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Local Disaster Response

The heart of the American Red Cross local disaster response is the local Disaster Action Team (DAT).  These teams are made up of local volunteers who are trained to meet the needs of disaster victims.  These team members respond to any and all disasters within their jurisdictions.  They help those who have been affected by all man-made and natural disasters.  The teams are run by local volunteers and supported by the Capital Area Chapter.  Whether a single-family fire or a tornado, these local volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week helping those whose lives have been affected by disasters. 

The Capital Area Chapter currently sponsors four active Disaster Action Teams covering our 20 county area.  The chapter would like to have a local Disaster Action Team in each of the counties we serve.  Currently we have teams that respond in the following counties:

Cole/Moniteau/Osage/Maries and South Callaway Disaster Action Team: This was the first team organized in our jurisdiction and has been active since the chapter was formed in 1917 as the Cole County Chapter.  The team expanded as the chapter's jurisdiction expanded from one county to three and a half, serving Cole, Moniteau, Osage, Maries and southern Callaway counties.  This team contains 75 people who are also members of the national Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR) team who respond to disasters throughout the United States. 

As the chapter’s response area grew, so did the need for local Disaster Action Teams.  In 1995, the Capital Area Chapter became a “Zone Lead” chapter within the state of Missouri Red Cross system.  This meant that the chapter's jurisdiction expanded from three and  half counties to 14 counties.  Within that 14 county jurisdiction, there were two Red Cross Chapters (the Phelps-Pulaski Chapter and the Howell County Chapter) that provided services to their respective counties.  Regionalization within the Red Cross system in 2007 changed the structure of these chapters, once again.

As a regional chapter, the Capital Area Chapter continues to provide assistance to its community chapters and branch offices when requested.  For example, when the ice storms hit in Phelps, Pulaski, Crawford, Miller, and Morgan counties in the spring of 2007, Capital Area staff and volunteers assisted in meeting the needs of those without power.

The Capital Area Chapter provides direct services to eight counties that do not have Red Cross Chapters, providing disaster response in these counties.  The counties include: Miller, Morgan, Camden, Maries, Texas, Dent, Shannon and Oregon.  It is the chapter's philosophy that the most efficient method for providing disaster response is through local volunteer Disaster Action Teams.  Consequently, the chapter has placed great emphasis on beginning Disaster Action Teams in these eight out-lying or SDA (Service Delivery Area) counties. 

The Texas County Disaster Action Team was the first SDA Disaster Action Team formed.  This team, formed in 1998, continues to actively serve the people of Texas County.  The 20+ team  volunteers are actively engaged in meeting the needs of disaster victims in their county.  They also provide Health and Safety training, support to emergency responders, police and fire departments, and are the proud sponsors, hosts and founders of the annual Texas County Emergency Management Conference.  This team truly embodies the Red Cross mission and is the model for other SDA Disaster Action Teams. 

Additional Disaster Action Teams include the Southeast Capital Area DAT (serving Butler, Carter, Oregon, Reynolds, Ripley and Wayne counties), the Lake Area DAT (serving Miller, Morgan and Camden Counties), the Crawford County DAT and the Dent/Shannon County DAT. 

The Southeast Capital Area Disaster Action Team started in the late fall of 2001 and, like the Texas County DAT, is run by active and caring community members.  The DAT is extremely active in their counties, meeting the needs of disaster victims and educating the public on disaster preparedness and prevention.

The Lake Area Disaster Action Team also ramped up in the fall of 2001 with only a few active members.  The tornadoes that hit the Lake area in May 2005 helped rejuvenate this team and underscored the importance of having disaster action teams in place.  The Red Cross branch office in Camdenton helps the Capital Area Chapter provide better service to the Lake area communities.

The Dent/Shannon County Disaster Action Team is in the process of being formed. If you live in or near Dent and Shannon Counties and would like to be a part of this response team, contact the Chapter or send an email to the contact listed at the bottom of this page.

 Send mail to ewhite@redcross-capitalarea.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 07/25/2008