Disaster Response and Recovery

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From The Resource Center Library

• Disaster Recovery Planning for Nonprofits
  
• AmeriCorps Rebuilds the Gulf
  
• First 72 Hours: A Community Approach to Disaster Preparedness
  
• Answering the Call: Ground Zero's Volunteers
  
• Principles of Emergency Planning and Management
  
• Hurricane Katrina: The Storm That Drowned A City
  

Short Courses from FEMA's Emergency Management Institute

• EMI IS-7 “A Citizen’s Guide to Disaster Assistance”
• EMI IS-230 “Principles of Emergency Management”
• EMI IS-244 “Developing and Managing Volunteers” (a disaster management focus)

Resources organized by topic

Disability

• The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on People with Disabilities: A Look Back and Remaining Challenges -  released in August 2006, the National Council on Disability makes recommendations to improve emergency preparedness
• ADA Guide for Local Governments: Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities
  
• Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities
  
• HCBS Checklist for Enhancing the Participation and Input of People with Disabilities
  

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Health, Safety, and Illness Prevention

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Information for specific groups: response and cleanup workers, volunteers, health professionals, pet shelters, schools (mid-page)
  
• Information for volunteers: illness and injury prevention, coping with disaster, health recommendations, immunization recommendations, mental health resources
• Response and cleanup workers: safety, cleanup, handling human remains
  

From the Environmental Protection Agency

• Environmental health issues: flood cleanup in homes; mold cleanup in homes, schools, and commercial buildings; protection against West Nile Virus; drinking water and food handling
• Emergency disinfection of drinking water

Other resources

• The Resource Center's Effective Practices on public safety
• The United States Department of Agriculture fact sheet on keeping food safe during an emergency
  

Guides to post traumatic stress stages

• Mental Health Reactions After a Disaster Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Psychosocial Treatment of Disaster Related Mental Health Problems (PDF)
• Assessing and Responding to Suicidal Intent after Hurricane Katrina (PDF)
• Reactions to a Major Disaster–Fact Sheet for Survivors and Families (PDF)
• Psychological First Aid Manual (PDF) 
  
• Psychosocial Consequences of Major Hurricanes and Floods (PDF)

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Human Needs

Employment

• craigslist search for both employment and housing by city and state
• Job Connection for general job seekers, recovery job seekers, and employers

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• Family News Network of the International Committee of the Red Cross - the Family Links Registry - register yourself or a missing loved one, or view the list; call 1-877-LOVED 1S (1-877-568-3317)

Housing

• U.S. Department of Agriculture may provide emergency housing, food, and other resources in areas affected by hurricanes -1-800-414-1226
• USA.gov - housing and shelter for hurricane survivors
• The Resource Center's Effective Practices on housing

Human Needs

• The Resource Center's Effective Practices on human needs

Organizations

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Preparedness

• National Preparedness Month, September 2007
• Department of Homeland Security Review of Nationwide Catastrophic Event Preparedness - fact sheets that assess the country's catastrophic planning capabilities and present conclusions on actions needed
• Disaster Preparedness Resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):
  - A Disaster Preparedness Plan for Pediatricians from the AAP Mississippi Chapter
  - Children and Disasters Website
  - Family Readiness Kit: Preparing to Handle Disasters
  
• FloridaDisaster.org - Florida State Emergency Response Team, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Get a Plan!
  

Technology

• TechSoup (PDF) Restoring IT Infrastructure after a disaster

Volunteer Management

A list of resources for supporting your volunteers (e.g., training, counseling, resources):

• FEMA EMI Course IS-244 “Developing and Managing Volunteers” (a disaster management focus)
• Red Cross does most disaster response volunteer training; contact your local chapter to register for courses
  

Tips on working with spontaneous volunteers:

• The Effective Use and Management of Unaffiliated Volunteers (PDF)
• Managing Spontaneous Volunteers in Times of Disaster (PDF)

From The Resource Center's Library

• Introduction to Emergency Management - reference book containing case studies of disaster response planning and disaster mitigation
• Principles of Emergency Planning and Management - guide enabling planners and managers to design and implement effective disaster preparation and initial recovery plans

Other resources

• The Resource Center's Effective Practices on volunteer management
• FEMA EMI Course IS-230 “Principles of Emergency Management”
• Operation Blue Roof and Beyond - protocol on the deployment of AmeriCorps teams for disaster recovery
• Resource Connection Newsletter on Homeland Security (PDF) - coordinating emergency management, tips for emergency coordinators
• Disaster Discussions List - an e-mail discussion list created for national service programs to discuss issues related to homeland security and emergency management
• Disaster and Emergency Management on the Internet
• Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Links, Gelman Library
  
• Benefits Assistance Resource Center (BARC) of Virginia Commonwealth University
  
• USA.gov - Government Made Easy - over two-thousand questions and answers with search capability
• Federal Emergency Management Agency - Gulf Coast Recovery Office - recovery and rebuilding
  

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Volunteers

Other resources

• Corporation for National and Community Service- national service response to hurricanes
  
• FEMA EMI Course IS-7 “A Citizen’s Guide to Disaster Assistance”
• The Corporation for National and Community Service: "Serve to Remember. Remember to Serve" - A Call to Service to Commemorate Katrina and 9/11 - Resources and Toolkit
• CBS News “Disaster Links”
• MSNBC Hurricanes' Aftermath
• Wikipedia: Hurricane Katrina

Service-Learning

• National Service-Learning Clearinghouse - Hurricane Katrina relief Service-Learning resources and tools
• Universities Rebuilding America Partnership Toolkit: A Toolkit for Organizing Group Service Trips to the Gulf Coast to Help Communities Recover from the Hurricanes of 2005

Volunteer organizations

• AmeriCorps - do a quick search to find a program involved in disaster relief
• American Red Cross - contact your local Red Cross about volunteering
• AmeriCorps Alums Disaster Response - fill out the availability form online
• Salvation Army
  
• ServeNet - register your skills in the talent bank online
• USA Freedom Corps