Chapter 5: Crisis Response¶

How to help when disaster strikes—locally and globally

When Disaster Hits¶

Natural disasters. Mass casualty events. Community emergencies. In these moments, the desire to help surges. But untrained, uncoordinated helping can actually hinder professional response efforts.

This chapter covers how to be genuinely useful during crises—whether they're in your neighborhood or across the world.

Before Crisis: Preparation¶

The best crisis response happens before the crisis.

Personal Preparedness¶

You can't help others if you're not okay yourself. Build your foundation:

Emergency kit essentials: - Water (1 gallon per person per day, 3-day minimum) - Non-perishable food (3-day minimum) - Flashlight and extra batteries - First aid kit - Medications (7-day supply) - Important documents (copies) - Cash in small bills - Phone charger (battery pack) - Weather-appropriate supplies

Family plan: - Designate meeting points if separated - Establish out-of-area contact person - Know evacuation routes - Practice drills with household members

Community Preparedness¶

Get trained: - CERT (Community Emergency Response Team): Free training through local fire departments covering basic disaster response, light search and rescue, fire safety, medical operations. Find programs at ready.gov/cert - First Aid/CPR: Red Cross and others offer courses - Stop the Bleed: Free training in hemorrhage control (stopthebleed.org) - Psychological First Aid: Learn to provide emotional support in crises

Know your neighbors: - Who lives alone and might need help? - Who has medical conditions or disabilities? - Who has useful skills (medical, construction, etc.)? - Who has generators, tools, extra supplies?

Map local resources: - Nearest hospital, fire station, police station - Designated emergency shelters - Community emergency plans - Local emergency alert systems (sign up!)

During Local Emergencies¶

The Cardinal Rules¶

Don't become a victim: Your safety comes first. A rescuer who needs rescuing makes things worse.
Follow official guidance: Emergency management professionals know more than you. Obey evacuation orders, shelter-in-place instructions, and road closures.
Don't self-deploy: Showing up uninvited to disaster scenes causes problems. Work through official channels.
Manage your own needs: Bring your own food, water, and supplies. Don't consume resources meant for survivors.

Immediate Response (First 72 Hours)¶

Check on neighbors: - Especially elderly, disabled, or isolated individuals - Knock on doors, make phone calls - Help with evacuation if needed

Share resources: - Generator power for medical equipment - Water if safe supply is disrupted - Transportation for those without vehicles - Shelter for displaced neighbors

Don't: - Enter damaged buildings - Handle downed power lines or gas leaks - Attempt technical rescues without training - Drive through flooded roads ("Turn around, don't drown")

Volunteering During Active Disasters¶

Affiliated volunteering (much better than self-deploying): - Contact local Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) - Register with local emergency management - Reach out to established organizations already responding

Donation drives: - Cash is almost always better than goods (see below) - If collecting goods, coordinate with receiving organizations on specific needs - Don't send unsolicited donations—they often become "second disaster"

After the Emergency: Recovery Phase¶

Recovery takes months or years—long after media attention fades. This is when volunteers are most valuable.

How to Help in Recovery¶

Physical labor: - Mucking out flooded homes (removing ruined materials) - Debris removal - Rebuilding and repairs - Organizing and distributing supplies

Administrative support: - Helping survivors navigate FEMA, insurance, aid applications - Staffing donation centers - Data entry for relief organizations - Answering phones at resource hotlines

Specialized skills: - Medical and mental health professionals (deploy through official channels) - Contractors and tradespeople for repairs - Lawyers for pro bono assistance with legal issues - Translators for non-English speaking communities

Connecting with Official Efforts¶

National VOAD members: - American Red Cross - Salvation Army - Team Rubicon (veterans serving disasters) - All Hands and Hearts - Habitat for Humanity (rebuilding) - Samaritan's Purse - Many faith-based organizations

Finding opportunities: - NVOAD.org — National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster - VolunteerMatch — Filter by disaster relief - State/local emergency management websites - 211 (dial or visit 211.org)

The Long Tail¶

Most volunteers show up in the first weeks. The greatest need is often 6-18 months later: - Rebuilding projects that take time to organize - Support for survivor mental health (delayed PTSD, grief) - Advocacy for fair recovery resources - Community rebuilding beyond physical structures

Consider "adopting" a community affected by disaster for long-term support.

