By Mary Jo Blackwood, American Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer
In case you are wondering if it is safe to volunteer on the scene at a disaster or with clients who have been displaced, the American Red Cross has the situation well in hand.
No volunteers are allowed out in the field without extensive training on safe practices. Ashley Turner, the Disaster Workforce Engagement Manager for the Colorado-Wyoming Region, oversees all of that training. She explains how Red Cross functions in this new environment:
“We have an umbrella policy known by the mnemonic device of CDC: Cover, Distance and Clean. This helps the Red Cross workforce remember the three critical actions for maintaining personal safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
CDC makes sure that, while supporting Red Cross missions, the workforce follows these actions when in any Red Cross facility, public spaces, or within proximity of others, including off-hours when physically deployed:
- Cover: All in-person workers must wear face coverings while on shift at all times, including when operating in Red Cross facilities and vehicles and undergoing temperature checks before every in-person shift.
- Distance: Virtual assignments are prioritized whenever possible. When virtual work is not an option, all in-person workers must maintain six feet of distance between themselves and others. When this is not possible, we must increase the level of personal protective equipment being used.
- Clean: All of us need to wash our hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces throughout the day.
All new disaster and other volunteers will watch an orientation video that covers the procedures that have changed because of COVID. In addition, there are several virtual classes that would help a new volunteer prepare for an assignment.
For instance,
- A new disaster volunteer would take Shelter Fundamentals, which covers how sheltering takes place in general.
- After that class, a 21-minute video covers Sheltering in the COVID Environment. It is an introductory level video that covers working in a congregate shelter during COVID. When possible, the Red Cross provides non-congregate sheltering, which means having separation between families. In congregate sheltering, unrelated people may be housed together but following the guidelines for safety. This program is required for anyone deploying during the 2020 hurricane and wildfire season and applies to both the Red Cross workforce and our partner organizations for developing their sheltering plans.
- A third virtual course, called COVID-19 Shelter Assignments, is required for disaster volunteers deploying during this crisis and provides information about working in a congregate shelter when that is all that is available. It offers practical advice for “boots-on-the-ground” shelter workers, including how to serve as a Health Screener in a screening area of a congregate shelter.
All virtual courses are virtual instructor-led and contain time for discussion.
Because of the unprecedented nature of the pandemic situation and for future needs, the American Red Cross has created a new position for each of their regions of Safety Officer. That person checks all active sites to ensure protocols are being followed to ensure the continued safety of volunteers, staff and clients.
If you are interested in becoming a disaster volunteer, you may contact Stewart, Joshua joshua.stewart@redcross.org or Kemp, Carrie carrie.kemp@redcross.org.