Volunteer Recruitment

Disaster Action Team (DAT): Disaster Action Teams provide 24-hour emergency response (both in person and virtual) to local disasters, particularly house fires, ensuring that those affected have access to resources for necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing.

• Time Commitment: Four, 12-hour on call shifts per month. Average responses last 2-4 hours and could be daytime, evening and/or early morning hours. On call extends to weekends and holidays as well.

DAT Duty Officer: Remote position (work from home) notifying/deploying DAT volunteers to real time emergencies (such as home fires). Phone and reliable internet required.

• Time Commitment: Four, 12-hour on call shifts per month. Average responses last 2-4 hours and could be daytime, evening and/or early morning hours. On call extends to weekends and holidays as well.

Disability Integration: Assessing evacuation and post-evacuation shelters for accessibility. Coordinating with government and community partners, other functions, and activities to meet the disaster-related access and functional needs of individuals, families, and communities. Ensures all shelters and other service delivery sites, as well as all programs, services and communications are equally accessible to all clients, including those with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Mass Care/Shelter Worker: Team members work at an emergency shelter during disasters, assisting with basic shelter operations. Meeting disaster-caused sheltering needs of individuals, families, and communities. Opportunity to be a Shelter Survey Team Member, which works with partner organizations to ensure their facilities meet Red Cross sheltering requirements. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to regional or national disasters.

Health Services: Team members participate in a nationwide network of independently licensed professionals trained to provide care to communities affected by disasters. Volunteers work in a variety of settings from shelters, to aid stations and home visits. Provides support during the casework and recovery planning process. Provide staff health support, as necessary. May assist the chapter and/or region in developing partnerships with local healthcare organizations. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Mental Health Services: Disaster Mental Health volunteers are licensed mental health professionals deployed locally and nationally to help meet the emotional needs of individuals and communities affected by disasters. The role of the Disaster Mental Health volunteer is to provide disaster mental health support and connections to local resources to individuals and families who have been impacted by a disaster. May also provide support to Red Cross workers with disaster mental health intervention. May assist in developing partnerships with local mental health agencies. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Disaster Spiritual Care: Team members assist disaster clients in utilizing their own spiritual resources, values, and faith during crisis regardless of one’s faith tradition. Facilitates long-term recovery for clients by providing spiritual and emotional support and/or connection to local resources. May be available to Red Cross staff who request spiritual care support. May assist the chapter and region in developing partnerships with local faith-based organizations. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle) Drivers: Team members drive an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) during regional and national disaster response operations, providing food, hydration, and support to disaster clients in various locations. Must complete ERV specialty training and operating guidelines while maintaining a clean driving record, with a strict sense on road safety and performing pre-trip vehicle inspections. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Logistics:  Team members assist with the procurement, tracking, maintenance and delivery of Red Cross goods and materials. May include disaster supplies, general shelter support items, and/or preparedness materials. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Facilities: The purpose of Logistics facilities is to find facilities for DRO required use based on requests; survey facilities to ensure the facility meets ARC requirements; determine condition of facility before and after use and determine and obtain needed services and products to open and use facility in a safe and healthy manner. The role of the facilities service associate is to complete assigned tasks successfully based on the purpose and key responsibilities listed below.

Warehouse: Team members are responsible for shipping/receiving, inventory control, overall warehouse organization and product placement. Warehouse team members may be required to obtain forklift operator certification the Red Cross.

Disaster Services Technology (DST): Team members assist in the deployment of required technology such as laptops, phones, printers and networking equipment to individuals and work sites ensuring that communication and coordination abilities are easily accessible during times of disaster. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Life Safety and Asset Protection (LSAP): Team members respond to incidents occurring in their assigned area of responsibility and provide direct assistance and guidance to Red Cross workers as needed to ensure safety and protection are provided. Identify and address safety, security and asset concerns that may arise. Ensure issues are documented and shared with supervisor. While team members do not provide security presence personally, collaborates with local law enforcement entities to ensure security is implemented. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Damage Assessment: Team members gather impact assessment information and conduct Detailed Damage Assessments in the field. In addition, damage assessment members utilize Red Cross technology to document the data collected. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping: GIS technology provides the capability to map and analyze hazards of all types and visualize their potential impacts. When hazards are fused with critical infrastructure, population densities, and other community values, vulnerabilities can be observed, modeled, and better understood. Team member utilizes hardware and software to gather, analyze, and map geospatial information to help in the disaster planning process. May include population density, materials location, and natural or technological hazards. Team members must be tech-savvy and able to deal with substantial amounts of data. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Disaster Workforce Engagement Team member: Team member communicates with new volunteers to assist in the onboarding process for their respective positions via emails and phone calls. Ensure that volunteers receive information about required trainings, as well as connecting new volunteers with their team lead to ensure proper placement in desired position. Maintains volunteer profiles, assists with workforce development, and assists in volunteer recognition programs.

• Time commitment: Virtual position – approx. 4-6 hours week, flexible schedule.

