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Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services volunteers and staff meet not only basic emergency needs after a natural or man-made disaster but also continue to meet the long term needs of each community, because we are a part of those communities.
The Salvation Army is a presence in communities across the country and it is often among the first to provide assistance when disaster strikes. We provide a real grass roots advocacy by working with each of our county emergency disaster service response coordinators throughout New York State. We collaborate with them, first responders and agencies in the community.
During a disaster, The Salvation Army relies upon trained disaster workers to coordinate emergency relief operations and deliver efficient service to disaster survivors. Immediate relief efforts may include food and hydration, emergency shelter, cleanup kits and spiritual and emotional care. The Salvation Army also offers emotional and spiritual care as many survivors are in need of a listening ear and prayer.
Long before a disaster strikes, Emergency Disaster Services provides training for residents who would like to become disaster volunteers for The Salvation Army. The introductory training class, now online, provides key information for a community on how to prepare for and respond to an emergency situation. Introduction to Emergency Disaster Services is now available online at no cost. It is a self-paced program where volunteers will learn about The Salvation Army, its mission, how it operates in disaster situations, how volunteers would be a part of the Emergency Disaster Services and what would be expected of them, including how they can best prepare and equip themselves for disaster relief.
In disaster relief operations, The Salvation Army’s first goal is to meet the basic needs of those affected both survivors and first responders. All Salvation Army disaster response services are managed locally, by people who live and work in the communities they serve, supported by trained officers, staff and volunteers from around the Empire State Division.
With trained volunteers, the Army is able to respond quickly and efficiently. The Empire State Division maintains a fleet of 8 emergency response vehicles, including mobile feeding units assigned in different locations within upstate New York that allow for the fast in an emergency.
Each disaster creates its own unique circumstances and the Army's response varies from place to place based on the community's situation and level of impact.
Our Emergency Disaster Services can provide:
- Food Hydration Service: Food and drink may be prepared, served, and delivered at communal feeding sites or from one of the Army's mobile feeding units (also called canteens). The Salvation Army also partners with other disaster relief agencies to provide food for emergency shelters.
- Emergency Shelter: The Salvation Army may provide shelter in a facility identified by local emergency management personnel, including municipal shelters or Salvation Army buildings.
- Cleanup: The Salvation Army distributes cleanup kits and supplies such as mops, brooms, buckets, shovels, detergents, and tarps, and coordination of clean-up efforts.
- Emergency Communications: The Salvation Army helps provide emergency communications when more traditional networks, such as telephones, are not operating. The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network, (www.SATERN.org), enables victims to transmit and receive information about their loved ones.
In the weeks after a disaster, the intense media coverage is over and the survivors are still cleaning out mud and replacing walls, The Salvation Army’s trained caseworkers help residents with long term recovery. Assistance may be provided to help disaster survivors cover essential living supplies, household needs and disaster-related medical or funeral expenses.
When a disaster strikes, The Salvation Army provides spiritual comfort and emotional support to community members and emergency workers coping with stress. Other activities may include comforting the injured and bereaved, conducting funeral and memorial services or providing chaplaincy services.
How do you fit into this picture? By supporting the Army financially during a local disaster emergency or by taking an on-line disaster preparedness course so you are knowledgeable about how to respond and help your community.
Tags: Disaster