1. Introducing . . .
Eric Dahl Coordinator, Santa Barbara VOAD and San Luis Obispo County VOAD Vice President, Southern California VOAD
August 25, 2011

2. It began in 1969 with Hurricane Camille
Second strongest landfall in recorded US history.
Category 5 with winds of at least 190 miles per hour.

3. It began in 1969 with Hurricane Camille
8,931 injuries
296 deaths: 143 in Gulf states and 153 in Virginia due to catastrophic flooding
5,662 homes destroyed, 13,915 severely damaged
Responding agencies did the best they could, but . . .

4. Response Deficiencies
Services were not coordinated
Numerous organizations served disaster victims independently of one another, including government and the nonprofit sector.
Help came to the disaster victim haphazardly as different organizations assisted in specific ways.
Service coverage was uneven
Some efforts were duplicated, wasting precious resources.
Some needs were not met, leaving victims vulnerable.

5. Response Deficiencies
Volunteers were poorly utilized
Many organizations offered the same kinds of volunteer opportunities, while there was a total lack of other service opportunities, frustrating volunteers.
Training was limited or unavailable.
Information sharing was haphazard
Public information about services during and after the disaster was inadequate and "catch-as-catch-can."
Communication among voluntary disaster agencies was very limited and mechanisms for coordinating services were non-existent.

6. National VOAD Founded in 1970
Seven national nonprofit organizations met on July 15, 1970, at the headquarters of the American Red Cross to address these problems and to improve coordination of national disaster responses.
American Red Cross
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
Mennonite Disaster Service
National Disaster Relief Office of the Roman Catholic Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Southern Baptist Convention
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Annual meetings were held starting in 1971.
National VOAD was established in 1975.

7. National VOAD Today
50 National Members

8. State & Territory VOADs
VOADs in all 50 states and 5 territories

9. Central Coast VOADs
Three VOADs on the Central Coast

10. Santa Barbara County VOAD
In 2007 leaders from the American Red Cross, Unity Shoppe, Foodbank, and other nonprofits active in disaster joined together to inaugurate Santa Barbara County VOAD (SBC VOAD).

11. Santa Barbara County VOAD
In 2008 the Aware & Prepare Initiative began funding SBC VOAD activities under Priority Theme Area # 7:
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

12. Mission of Santa Barbara County VOAD
To promote improved outcomes for people affected by disasters
by fostering communication, cooperation, coordination, and collaboration
among nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and for-profit companies active in all phases of the disaster management cycle.

13. Disaster Responses
SBC VOAD was activated in response to the Tea Fire, which began on November 13, 2008.
Members collaborated on:
Food preparation and delivery
Managing in-kind donations
Long term recovery
The Long Term Recovery Committee worked for 18 months and distributed $434,447 to county residents.
Tea Fire

14. Disaster Responses
SBC VOAD also responded to the Jesusita Fire, which began on May 5, 2009.
Activities included:
Sheltering and feeding close to 1,000 evacuees
Boarding hundreds of small and large animals
Evacuating residents from nursing care facilities
Sorting and distributing in-kind donations
Assisting residents with long term recovery
Jesusita Fire

15. Disaster Responses
SBC VOAD members assisted residents of Guadalupe affected by flooding of the Santa Maria River on December 19, 2010 with:
Shelter
Food
Temporary housing funds
Tea Fire
Guadalupe Flooding

16. Current Membership
SBC VOAD membership now includes more than 40 organizations.

17. VOAD Structure
SBC VOAD has been organized according to the Incident Command System (ICS)

18. Achievements
Disaster Resource Directory Searchable database of members’ disaster-related resources and services to enable the EOC to fill community needs more quickly and effectively

19. Achievements
Coordinated Emergency Procedures For key operational areas, including
Feeding
In-kind donations
Volunteer management
Long-term recovery

20. Achievements
Emergency Volunteer Center for managing spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers
Request volunteers
Agencies
Receive volunteers

21. Achievements
Shake-Out Santa Barbara County Earthquake Recovery Exercise —65 participants, 15 organizations

22. Achievements
Ensuring Operational Survival Business Continuity Planning for Nonprofits—44 participants

23. Achievements
VOAD EOC Liaison Training Program Building capacity to coordinate VOAD resources through the EOC

24. Current Activities and Goals
Access and Functional Needs Steering Group Mission: to increase preparedness of people with access and functional needs who are living independently

25. Current Activities and Goals
Public Information Kiosks Mission: to improve the dissemination of useful information about disaster services to the public throughout Santa Barbara County

26. Current Activities and Goals
Incident-Specific Collaborative Fund Raising Mission: to provide a system for accepting donations and distributing funds . . .
For donors who want to support response and recovery efforts related to a specific disaster
That distributes 100% of the funds locally
And is administered through a transparent and collaborative decision-making process

27. Current Activities and Goals
In-Kind Donations Management System Mission: to manage information and donated goods so that
The community’s specific needs are quickly ascertained
Potential donors are informed about what is needed
Goods are promptly sorted and distributed to individuals in need

28. Current Activities and Goals
Emergency Response Planning for Nonprofits Mission: to help VOAD members and other nonprofits to implement practical plans during a disaster to:
Protect staff and volunteers
Respond effectively to scaled-up client needs

29. Current Activities and Goals
Multi-agency disaster case management system Mission: to improve tracking and reporting of services, goods, and financial assistance provided to clients during and after a disaster

30. Current Activities and Goals
Shake, Rattle and Roll 2011 Earthquake Recovery Exercise Mission: to evaluate and improve communication and coordination among VOAD members and the EOC.
Emotional and Spiritual Care Steering Group Mission: to build skills among pastoral counselors, therapists, and disaster workers to improve emotional and spiritual health of people affected by disasters.

31. Improving Outcomes for People Affected by Disasters
VOAD
Improving Outcomes for People Affected by Disasters