As our nation moves closer to the height of hurricane and wildfire season, volunteers from around the nation are deploying to current disasters with the mission of bringing comfort and hope, and at the same time, developing leadership skills that will help deepen the positive impact the Red Cross will bring to future responses.
Recently, Lori Peppard, RN and Ed Duball, RN, of Colorado Springs were sent to Harlingen, Texas where heavy rain and flooding caused major damage across South Texas forcing residents to quickly evacuate their homes.
Peppard and Duball are part of a special team of Disaster Health Services (DHS) volunteers who are honing their skills as leaders in their field of expertise. The name of the team is a mouthful, but it tells the story of a group of people who want to provide the safest and most effective care to those displaced by disaster. They are the Disaster Cycle Services Health Services Protégé Program Team mentored by Mary A. Carol, Chief RN.
One of the unique things about our health services volunteers is that they are needed in every branch of service provided by the Red Cross. At the level of training provided by the Protégé Program, they shadow current leads and gain a very clear understanding of the needs specific to each branch.
They head out with volunteers in the field who are out delivering meals and clean up supplies in order to better understand the impact that the elements have on physical well-being. They learn how to meet the needs of the volunteers themselves at the Staff Wellness station. They learn about the unique needs of Hispanic populations while working with a group called the Latino Engagement Team. They work at headquarters to help coordinate staffing needs and critical communications to workers in the field. They are involved with the creation and distribution of what is referred to as the Incident Action Plan, a daily summary of response activities.
While they are in Texas they will also share from their own knowledge and experience by co-teaching a Disaster Health Services disaster simulation course for the local Red Cross chapter volunteers and newer Disaster Response Operations DHS workers.
Duball says, “This is really an honor. We are thrilled to have been chosen for this opportunity to improve our skills so we can better coordinate future disaster responses.” Peppard adds, “I think it’s smart thinking to send volunteers out to a disaster with the specific goal of training us to become future leaders which, in turn, builds the capacity of this organization. We are super excited to come back to our own Colorado & Wyoming region and share all of the new knowledge!”