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How Redlands, Calif., is Making Sure it's Ready for Disasters

Members of the county VOAD are deployed to assist following disasters throughout the county, including the numerous fires as well as the Elementary School shooting and the terrorist attack in San Bernardino.

(TNS) - Once fire season is over, members of the San Bernardino County, Calif., Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster will still be around, ready to assist those in need.

“Once that fire is put out and the fire department goes away and maybe even law enforcement goes away, we are still working with the emergency managers. We’re still working with the Office of Emergency Services,” said Debra J. Williams, vice chair of county VOAD, during the Redlands Disaster Council meeting Monday at City Hall. “We are still bringing agencies in because that’s when the people really need the help.”

Members of the county VOAD are deployed to assist following disasters throughout the county, including the numerous fires that have hit the area recently as well as the North Park Elementary School shooting on April 10 and the terrorist attack on Dec. 2, 2015, in San Bernardino.

The county’s VOAD is comprised of six county Community Organizations Active in Disaster groups. Redlands is in the East End COAD.

Members include non-governmental and government agencies, nonprofits, businesses, private organizations and faith-based organizations.

“You’ve heard the saying ‘It takes a village to raise a child’?” Williams asked the audience. “It’s the same thing when it comes to a disaster. It takes the entire community to prepare, to respond and to recover.”

Williams said the county VOAD is not only focused on fostering efficient streamlined services delivered to people affected by disasters, but also preparing for disasters.

The group helps with volunteer management, case management, food and clothing, medical and mental health services, recovery and child care, among other needs.

Williams said donation management is especially important, as donations start flowing in after an incident.

“Every time we have an incident, people start donating stuff whether we need it or not,” she said.

The disaster council, which meets quarterly, also heard an update from Carrie Cruz with the San Bernardino County Fire Department/Operational Area/Office of Emergency Services, and Fay Glass, the city’s Emergency Operations manager.

Glass said 360 members have been trained over the past four years as part of the city’s Community Emergency Response Team.

“I’m really, really excited about that,” Glass said.

The next class is planned for Sept. 15-17 at Plymouth Village, 945 Salem Drive.

For more information, call Glass at 909-335-4705.

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©2017 the Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, Calif.)

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