PURPOSE
Southeastern Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (SEPA VOAD) mission is to prepare the region for disaster and to coordinate recovery and response.

SEPA VOAD is a part of a national collaboration of diverse organizations and citizens trained to meet community needs in the wake of a large-scale disaster and is administered by the local chapter of the American Red Cross.

SEPA VOAD coordinates planning efforts and, during a disaster, matches community needs with services provided by member VOAD agencies. This cooperative effort has proven to be the most effective way for a wide variety of volunteers and organizations to work together in a crisis. Volunteers are trained to work before, during and after a large-scale disaster. This allows SEPA VOAD to ensure uniform training, credentialing and notification of volunteer corps that stands ready to serve in response and recovery.

VOAD offers members of your organization free disaster trainings. Get peace of mind knowing your members are prepared before a disaster strikes and can look after themselves and their families post-disaster.

Our trainers can do on-site training for groups of 15+ at your location of choice. Or if you prefer, we can train several of your members as VOAD/Citizen Corps trainers so you can train new members as they come aboard.

The first step is for members to take the three-hour VOAD/Citizen Corps basic training: Preparing for and Responding to Disasters.
VOAD/Citizen Corps basic training includes:

• Overview of VOAD & Citizen Corps
• Impacts of Disasters
• Introduction to Disasters
• Disaster Preparedness
• Fire Safety
• Flood Safety
• Introduction to Mass Care
• Introduction to Shelter Operations

After completing this course, members are then able to take further free trainings such as: CPR certification by the American Red Cross, First Aid certification by the American Red Cross, Sheltering in Your Community, Psychological First Aid, Public Health Points of Dispensing (POD) Training (for pandemic response) and more.

During a local large-scale disaster, VOAD and Citizen Corps volunteers work at a variety of jobs, including:

• Register People at a Shelter
• Distribute Clean-Up Kits
• Work in a Call Center
• Provide Emotional Support to Clients
• Offer Translation Services
• Provide Extra Support for Clients with Special Needs
• Provide Mass Care
• Logistics Support
• Dormitory Duty

SEPA VOAD volunteers come from a wide range of experiences, cultures, and levels of commitment. Some volunteers are looking for a new volunteer home and devote much of their time to the VOAD mission. Others can be categorized as reservists – volunteers who are trained and credentialed but choose to volunteer only in the times of greatest need.
Visit the “Volunteer Opportunities” link for more information on training.

HISTORY
National VOAD (NVOAD) began in 1969 following the devastation of Hurricane Camille. Disaster agencies realized that they were unaware of the resources and missions of their neighboring agencies, which lead to an overlapping of services or the neglect of needy clients. These agencies came together and formed a collaboration dedicated to preparing for and communicating during a disaster.

Southeastern Pennsylvania VOAD was formed after the events of September 11, 2001, which emphasized the need to coordinate preparedness and response activities of service providers, particularly around the issue of volunteer mobilization. During times of crisis, many individuals are inspired to assist with relief and recovery efforts. Unfortunately, most of them are not yet affiliated with any relief agency. These spontaneous volunteers can drain resources and lead to an unorganized response.

By credentialing volunteers in advance of a disaster, VOAD ensures that a speedy and organized response is possible.

IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
Since its inception, VOAD has become a valuable community resource by developing relationships with community partners. To date, VOAD has 130 different agencies in its membership. They represent a diverse selection of organizations in the community including humanitarian organizations, faith-based institutions, corporations and emergency management partners.


ADVISORY COUNCIL
SEPA VOAD is led by an Advisory Council of about twenty representatives of major non-profit service providers in the Southeastern PA area. The advisory council convenes at least four times per year for two-hour meetings. The advisory council’s responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and guiding overall project progress.
• Completing and promoting the project’s 1 day VOAD and disaster preparedness orientation training and ongoing activities.
• Providing and updating information for the Project database through organizational survey.
• Developing and maintaining an activation plan for a large-scale disaster.
• Facilitating relationships in the community.

To learn more about the SEPA VOAD advisory council, please contact clingerta@redcross-philly.org

GRANTORS
In 2003, the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania partnered with the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania to secure a 3-year grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to begin building a human service framework for disaster response.  The effort was known as Southeastern Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (SEPA VOAD). As the CNCS grant funds neared an end in 2005, the Regional Counter Terrorism Taskforce was able to streamline funds from the Department of Homeland Security to continue the program. Today the program is stronger than ever, training nearly 2,000 residents of Southeastern PA and partnering with over 100 agencies.