• Home
• Volunteers
• Programs
• Events
• Partners
• Donations
• Contacts

• Disaster Response
• Emergency Food Closet
• R.A.D.
• Safe Kids at Home
• HIV / AIDS Assistance
• Mike Wolf School Fund

Caring Choices Disaster Response

• 

  Emergency Volunteer Center

  The Butte County Lightening Complex Fires of 2008 were a clear indication of how close to home disaster can and will strike. Caring Choices operated the Emergency Volunteer Center (EVC) for the North State during the Summer months of 2008.

  Caring Choices is part of an organized statewide effort to manage spontaneous volunteers in periods of disaster. This statewide organization provides training and guidance in this activity and manages communication among the various volunteer centers in California. Caring Choices is an affiliate of a national organization, HandsOn Network, which provides additional support for this function. This national group works with our national partners at FEMA, the American Red Cross and VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). Caring Choices Volunteer Center of Northern California (CCVC) is the sole volunteer center in all of Region III. Click Here to view a map of Region III (PDF File)

  As part of responding to disasters Caring Choices EVC has teamed up with Butte County Office of Emergency Services (OES) where we have established and signed Butte County Board of Supervisors’ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide EVC services for spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers in the event of a disaster. Upon activation the EVC provides screening, processing, referring, managing, and placing spontaneous volunteers where needed in periods of disaster. Caring Choices EVC has also formed (MOU) agreements with both American Red Cross-Three Rivers Chapter and the North Valley Animal Disaster Group (NVADG).

  The benefits of an EVC

  The benefits of utilizing an EVC to first responders is they serve as a buffer between first responders and well-intentioned, unaffiliated, untrained volunteers. They complement rather than complicate efforts of first responders. The benefits of an EVC to emergency managers are they reduce the likelihood of a public relations nightmare; they help communities save precious resources. The benefits of EVC’s to disaster organizations are many agencies are not able/willing to create and maintain relationships with un-affiliated disaster volunteers. The benefits to the community are they ensure that urgent community needs are addressed in a timely manner. They may also lay the foundation to rebuild the community and provide for recovery and mitigation services after the actual event. Caring Choices’ scope of work is negotiating and expanding by developing MOU’s with other surrounding counties and their agencies.

  When the EVC is activated

  Caring Choices EVC responds upon request and will assist in large scale disasters. The EVC if activated would operate up to 16 hours a day 7 days a week. The Center would provide assistance to county or city government, Red Cross, Northern Valley Animal Disaster Group, or other disaster service organization in Region III. They help potential volunteers respond more effectively to critical needs of the community, by making the best possible use of unaffiliated volunteers. Spontaneous or unaffiliated volunteers can be used to remove debris, sandbag, do clean-up, be message runners, answer phones, perform office work—clerical, data entry, filing, serve clients directly—food, shelter, comfort, interview volunteers, interpret/translate, help assess damage, care for lost pets.

  During a disaster it is a widely accepted that Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), local, state, and federal agencies rely heavily on volunteers for assistance during a disaster situation. It is preferred by all disaster response agencies that our community has as many affiliated volunteers as we can to support the needs of the public and private agencies involved in disaster services. Caring Choices helps build this cadre of affiliated volunteers and so can you by signing up today and becoming an affiliated volunteer!! Click Here to find out more about joining the Volunteer Center.

• What it means to be an affiliated volunteer

  As an affiliated volunteer you will be a part of managing the action. People from the region are going to want to help during a disaster and they can be directed to Caring Choices EVC to sign up as a spontaneous volunteer. You will have the opportunity to utilize your unique skills set in both preparing for disaster response or in the event of a disaster. Whether you are good on the phones, delegating responsibilities, translating, planning, or being a liaison between agencies, the EVC requires and needs all skills to function both efficiently and effectively. We will have the important responsibility of relieving the Office of Emergency Services and other disaster responding agencies of the issue of addressing spontaneous volunteers, serving as a buffer and filtering well-intentioned untrained volunteers.

  

  EVC volunteers are trained in many areas also learning and becoming certified under the framework for the California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). It is important that we all do our part for our community, so please join our EVC team and you can help your community when they need you most.

Back to Top

Disaster Response Quicklinks

EVC Photos

Definitions

Disaster: A disaster is a natural or man-made occurrence such as a hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water tidal wave, earthquake, drought, blizzard, pestilence, fire, explosion, building collapse, transportation wreck, terrorist attack, or other situation that causes human suffering or creates human needs that survivors cannot alleviate without assistance.

Spontaneous volunteer: an individual who comes forward following a disaster to assist a governmental agency or NGO with disaster related activities during the response or recovery phase without pay or other consideration. By definition, spontaneous volunteers are not initially affiliated with a response or relief agency or pre-registered with an accredited disaster council. However, they may possess training, skills and experience that can be useful in the relief effort.

Affiliated volunteer: a person who is affiliated with either a governmental agency or NGO who has been trained for a specific role or function for disaster relief or response during the preparedness phase. While spontaneous volunteers may bring needed skills and resources, affiliated volunteers will most likely be used first in a disaster.