Information and Planning: Team members are responsible for data gathering, preparing, and disseminating resource and situation status information as required, including special requests. The data compiled by Information and Planning provides necessary information to chapter and regional leadership regarding disaster responses. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

Case Workers: Perform follow-up case work for persons affected by disasters to ensure that basic client recovery needs are met. Assist with problem-solving and advocacy upon request. Services may be provided in person or virtually. Services may be provided in person or virtually. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

• Time Commitment: Average 10 hours a month, flexible schedule.

Home Fire Campaign Team: Save lives and prevent injuries! Team members participate in a variety of activities such as: Pre-canvassing residential neighborhoods and distributing life-saving information about home fire prevention and preparedness. Utilizing hand tools, drills, hammers, and working from ladders to help install smoke detectors when needed. Promoting Red Cross preparedness briefs at public events within the community.

• Time Commitment:  Average 10 hours a month  

Youth Preparedness: Team members promote Red Cross disaster preparedness programs to students at local elementary schools utilizing an established curriculum and teaching tools. Requires public speaking and event coordination skills. Experience working with youth helpful, but not required. Youth Preparedness incorporates Pillowcase and Prepare with Pedro.

Community Preparedness Education Programs (CPEP): Team members provide appropriate preparedness programs within a community to residents and businesses to help them prepare for disasters and other emergencies. Members will be trained on how to present disaster preparedness. CPEP incorporates Be Red Cross Ready, Hands Only CPR, Ready Rating and Active Threat.

Community Partnerships: Team members collaborate with external non-profits, community groups, faith-based organizations, civic leaders, and other community stakeholders to develop and implement strategies to engage in programs and service delivery while adhering to the principles of the Red Cross. Projects may include conducting meetings with partners to build relationships, planning and participating in exercises with partners, or assisting with community response planning. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours a week, flexible schedule.

Government Operations: Team members develop and maintain strategic relationships with local government entities; participate in internal and external planning efforts and exercises; facilitate response activities; effectively represent the Red Cross to government partners and explain Red Cross disaster policies. The Government Operations Service Associate acts as the direct daily (if appropriate) contact with government partners, in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or other coordination center, during a disaster relief operation. Represent the Red Cross to external partners, manages internal and external expectations, establish and monitor situational awareness. Communicates critical information to chapter and/or regional leadership. Must be able to build trust and foster collaboration between the Red Cross and government partners. Depending on interest and training, may be eligible to deploy to larger regional and national disasters.

• Time Commitment: Average 20-30 hours a month.

Outreach: Serve in direct support of our armed forces and their families as a Red Cross volunteer; represent the Red Cross at deployment briefings, events at local armories and at reintegration/Yellow Ribbon events. Help with special projects supporting the military.

Write and submit press releases, update Red Cross social media pages, conduct on-air interviews about the Red Cross, manage Red Cross disaster public affairs. Ability to work remotely from any location via internet and phone.

Volunteer Engagement: Communicate with new volunteers to assist in the onboarding process for their position, via emails and phone calls. Ensure that volunteers get information about training required, as well as getting connected with their team lead to ensure placement in the position they have identified.

Volunteer Recruitment: Assist in developing and implementing the Volunteer Recruitment strategy through building a recruitment network. Support in the research, planning and execution of recruitment events.

Restoring Family Links: Every year, thousands of family members are separated by conflicts, disaster or migration. The Red Cross Movement works together around the world to locate people and put them back into contact with their relatives. This position involves doing outreach to a wide variety of migrant and refugee communities throughout the Denver metro area, providing them with information about our services in reuniting families.

Fleet Management Volunteers: License and registration renewals, file maintenance, emissions testing, vehicle pick up, and inspections.

Event Volunteer: Assist with the planning of Red Cross special events, assist with set-up and take-down of event, during event- provide support as needed including registering guests, auction support and assisting with media/AV needs. Work with Staff to ensure sponsors are actively cultivated.

Fundraising Support Volunteer: Assist with keeping donor information current in Salesforce, recording activities, uploading documents, maintaining accuracy of donor groups, donor outreach, data entry, general office projects, mailings.

We are working to create awareness of how our organization is active throughout the region and inform you of opportunities to either partner or volunteer with us.  Knowing that Grand County was specifically impacted by the fires last summer, we feel like now is the time to get more community members trained and organized should we see similar fire activity this summer.

This past fall, we were faced with one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in Colorado history. We anticipate another highly active disaster season and already training volunteers in preparation of local and national responses. It’s essential to have our volunteers trained up now so when a disaster hits, the Red Cross is ready to respond:

2020 Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming Wildfire Fire Stats 

• 322 disaster workers  were deployed both on the ground and in-person to provide support and services. 
• 38,767 overnight stays  in  22,220 rooms  and  54 hotels  were provided. 
• 64,774 meals  were served alongside our community partners. 
• 2,015  cleanup kits  and  other  recovery  supplies  were distributed. 

We couldn’t have done it without the support of our community partners! Volunteers carry out 90% of the humanitarian work of the Red Cross. We rely on our generous volunteers who give their time & talent to help fulfill our mission.

In Grand County, we are looking to build up our teams of Mass Care and Sheltering Volunteers, as well as Disaster Action Team members in the area. If you’re interested in learning more about training and time commitments, please contact Josh Stewart at joshua.stewart@redcross.org or you can call or text his cell at 970-545-2795.