Written By: Rosalia Basilio Mendoza
By now we all are aware of how COVID-19 changed the world. However, for some people, disaster is inevitable from natural disasters to war.
I have always been daunted by the fact that there are people facing atrocities that are out of their control. You can’t control where you're from, you can’t control complete strangers, you can’t control structures meant to hold you down, and you can’t control nature. As future public health leaders, it is unnerving to think about the things that make our world less healthy and overall a worse place to live in.
Therefore, I decided to compile a list of resources for you and me to get involved in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in our communities.
FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is dedicated to “helping people before, during, and after disasters” (1). On the FEMA website, you can enter your location and it will lead you to a page with appropriate information and resources about your region, such as Declared Disasters, Emergency Response Resources, Disaster Recovery Centers, News, Media and Events, Risk Reduction, and Contact and About.
For example, Chapel Hill is in Region 4: North Carolina, where the most recently declared disaster was Hurricane Ian, the NC Division of Emergency Management is an emergency response resource, and there are no active disaster recovery centers (2). FEMA is a great place to start when you're interested in aiding in and learning about large-scale disasters affecting your region.
The Red Cross
According to the American Red Cross mission statement, the organization “prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors” (3). There are multiple ways to get involved with the Red Cross from monetary donations, blood donations, training and certifications, and volunteering.
The blood donation process takes about one hour, with the donation itself taking an average of 8 to 10 minutes. The process includes registration, health history, donation, and refreshment and recovery (4). After blood donation, the blood undergoes processing, testing, storage, distribution, and finally transfusion (5). There are many types of blood donations: whole blood donations, power red donations (red blood cells), platelet donations, and plasma donations (6).
There are many training and certifications available through the Red Cross. To name a few: Adult, Child, and Baby First Aid/CPR/AED, Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PLS) (7). Classes can be taken both in person or online depending on your interests in training and certifications.
There are many opportunities available to volunteer with the Red Cross, even internationally. For example, there is a need for shelter volunteers, disaster health service team members, and disaster action team volunteers (8). You can also volunteer with blood donations by becoming a blood donor ambassador and a blood transportation specialist.
Here at UNC, we have the American Red Cross Club which is part of the Central North Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross (9). The organization consists of four committees: biomedical, health and safety, disaster services, and fundraising. Meetings are biweekly, dues are $10, and you can join at any time. Visit their Heel Life website to learn more!
Gillings on the Ground
Gillings on the Ground is a two-semester training program that includes a six-week course during the fall semester and a hands-on component in the spring semester, to teach students about disaster preparedness and relief (10). Classes are taught by qualified Gillings faculty and community members. Health equity is a big focus in the six-week sessions and after completing the fall course, trainees are awarded a completion certificate. Anyone is allowed to join! Visit their website to learn more.
You
It is obvious that all the resources I’ve laid out to help out with disaster preparedness, response, and recovery are not the only resources available. You probably know much more! But ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which resources you are more interested in and compatible with. Being a politician, getting special training, or earning a certificate is not the only way you can help out. Voting, educating others, donating food and items, and even thanking disaster responders are just as important. Early voting ends this Saturday, November 5th. Go Vote!
References:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency website. https://www.fema.gov/. Accessed October 25, 2022.
North Carolina. Federal Emergency Management Agency website https://www.fema.gov/locations/north%20carolina. Accessed October 25, 2022.
Mission and values. The American Red Cross website. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/mission-and-values.html. Accessed October 26, 2022.
The blood donation process. The American National Red Cross Blood Services website. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/donation-process-overview.html. Accessed October 27, 2022.
What happens to donated blood. The American National Red Cross Blood Services website. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/what-happens-to-donated-blood.html. Accessed October 27, 2022.
Requirements by donation type. The American National Red Cross Blood Services website. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html. Accessed October 27, 2022.
Training and certification: act with confidence. The American Red Cross website. https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class. Accessed October 27, 2022.
Become a volunteer. The American Red Cross website. https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html#step1. Accessed October 28, 2022.
American Red Cross Club of UNC CH. Heel Life website. https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/american-red-cross-club-of-uncch. Published August 29, 2022. Accessed October 27, 2022.
Gillings on the Ground: Disaster Response Training Programs. UNC Gilling School of Global Public Health website. https://sph.unc.edu/resource-pages/gillings-on-the-ground/. Accessed October 27, 2022.
Comments