Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Organizing Volunteer Disaster Response Efforts

After Barak Obama's renewed emphasis on NOT simply growing government plus his commitment to putting more volunteers to work in service to America, this program appears to fit nicely into the mix. With a minimal staff contingent and a constant emphasis on organized volunteerism, C-DROMO would be designed to:

• Form a bridge between the National Guard, State Guards, local emergency first responders, local government officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and civilian volunteers
• Inventory, assess and direct the skills of volunteers in each event according to the needs of professional relief personnel in the field
• Create and manage "flightline logistics" in and around the bases of operations
• Keep the public notified of specific skills needed in each particular disaster response
• Orchestrate food, shelter, transportation and appropriate tools for volunteers who are under the direction of coordinators
• Identify and effectively manage VISTA-type volunteers who can earn college tuition credits for service to America
• Direct and conduct inter-agency communication exercises to prepare for the challenges that a major disaster can present to communication between responders

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