Disaster Action Team Training

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Disaster Action Team Training Part 1 Response
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Course Purpose

• The purpose of this on-line, self-paced course is
  to prepare Disaster Action Team members to be
  effective first Red Cross responders to home
  fires and local disasters

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Course Outline

• Segment 1 Roles and Responsibilities
• Segment 2 Responding to a disaster
• Segment 3 Doing the Paperwork!
• Segment 4 Meeting Immediate
• Emergency Needs
• Segment 5 Typical DAT Response

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Course Objectives

• After completing this course, you will be able
  to
• Understand your DAT role and responsibilities as
  a first Red Cross responder
• Provide appropriate emergency assistance to
  clients

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Disaster Action Team Training
Segment 1Role and Responsibilities
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First Red Cross Responder

• Not the role of an emergency services/fire rescue
  first responder
• Compliments role of local emergency officials
• Provides immediate emergency assistance to
  clients and emergency workers

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Role of the Disaster Action Team

• Provide the Red Cross response in a disaster
• Assess the disasters impact and the need for
  additional Red Cross resources and report to
  Chapter leadership
• Provide immediate emergency assistance to those
  affected by the disaster and to emergency workers

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Role of DAT Captain

• Serve as incident commander to manage the
  on-scene Red Cross response
• Communicate with ranking on-scene emergency
  officials to integrate the Red Cross response
• Assess the disasters impact and report to
  Chapter leadership changes in status
• Ensure appropriate emergency assistance is
  provided to affected persons and emergency
  workers
• Maintain communications with Chapter
• Handle on-scene media inquiries

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Role of DAT Members

• Conduct disaster impact and damage assessment,
  assist with feeding and sheltering, etc.
• Provide appropriate emergency assistance to
  clients and emergency workers
• Interview those affected by the disaster and
  complete client casework and reports

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Required DAT Member Training

• Fulfilling Our Mission Translating Your
  Compassion Into Community Action
• Damage Assessment I
• Mass Care An Overview
• Shelter Operations
• Client Casework Providing Emergency Assistance
• ERVs Ready, Set, Roll
• First Aid

In addition to required training, DAT members are
encouraged to take all basic Red Cross Courses.
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DAT Member Commitment

• Each DAT Member must be able to perform the key
  functions
• Disaster Impact Damage Assessment
• Mass Care Feeding
• Mass Care Sheltering
• Client Casework
• Handle media inquiries

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DAT Member Identification

• Red Cross Vest or Shirt
• Photo ID Name Badge
• Temporary Red Cross signs on vehicle

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Required DAT Kit Items

• Form for Impact Assessment
• Form 5739 On-Site Detailed Damage Assessment
  (Street Sheet)
• Form 901 Disaster Registration and Case Record
• Form 140C Disbursing Orders
• Client Assistance Cards
• Form 1030 Client Assistance Card Authorization
• Form 5855 Disaster Referral
• Form 5244 Information Release
• DAT Guidelines (Merchants, Pricing, Referrals)
• After the Fire Brochure
• Client Survey
• Comfort Kits

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Suggested DAT Kit Essentials

• County Map
• Clipboard
• Calculator
• Flashlight
• Pens (black ball point only)
• Boots
• Rain Gear
• Insect Repellent
• Hand Sanitizer

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Personal Safety

• Taking care of yourself is
• priority ONE!
• Never go into an unsafe area
• Never go alone
• Dont get personally involved with a clients
  situation
• Debrief with Disaster Mental Health Services if
  emotionally stressed
• Unwind with physical activity

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Disaster Action Team Training
Segment 2Responding to a disaster
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Notice for DAT Response

• Local emergency officials notify Red Cross
  Chapter (or DAT beeper) immediately when a
  disaster happens
• Red Cross Chapter contacts DAT Team
• DAT Team should be on scene within 1 hour
• Properly identified DAT Team permitted in
  disaster area (cold zone)

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Upon arriving at disaster scene

• Contact incident commander or other appropriate
  emergency authority to coordinate Red Cross
  response
• Make quick assessment of the total situation,
  complete a disaster impact assessment survey, and
  get information to Chapter
• Assess need for additional Red Cross resources
  and report to Chapter
• Meet immediate emergency needs of affected
  persons and emergency workers
• Ensure Red Cross workers, facilities, and
  equipment are properly identified

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When to call Disaster Mental Health

• A fatality is involved
• Very old or very young victims
• A number of families displaced
• Watch for problem signs
• Client not alert or aware
• Client acting strange
• Client has problem speaking
• Client highly emotional

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Disaster Action Team Training
Segment 3Doing the paperwork! Impact Assessment
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Disaster Impact Assessment

• Use to collect and report disaster impact
  information to the Chapter in an organized manner
  using 15 essential elements
• Not required for single family fires
• Prepare a separate form for each person from whom
  you collect information

DAT members should take the on-line Needs
Assessment course at cacarc.org to enhance their
skills in collecting disaster impact information
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Disaster Impact Assessment
Contact information for the person providing the
disaster status information, person collecting
the information and time, has it been verified,
is it complete
Provide a brief status for each of the 15
essential elements, update as more complete
information is received
Refer to the example of a completed Disaster
Impact Assessment in the on-line Needs Assessment
course
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Disaster Action Team Training
Segment 3Doing the paperwork! On-Site Detailed
Damage
Assessment (Street Sheet)
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Form 5739 On-Site Detailed Damage Assessment
(Street Sheet)

• Use to provide detailed damage information where
  more than one house is affected by the disaster
• Not required for single home fires

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Form 5739 On-Site Detailed Damage Assessment
(Street Sheet)

• Specific disaster
• DR Number
• DR Name
• State
• County
• City
• Date

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Form 5739 On-Site Detailed Damage Assessment
(Street Sheet)

• Street Name prepare a Form 5739 for each Street
  affected by the disaster
• Geographical Reference enter GPS coordinates if
  available

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Form 5739 On-Site Detailed Damage Assessment
(Street Sheet)

• Specific damage information for each affected
  home on the street

• Total count by type of dwelling and damage
  classification

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Disaster Action Team Training
Segment 4 Meeting Immediate
Emergency Needs
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What are Immediate Emergency Needs?