Donating for Disaster Relief¶

Cash Is King¶

In almost every disaster, cash donations beat physical goods: - Logistics of sorting, shipping, and distributing goods is expensive - Cash can be spent locally, supporting affected economies - Organizations can buy exactly what's needed when it's needed - Goods often arrive after need has passed or don't match actual needs

Exception: Sometimes specific goods ARE needed, but let organizations tell you what.

Where to Give¶

General disaster funds (pre-positioned for rapid response): - Center for Disaster Philanthropy — disasterphilanthropy.org - Direct Relief — directrelief.org - GlobalGiving Disaster Recovery Network — globalgiving.org

Established responders: - International Rescue Committee (refugees and displacement) - Doctors Without Borders / MSF (medical) - All Hands and Hearts (rebuilding) - Team Rubicon (veteran-led response) - World Central Kitchen (food in crises)

For specific disasters: - Local community foundations (keep money in affected area) - State/regional disaster funds - Vetted GoFundMe campaigns (verify legitimacy)

Avoiding Scams¶

Disaster scams spike after emergencies. Protect yourself: - Give to established organizations with track records - Search charity name + "scam" or "reviews" - Be wary of pressure tactics and emotional manipulation - Don't click links in unsolicited emails/texts - Verify GoFundMe campaigns through local news or personal knowledge - Check with Charity Navigator or BBB Wise Giving Alliance

Global Disaster Response¶

When disasters strike overseas, your options differ.

What Actually Helps¶

Donate money to established organizations: - They have infrastructure, relationships, and expertise - Your $100 does more as cash to MSF than as a flight you can't take

Don't: - Show up in a disaster zone without skills, language ability, and organizational backing - Send random goods (shipping costs often exceed value; items may be inappropriate) - Adopt orphans who may not actually be orphans (trafficking risk)

"Voluntourism" in Disasters: Usually Harmful¶

Most people who want to fly to disaster zones would be better off: 1. Donating the cost of their flight to effective organizations 2. Using their vacation time to volunteer locally 3. Building skills (medical, construction, language) that would be useful in future disasters

Exceptions: If you have genuine specialized skills AND can deploy through an established organization AND they specifically need you... that's different. But "I just want to help" is not enough.

Long-Term Development vs. Emergency Response¶

After the acute phase, communities need development support: - Economic opportunity programs - Education and training - Health system strengthening - Resilience building for future disasters

Consider supporting organizations that do both emergency response AND long-term development.

Supporting Survivors Emotionally¶

Psychological First Aid Basics¶

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is evidence-based support for people in acute distress. Key principles:

Contact and engagement: - Approach calmly and respectfully - Ask permission before helping ("Can I sit with you?")

Safety and comfort: - Help meet immediate practical needs - Provide accurate, honest information - Offer physical comfort if appropriate (blanket, water)

Stabilization: - For overwhelmed individuals, ground them in the present - Calm, reassuring presence helps regulate their nervous system

Information gathering: - Understand what they need most urgently - Ask about concerns and priorities

Practical assistance: - Help with immediate problems (finding family, accessing resources) - Connect to services

Connection: - Help them reach social support (family, friends, community) - Social connection is protective

Information on coping: - Normalize reactions ("What you're feeling is a normal response to an abnormal situation") - Share simple coping strategies - Provide information about resources

What to avoid: - Don't pressure people to talk about what happened - Don't offer empty reassurances ("Everything will be fine") - Don't share your own disaster stories - Don't make promises you can't keep

Recognizing When More Help Is Needed¶

Refer to mental health professionals if someone shows: - Inability to care for themselves or children - Suicidal thoughts or self-harm - Psychotic symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) - Severe dissociation (completely disconnected from reality) - Violence toward others

Taking Action¶

Now (prepare): - Build a personal emergency kit - Take a CERT, first aid, or Stop the Bleed course - Know your neighbors and community resources - Sign up for local emergency alerts

When disaster strikes nearby: - Check on neighbors - Follow official guidance - Volunteer through official channels - Donate cash, not stuff

When disaster strikes globally: - Donate to established organizations - Avoid impulsive voluntourism - Support long-term recovery, not just initial response

Next: Chapter 6: Everyday Acts — Small kindnesses that add up to big change