Disaster Assistance Resources

Need help organizing a disaster response group? Or wondering how to help with disaster recovery? Below are resources to coordinate volunteers and more during and after disasters.

Manage volunteers and donations during and after a disaster

• ‘Managing Spontaneous Volunteers’ - FEMA Guide
  
• FEMA Tools to Recover - Volunteer and Donate
• ‘When Disaster Strikes, How to Donate or Volunteer Successfully’ – National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
• Oregon Department of Emergency Management (ODEM) State Training Program ODEM provides training services throughout the state.
• Professional Development Series Set of seven independent study courses that provides a set of fundamentals for emergency management.

Serving people with disabilities during disasters

• ‘Recommendations for Emergency Managers for Improving the Delivery of Disaster Assistance to Disaster Survivors with Disabilities’ - US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
• ‘Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities’

Find or create a group to help with unmet needs after a disaster

• ‘Community-Based Organization Disaster Response Preparedness Toolkit’ - The Nonprofit Association of Oregon
• Preparedness Training for Community-Based Organizations Self-guided training for community-based organizations to prepare for emergencies.
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). CERT is a group of trained volunteers who help in community emergencies.

CERTs in Oregon

• Surviving Cascadia – Salem, Oregon
• Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) Volunteer – Portland, Oregon
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Become a CERT volunteer by completing online CERT Training.
• Find a CERT Program

General Disaster Resources

• ‘Disaster Resources for Nonprofits’ - Nonprofit Association of Oregon

Resources

• Oregon Department of Emergency Management Emergency Operations Plan
• Are you Ready? Detailed information on how best to prepare for disasters.
• A Guide for Alerts and Warnings

Reports

• 2022 National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness Key findings on individual and community.
• Beyond Checking the Boxes Findings of the 2019 Oregon Inclusive Emergency (ORIEP) Initiative Focus Group
• National Preparedness Report

If you use these materials, please remember to give credit to their authors!