• Red Cross emergency assistance is intended to
  meet immediate emergency needs
• Something to wear and change into (Clothing
  Shoes)
• Something to eat (Food Groceries)
• A safe place to stay (Shelter Lodging)

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What is Emergency Assistance?

• The Chapter will meet the clients immediate
  emergency needs by either providing food and
  shelter operated by the Red Cross or by providing
  financial assistance in the form of Disbursing
  Orders or Client Assistance Cards, which the
  client can use to purchase food, clothing, and
  lodging

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Disaster Action Team Training
Segment 4 Typical DAT Response
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Typical DAT Response to a Home Fire Providing
Emergency Financial Assistance

• Arrive at the fire scene and contact the ranking
  Fire official to get an understanding of what has
  occurred and extent of damage to home (if damage
  is not visible from exterior do not enter home,
  rely on Fire officials description of the damage
  in homes interior)
• Introduce yourself to the homeowner and explain
  the services available from the Red Cross to meet
  immediate emergency needs. Be sure to
  communicate that Red Cross services are to assist
  the client in the first few days of a fire to
  have a place to stay, food and clothing so that
  they can begin their recovery. Show compassion,
  but be professional at all times.
• If several homes/apartments are involved,
  establish an order for interviewing each client.
  Interview and complete the assistance
  documentation for each client before beginning
  with the next client.

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Typical DAT Response to a Home Fire Providing
Emergency Financial Assistance

• Begin the interview by explaining that you will
  prepare a confidential client case record that
  will not be released to anyone without the
  clients permission.
• Conduct the interview following the Form 901 -
  Disaster Registration and Case Record
• Document all essential information you receive
  about the clients case on the Form 901
• Determine types of assistance which best address
  the clients immediate emergency needs.
• A place to stay is one of the more difficult
  services to provide (due to football weekends,
  legislative session, etc.), make this your first
  action. Ask if the client has a place to stay
  with family or friends. Client personal needs in
  grieving a loss differ, do not encourage one
  particular lodging means. Let the client tell
  you if they prefer to stay with family/friends or
  in a motel. Try to use a motel which meets the
  clients need to be near a childs school or the
  clients work location.

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Typical DAT Response to a Home Fire Providing
Emergency Financial Assistance

• Call the motel and reserve the needed rooms.
  Advise the motel that the client will be using a
  Red Cross Disbursing Order which has instructions
  for billing the Red Cross. Be clear with the
  motel about what is being reserved, only the room
  rate is to be paid, no incidentals such as,
  phone calls, PPV TV, etc. Suggest stating The
  Red Cross is reserving 3 nights lodging for ___
  adults and ___ children for ___ rooms for the
  nights of ___, ___, and ___ with check out on
  ___.
• Prepare the Form 140C Disbursing Order for motel
  3 nights stay.
• Prepare the Form 140C Disbursing Orders and/or
  Form 1030 Client Assistance Card Authorization
  for other financial assistance (groceries,
  clothing shoes) using DAT Guidelines for
  Merchants and Pricing. Accommodate the client by
  selecting merchants close to their travel routes,
  work, etc.

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Typical DAT Response to a Home Fire Providing
Emergency Financial Assistance

• Prepare Form 5855 Disaster Referral using DAT
  Guidelines for Referral Agencies. Maximize
  referrals. Explain to the client the various
  referral agencies available and ask which will
  best suit their immediate needs. A referral to
  the Salvation Army for food, clothing, and
  furniture should always be suggested when a home
  has major damage or destroyed. If a fatality is
  involved, call Mental Health Services for
  assistance in providing a referral for mental
  health services.
• Prepare Form 5244 - Information Release which
  allows information to be released to the media
  that Red Cross is providing assistance to the
  client
• After completing all required forms (case record,
  disbursing orders, client assistance card
  authorization, disaster referrals, information
  release, explain each document to the client,
  secure the clients signature on each document,
  and provide client their copies

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Typical DAT Response to a Home Fire Providing
Emergency Financial Assistance

• List details of financial and other assistance
  provided on the Form 901 Case Record.
• Ask the client if there are any other immediate
  emergency needs. You will not be able to meet
  some of the needs that the client will mention
  (such as, a ride to the motel or money to buy a
  new home or car destroyed by the fire), however,
  listening to client may generate additional
  referrals. You can ask law enforcement to assist
  in transporting the client to the motel. When
  you feel you have exhausted your resources to
  assist the client, tell the client that you
  believe you have provided all the assistance that
  Red Cross has available at this time. Write on
  the case record as the last comment in the
  Narrative section, All immediate emergency needs
  met.

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Typical DAT Response to a Home Fire Providing
Emergency Financial Assistance

• Give client a Red Cross Client Survey, an After
  the Fire brochure, handout on helping kids cope
  with disaster, and a comfort kit for each
  household member
• Give the client the local Red Cross telephone
  number (850/878-6080) and advise them to call in
  the event they have problems accessing their
  financial assistance or any other issues where
  the Red Cross may be of assistance
• If fire or law enforcement officials are still
  on-scene when you complete your client casework,
  advice them that you have completed working with
  the clients and are leaving the scene.
• Within 24 hours, call the Chapter Voicemail (850)
  894-6741and report the required information and
  arrange to take the case record to the Chapter as
  soon as possible.