Three weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, representatives from five Washington County groups met to discuss community safety and to form the county’s Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster Council (VOAD). From those original five agencies, the VOAD has grown to serve 15 agencies and is recognized as one the best volunteer coalitions in the state. The Volunteer Center of Washington County is a member of the VOAD and administrator of the county’s Citizen Corps Council, and WeVolunteer recently sat down with Executive Director Betsey Wilcox for an interview.

Speaking Different Languages

As one of the largest county-wide volunteer coalitions in the state, the Wash. County VOAD is capable of activating hundreds of volunteers in multiple disciplines to aid in almost any type of emergency response. When called upon by emergency responders, the VOAD can provide food, shelter, clothing, counseling and transportation assistance, in addition to social services and animal care and other services. This wasn’t always the case in Washington County.

From the first gathering in 2001 to its current monthly meetings, the VOAD has put a large emphasis on trust and cross-education. According to Wilcox, the key to an effective and integrated volunteer coalition is to understand the operations and resources offered by other organizations. And that begins with dropping the acronyms.

“When we all first met, everyone was speaking in different languages. We said that everyone had to drop the jargon and lose the acronyms if we were ever going to learn from one another.”

To help each organization understand their role in an emergency response, every VOAD meeting begins with a ‘think it through’ exercise. The County Emergency Manager offers an emergency scenario, and each person in the room ‘thinks through’ how their organization would assist in the response. The EM Director then talks through the scenario so that everyone in the room understands how their organization and resources fits in the larger scheme.

Understanding how each individual agency fits into the larger whole is important, according to Wilcox, and helps achieve a better overall emergency response. “The exercise helps us learn about our fellow agencies and gets us thinking in terms of the larger whole. We don’t want organizations so eager to offer resources that they get in the way of the fire hoses.”

Practicality Test

As the coalition of voluntary organizations grew in Washington County, and organizational by-laws were passed on three separate occasions, Wilcox says that each action had to pass the ‘practicality test’, “In this county, if it isn’t practical, it doesn’t fly!” she added.

“When we first started building our coalition in late 2001, we were pretty sure that Washington County wouldn’t be faced with a ‘disaster’ on par with the terrorist attacks in New York City,” said Wilcox. “But we were also positive that we would have emergencies in the county. The VOAD coalition is prepared to respond to both disasters and emergencies.”

Value of Volunteer Management

Volunteers and volunteer management can be one of the most valuable tools available to emergency responders following an emergency. Without proper management, hundreds or thousands of spontaneous volunteers can converge on the scene of an emergency and put themselves and others in danger, “Now you have two potential disasters in one.”

But proper volunteer management can replace a potentially chaotic situation with a productive one using credentialed, skilled and trained volunteers. “We can call up structural engineers, chainsaw crews or spiritual assistance, based entirely on the needs of the Incident Commander and emergency responders. And at the scene of an emergency, we can help responders by identifying who is better off helping direct traffic and who has the training and skills to enter a danger zone.”

On Father’s Day 2006, years of work organizing, training and exercising plans were suddenly put into practice. A tornado momentarily touched down in Hartford and damaged homes, businesses and a schoolhouse. The Washington County Citizen Corps Council was called upon to manage offers of assistance from volunteers and requests for help from affected citizens.

“Immediately after the disaster, the Incident Commander turned to the Citizen Corps to manage volunteers and those needing help,” said Wilcox.  “Though the incident was isolated to Hartford, we fielded calls for a week and turned random offers of assistance into a manageable resource for victims and responders.”

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

For communities looking to develop emergency volunteer coalitions, Wilcox has some simple advice – don’t get discouraged. “There’s a lot to learn, and it takes time. But don’t start from scratch. Connect across counties and look at other communities’ models.”

Washington County looked to peer organizations, particularly in Ozaukee County, for guidance on how to establish their coalition. They shared ideas and models from neighboring groups, “I’ve said it many times, if you’re going to start something, call somebody. Don’t reinvent the wheel; take someone else’s model and fit it to your needs.”

“For government response agencies, volunteer coalitions can be a Godsend,” said Wilcox. “They can manage and direct spontaneous volunteers to appropriate assignments, and they can serve as a critical asset to tap into community resources and activate them under incident command.”

Beginning with a meeting in late 2001 through numerous exercises, by-law changes and emergencies within the county and elsewhere, the path to developing Washington County’s wide-spread volunteer coalition has been varied and fulfilling.

“It’s been a long, but really great journey,” Wilcox concluded.

You can learn more about the Volunteer Center of Washington County and the local Citizen Corps Council and VOAD by visiting www.VolunteerNow.net.