DESCRIPTIONS

DIRECT SERVICES

Disaster Health Services (DHS):    Provides emergency and preventive health services to people affected by disaster and to Red Cross staff providing disaster relief.  Cooperates in approved, appropriate research designed to mitigate disaster-related illness, injury, and death.  Provides support to persons who have disaster-related or disaster-aggravated health needs.  Assists disaster victims in finding resources to meet health-related financial obligations.  Provides Red Cross financial assistance to clients for medical bills, as necessary.     BACK TO TOP

 Disaster Mental Health Services (DMHS):    Provides emergency and preventive mental health services to people affected by disaster and to Red Cross workers assigned to a disaster relief operation and their families; services include educations about stressors and their effects, methods of coping; and advocacy, crisis interventions, and referral services to resources to meet mental health related problems.     BACK TO TOP

Disaster Welfare Inquiry (DWI):    Responds to inquiries about the health and well being of individuals and families within the affected area.  Collects information about such persons.  Provides services leading to reunification of family members in the affected area and provides information for disaster welfare inquiry bulletins issued by national headquarters to Red Cross units.     BACK TO TOP

Family Services (FS):    Emergency Assistance provides individual assistance at service delivery sites and through outreach, by referral to government and/or voluntary agencies through distribution or financial assistance.  Additional Assistance helps clients plan their recovery by using all appropriate personal, community, and government resources.  Building and Repair provides technical guidance about the repair an/or reconstruction of buildings and maintains liaison with contractors providing these services to the disaster relief operation.     BACK TO TOP

Mass Care (MS):    Provides congregate shelter facilities, fixed and mobile feeding services for disaster victims and emergency workers in the affected area, and distribution of supplies and commodities to people affected by the disaster.     BACK TO TOP

INTERNAL SUPPORT SERVICES

Accounting (AC):  Administers financial aspects of the relief operation.  Receives and expends funds to meet commitments for relief costs, travel and maintenance of staff, salaries, and other expenditures required for the relief operation.    BACK TO TOP

Communications (COM):    Establishes and maintains communications systems for the disaster relief operation, including telephone, wireless, two-way radio, satellite and other systems; and serves as liaison with agencies or organizations providing such services to the relief operation.    BACK TO TOP

Damage Assessment (DA):    Determines the size, scope, and impact of the disaster and the level of damage sustained by dwellings within the affected area.  Develops and distributes maps and statistical data related to the effects of the disaster and demographics of affected populations.     BACK TO TOP

Disaster Computer Operations (DCO):    Supports the automation systems of a relief operation, provides hardware, software and technical support to operation staff using those systems.    BACK TO TOP

Local Disaster Volunteers (LDV):    Recruits, places, retains, administers, supports, and recognizes all volunteers affiliated with affected units and all spontaneous disaster volunteers who support a disaster relief operation.    BACK TO TOP

Logistics (LOG):    Acquires related materials and services through procurement or in-kind donations.  Stores and distributes relief materials; provides transportation by acquiring, assigning and tracking national and rental vehicles; acquires and maintains facilities; acquires and maintains materials and equipment; and tracks, codes and forwards vendor invoices and chapter reimbursement requests to appropriate offices for the disaster relief operation.    BACK TO TOP

Records & Reports (R&R):    Controls and processes Disbursing Orders, maintains master case files of Disaster Registration and Case Records, and compiles statistics related to the relief operation as requested by the Director.    BACK TO TOP

Staffing (STF):    Recruits, places, administers, supports, and recognizes all paid staff assigned to the relief operation and those volunteer staff assigned to the relief operation from outside the affected area.    BACK TO TOP

Training (TRNG):    Orients all staff assigned to the relief operation and provides operational training, mobilization training, Disaster Services courses, and/or capacity building training as needed to support the relief operation.    BACK TO TOP

EXTERNAL SUPPORT SERVICES

Fund Raising (FR):    Supports and/or coordinates local, statewide and/or nationwide fund-raising strategies to raise the cost of the disaster relief operation.    BACK TO TOP

Chapter Liaison (LC):    Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with Red Cross units within the affected area.    BACK TO TOP

Government Liaison (LG):    Develops and maintains liaison with federal, state, and local authorities and government units.    BACK TO TOP

Human Relations Liaison (LHR):    Develops and maintains community relations in the affected area with individuals and organizations representing diverse segments of the community, i.e. racial/ethnic groups, people with disabilities, senior citizens, and different socio-economic levels to enhance service delivery to those populations.    BACK TO TOP

Labor Liaison (LL):    Develops and maintains close working relations with organized labor, provides information to labor organizations about Red Cross services available to those affected by disaster, contacts such organizations for help in identifying affected members, potential volunteer resources and in-kind donations from their membership and employer companies.  This functions serves as a liaison between all levels of organized labor and the disaster relief operation.    BACK TO TOP

Voluntary Agencies Liaison (LVA):    Develops and maintains liaison with other voluntary organizations including national organizations, local components of national organizations, community organizations, and ad hoc groups involved in disaster response, for purpose of ensuring mutual support and coordination of disaster relief services between organizations, and for potential recruitment of the resources of these organizations for the relief operation.  BACK TO TOP

Public Affairs (PA):    Provides information about services available to those affected by disaster, provides information to the general public about disaster relief, serves as liaison with all media, and provides general public affairs support to the relief operation.    BACK TO TOP