WSSPC Awards in Excellence 1999

Award Recipients

Awarded Category: Response Plans/Materials

Program Name:  

Administering Agency: The Volunteerism Project

Contact Person: Margaret Melsh, Disaster Response Program Manager

Address: 50 California Street, Suite 200, S.F., CA 94111

Telephone Number: 415-772-7381

Fax Number: 415-439-4251

1.	How long has this program been operational?
	Month: April Year: 1994
2.	What are the major purposes of this program? What problem(s) or issue(s) was it designed to address?
	The primary purpose of this program is to help the community recover more quickly and efficiently from earthquakes and other disasters by harnessing and directing the outpouring of people who want to help (spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers).
	The problem is that , in a major earthquake, the community can’t rely on speedy assistance from emergency services, in part because these agencies have limited resources. Volunteers could help fill the gap but not without a centralized dispatching system. Without such a system:
	-Resources are unused and wasted. People who want to help may never get connected, and aid to victims is slowed. -Resources are misdirected, e.g., some agencies get too many volunteers, some not enough, or a bilingual volunteer ends up making sandwiches when there’s a desperate need for interpreters. -Like a dam that spills over, people who want to help--if not directed properly--will get in the way and cause problems.
3.	Describe the specific activities and operations of the program.
	The Disaster Response Program is a five-county system serving the S.F. Bay Area that mobilizes and deploys spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers for disaster response. The program is a joint effort of Bay Area Volunteer Centers, The Volunteerism Project, and local funders. There are four chief program areas:
	Disaster Phone Banks Quickly activated after a disaster and reached through an 800 number, our phone banks connect potential volunteers with the tasks that need to be done (if phone service is disrupted, reception centers for walk-in volunteers are set up and locations announced through the media). We supply volunteers to a wide array of agencies and organizations including the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, food banks, city and county offices of emergency services and numerous grass-roots, community based organizations. We work year- round to maintain a state of readiness by training and exercising staff, keeping emergency equipment and supplies stocked, and coordinating with other agencies.
	Training and Technical Assistance We help local agencies and organizations prepare for spontaneous disaster volunteers. Workshops, printed materials, and technical assistance focus on the impact of disasters on agency staffing, the community’s demand for services, and the principles of effective disaster volunteer management.
	Volunteer Recruitment We have the capacity to involve volunteers of all ages and backgrounds and from all segments of the community for post-disaster response. We are also establishing pre-disaster contacts with businesses and corporations, congregations and service clubs to enlist their help in supplying volunteer teams to address the anticipated massive needs.
	Resource Coordination and Product Development Through participation in interagency disaster preparedness and response networks, such as Alameda County CARD and other community collaborating groups in the Bay Area, Northern California VOAD, and the Points of Light Foundation’s Allstate Disaster Preparedness Program, we ensure that volunteer issues are included. We’ve designed and presented training and exercises for a variety of audiences including local governments, community based organizations and 100+ Volunteer Centers around the country.
4.	Does this program take a new and creative approach or method? If yes, please describe.
	The program’s creative approach is to take the untrained people who spontaneously respond following a disaster and to match them with tasks that need to be done. Until this program began, there was no plan for centralized dispatching of spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers in the Bay Area. Based on our experience, we know that people will respond; by planning for them, we ensure that their time and talents are used and not wasted, that people are directed appropriately, and that they become a resource, not a problem.
5.	What were the program’s start-up costs and source(s) of funding?
	$ 76,000 Budget Source: Northern California Disaster Preparedness Network
	What are the program’s annual operational costs and source(s) of funding?
	$ 60,000 Budget Source: The United Way, San Francisco Foundation, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, Bank of America, East Bay Community Foundation, Marin Community Foundation
6.	How many employees (full-time equivalent) work(ed) with this program?
	1 FTE
7.	To the best of your knowledge, did this program originate in your state?
	Yes
	Are you aware of similar programs in other states?
	No
8.	Has the program been fully implemented?
	Yes
9.	Is there evidence that the program has been effective in achieving its stated purpose(s)? Briefly summarize evaluations (pro and con) of how well the program has addressed the defined problem(s) or issue(s).
	The strongest proof of its effectiveness has been in disaster response. Following the Loma Prieta earthquake, we mobilized over 10,000 volunteers to work in disaster response and relief. After the Northridge earthquake, we worked with leaders in the affected area to mobilize community volunteers and sent trained staff from the Bay Area to help them implement disaster operations. While these experiences predate the official start of the program, they provided the knowledge and tested concepts that are the backbone of the program today. Since the program start, we have responded quickly and capably to other local disasters including the Mt. Vision fire in Marin County (300 volunteers) and the storms/floods of February 1998 (1500 volunteers), and have lent staff and other support to Sonoma County’s response to flooding several times during the last few years.
10.	How has the program changed since its inception? What limitations or obstacles might other states expect to encounter if they attempt to adopt this program?
	The biggest change has been moving from an ad-hoc plan based on experience alone to written response plans at the county and regional levels, training and exercises for staff, etc. When the program started, many disaster professionals were skeptical about our ability to respond. After five years, many of those same professionals are among our most ardent supporters. States wishing to adopt a similar program will find that many community organizations, including Volunteer Centers and United Ways, are ready to discuss a role in responding to disaster in their own community but may need help with resources to bring that about.