Mission
Disaster Services will be America’s partner and a leader in mobilizing communities to help people prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and other life-threatening emergencies.
Role
The Red Cross responds to disasters of all kinds--single family fires, winter storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and earthquakes. The Red Cross supports communities after events that force people to evacuate, separate family members, damage or destroy homes, and injure or even kill people. Disaster response is initiated when the range and level of immediate suffering and basic human needs cannot be promptly or adequately addressed by the affected people, and when those affected are prevented from initiating and proceeding with recovery efforts on their own.
The Red Cross is a private, non-profit organization that relies on the donations and voluntary efforts of the American public to provide services. The Red Cross works in collaboration with the local community, businesses, the faith community, labor, other non-profits and government agencies to provide a wide variety of services to respond to disasters. While each disaster produces different needs, the main focus of the American
Red Cross relief efforts fall into the following areas: feeding, sheltering, distribution of needed supplies, health and mental health services, client casework to provide for emergency needs, and family linking.
Structure
The Red Cross response to a disaster starts with local chapters. When an incident requires a response that is too large for the local grouping of chapters, the Red Cross augments the response with resources from the region or from across the entire country through the Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR).
Self-Serve
Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR) Self-Serve is a method for members to update their contact information (e-mail, phone, address, etc.), their emergency contact information, and their availability dates. Members may also view or print their entire profile, but are unable to edit any other information; please contact your chapter DSHR administrator if there is incorrect information or if you need to make changes.
It is very important for DSHR members to keep their dates of availability current in the DSHR System as this is how members are recruited for assignments. Members without availability dates in the DSHR System appear as "unavailable" for assignment and can easily be overlooked during recruiting.
Members may contact their chapter for their usernames and passwords. The Red Cross may also reset DSHR member's passwords.
Baseline Requirements
o Attained the age of eighteen (18)
o Successful completion of a background check in accordance with the standards established by the National Background Check Office (NBCO)
o Signed the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (COBEC)
o Signed the Confidential Information and Intellectual Property Agreement (CIIPA)
o Signed the Personal Statement of Understanding (PSU)
o Signed the Health Status Record (HSR) on an annual basis
o Completed the DSHR System Enrollment Form
o Completed the DSHR Data Record Form (optional)
o Active in the Chapter Disaster Program
o Adhere to the Standards for Identification of Red Cross workers
o Have internet access and a valid email address. The current valid email address must be entered into the DSHR System
o Completed the required training
o Have a current and valid driver’s license
o Able to travel with little or no advance notice
o Able to remain flexible and adjust to quickly changing environments and plans
Annual Forms
Each DSHR volunteer must annually complete the Health Status Record. Those failing to keep their health record updated annually may be removed as a volunteer.