The disaster is managed by local chapters all across the country until a certain level of families involved is reached. At that point relief efforts becomes a national responsibility and the national American Red Cross resources are brought to bear.
Early on, within hours of the disaster Red Cross damage assessment teams begin to survey the disaster area to determine the extent and to develop a rough feeling for resources required for the relief effort. Disaster trained volunteers called up locally and nationally.
In a disaster involving many families a headquarters organization is established very close to the disaster area to manage the various different efforts. These efforts include establishing shelters, establishing and coordinating food preparation area, receiving the Emergency Response Vehicles coming in from around the country, dispatching them to areas where needed, finding each and every family and learning their needs. Finding and providing food and shelter, providing trained nurses to interview and take care of medical needs, lost prescriptions, glasses or other such medical needs. Managing the volunteers coming in from across the country involves a personnel officer. Local purchasing the materials required to support the effort requires trained purchasing and logistics volunteers. The press is keenly interested in what is happening and volunteers skilled in dealing with the various media begin the effort to tell the story of what is happening and to alert the affected families as to where they may seek food, shelter and relief. The headquarters will also contain a individuals who conduct a fund raising effort. The headquarters will not be closed until the disaster work is over.
After the initial hours of immediate relief, families are provided resources to assist in a comeback. Mass care teams establish centers within the disaster affected area to interview the people and provide relief in the form of vouchers that can be spent to provide food, clothing and other necessities.
The initial efforts to bring order to a chaotic scene are short lived. Some degree of order begins to emerge and lives can begin to take on the responsibility for the new but changed conditions. The various American Red Cross mass care teams remain in the area to insure that people have the necessities of life.
It should be noted that total destruction of one's living place can not be completely resolved. A disaster is a life changing event. It should also be noted again that everything provided in an American Red Cross disaster relief effort including food, drink, cleanup kits, prescriptions drugs, eye glasses, vouchers for clothing and personal needs, and other relief too numerous for mention are free, a gift of the American people.
These few paragraphs are an attempt to draw on imperfect knowledge to describe a very dedicated and complex organizational capability. Since no two disasters are the same, each response is different and the responding staff and volunteers are different. The response is however made in accordance with advance planning and training. The ease with which the American Red Cross reacts to catastrophic events is the result of long experience, highly trained and dedicated volunteers. The American public understands the need and always responds with disaster relief funding. They do not allow fellow Americans to go begging when all their personal resources are wiped out.
Bert. I demand you leave me alone.
My experience with the Red Cross is exactly as I told you and I am not willing to be part of your never ending harassment.
Stop now.