construction.

Determine the specific needs to be met in the disaster area such as:

Number of volunteers needed
Person hours of work
Safety precautions

Report to On-Site Team Leader to prioritize needs.

Work in conjunction with homeowners before teams arrive.

Never attempt any work at a home where a consent form has not been signed.

Provide necessary reports and consent forms to Team Leader.

Desired Results:

Accurate assessment of work load and material needs to match the arrival and capability of volunteer teams.

Time Commitment (amount of time, length of service):

Varies with frequency of disasters and length of engagements. Some engagements could last months.

Skills, Talents, Gifts, Qualifications:

Strong relational, organizational and construction skills.

Training Opportunities:

Ongoing opportunities with Red Cross, VOAD, Salvation Army, Texas Baptist Men, North Carolina Baptist Men, etc.

Date: January 2006

4. VOLUNTEER MANAGER

Purpose of Ministry:

To supervise the work of volunteers in the disaster zone that results in a positive experience for the survivors and the volunteers.

Responsible To:

On-site Team Leader

Relationships With:

State/Regional DRC and other disaster team members

Ministry Deescription:

Coordinate all volunteer activities with the Team Leader and the Dallas Office.

Work in conjunction with the Team Leader concerning housing for volunteers and all other necessary logistical arrangements.

Provide orientation of individual teams coming in prior to assigning job responsibilities to the teams, giving details of the response and briefing them regarding what has taken place and the type of work that will be involved.

Provide identity cards as appropriate.

Maintain a complete report on each job and collect the necessary information according to the plans, procedures, and policies concerning the recovery services and deliver this report to the Team Leader on a regular basis so that he/she is aware of the ongoing activities in the recovery service area.

Coordinate with the Assessment Manager regarding various jobs to determine the
exact needs and arranging for these needs to be met through the Team Leader.

Work in conjunction with homeowners before teams arrive.

Never attempt any work at a home where a consent form has not been signed.

Meet with the individual crew chiefs from each team and give them instructions and
help in organizing their teams to respond to the special needs for each job activity.

Visit the teams on the various jobs to encourage them, determine whether they have any special requirements while the jobs are ongoing, and to notify the delivery teams of any special materials that must be delivered to the job site.

When it is necessary that we have more than one team in operation, recruit qualified supervisors, called "Job Coordinators," to oversee every five work orders.

Recruit a record-keeper from the various teams to maintain the proper records, to coordinate the needs for materials and the number of volunteers necessary for the various activities, and to maintain communications with the Volunteer Manager on a regular basis.

Obtain all releases and medical information forms from volunteers and that they are registered with the Dallas Office.

Arrange that all volunteers meet nightly with the Team Leader in conjunction with the other ministries such as child care, feeding, etc, for debriefing, reporting, sharing, devotion time, and fellowship.

Perform any other duties necessary and assigned by the on-site coordinator to facilitate the disaster relief and recovery effort.

Provide necessary reports to Team Leader.

Desired Results:

Hard work is accomplished safely that benefits the survivors and leads to deeper spiritual formation for all involved.

Time Commitment (amount of time, length of service):

Varies with frequency of disasters and length of engagements. Some engagements could last months.

Skills, Talents, Gifts, Qualifications:

Strong relational, organizational and computer skills.

Training Opportunities:

Ongoing opportunities with Red Cross, VOAD, Salvation Army, Texas Baptist Men, North Carolina Baptist Men, etc.

5. CREW CHIEF

Purpose of Ministry:

To coordinate the work of volunteer teams in the disaster zone.

Responsible To:

Volunteer Manager

Relationships With:

State/Regional DRC, Team Leader, national Volunteer Manager and other disaster team members

Ministry Description:

Coordinate the recruitment and deployment of a volunteer team by working directly with the on-site Volunteer Manager.

Supervise volunteers within their team only.

Must have knowledge of construction needs, standards, and shall determine exactly what must be done for each job.

Work in conjunction with the Volunteer Manager with regard to meeting all standard building codes and safety requirements pertaining to each individual job.

Work with the team and be present at all times, taking into consideration safety and meeting the needs of the various volunteers.

Determine that all materials are on the job site and notify volunteer manager of any additional needs necessary for the job.

Obtain all volunteer releases for the team and present these releases to the volunteer manager.

Work with the property owners, helping them to understand what the team will be doing and coordinate the activities.

Never attempt any work at a home where a consent form has not been signed.

Provide necessary reports to Volunteer Manager.

Desired Results:

Provide a safe and positive experience for the volunteer in a way that helps the survivors.

Time Commitment (amount of time, length of service):

Varies with frequency of disasters and length of engagements. Some engagements could last months.

Skills, Talents, Gifts, Qualifications:

Strong relational, organizational and construction skills.

Training Opportunities:

Ongoing opportunities with Red Cross, VOAD, Salvation Army, Texas Baptist Men, North Carolina Baptist Men, etc.

6. LOGISTICS MANAGER

Purpose of Ministry:

To arrange for arrival and distribution of just-in-time deliveries or warehousing of necessary equipment and supplies to implement the specific disaster response plan.