Collaborating to recruit and train RSVP volunteers for homeland security needs
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Abstract
Homeland security needs call for a cadre of trained volunteers. Recruitment and training can be easy with the collaboration and support of community and faith-based organizations, and by offering a wide range of activities. Colleen Halliburton, Director of the Golden Triangle RSVP in southeast Texas contributed these ideas to the NSSCTalk e-mail discussion list in August 2003. Utilizing these strategies, her program recruited over 100 volunteers in a year's time.
Issue
How to recruit and train RSVP volunteers in substantial numbers to deal with the growing need for assistance with homeland security issues.
Action
According to the director of an RSVP project that has successfully recruited over 100 volunteers in just one year's time, effective practices include:
Developing a public service announcement (PSA) for recruitment purposes. A local production company donated a PSA to recruit volunteers to assist first responders. In this PSA, Hardin, Orange, and Jefferson County judges ask individuals to step forward and work with local police officers, firemen, and emergency management staff with a variety of job duties. Volunteer opportunities range from search and rescue, to clerical support, and disaster relief.
Employing a full-time homeland security officer. The Golden Triangle RSVP cites this individual as a major reason for their success. This position was made possible through a Programs of Significance (PNS) grant awarded in 2001.
Collaborating with other service providers and organizations within the community through the efforts of a homeland security volunteer coordinator and other RSVP volunteers.
- RSVP has collaborated with the Lamar Institute of Technology's CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training course. Eleven RSVP volunteers took the eight-week course in June 2003.
- As a direct result of the homeland security volunteer coordinator's efforts, the Orange County Sheriff's Office hosts a class to train volunteers to conduct fire prevention, emergency preparedness, shelter-in-place, and evacuation planning. After the volunteers are trained, the deputy chief of the Orange County Fire Department will then dispatch volunteers to make public awareness presentations to civic groups, senior organizations, and to private homes where seniors reside. Twelve RSVP volunteers took this course in August 2003.
- With the help of the homeland security volunteer coordinator and a dedicated RSVP member who serves as chairperson, the ranching and farming community has joined together in an unprecedented effort to plan for all varieties of potential emergencies. Along with RSVP volunteers many other area agencies are cooperating, including the Inspector for the Animal Health Commission, the Texas A&M Extension Agency, the Hardin, Orange, and Jefferson Counties Sheriff's Departments, the Director of the USDA County Extension, the Lamar Institute of Technology, the City of Beaumont, and the Beaumont Public Health Department, as well as a local epidemiologist. The ultimate goal of the group is to educate farmers, ranchers, and agri-business owners in security, emergency management resources, disease contamination and control, legal and financial issues.
- RSVP volunteers organized the logistics and details for training projects conducted by a coalition— formed by a combination of faith-based, secular, educational, and local government agency personnel — led by the Mental Health Association of Jefferson County (MHAJC) and its director. The goal is to train a large group of counselors (secular and nonsecular) to respond to disasters. In addition to expanding and enhancing networking opportunities by combining skills, talents, and resources of the individuals into an on-going regional coalition that shares expenses, facilities, trainers, and information, a Crisis Incident Stress Management (CISM) course was conducted (sponsored by the Golden Triangle Baptist Association). The Red Cross will also provide trainings in Disaster Counseling Response for religious counselors and other courses that are in the planning stages.
- RSVP volunteers are organizing lodging, meal preparations, and general logistics for attendees in association with the Harding County Sheriff's Office as they make arrangements for a nationwide Search and Rescue Training for May 2004.
Providing a wide range of opportunities for RSVP volunteers. These have included: volunteer chaplain for the Nederland Fire Department; handling information requests at the Parkdale Mall Beaumont Police Department Sub-Station (both phone and walk-in clients); participating in fire prevention programs in all area fire departments; acting as dispatchers for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; performing clerical support at numerous police, fire, and emergency management departments throughout the area.
Recruiting through a variety of sources. Other sources for recruitment included newspaper articles and ads for volunteers, television and radio interviews, presentations to civic groups such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and ads in church bulletins.
Context
Golden Triangle RSVP is sponsored by the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission, a voluntary association of local governments that serves an area composed of Hardin, Orange and Jefferson Counties.
Hardin, Orange and Jefferson Counties are located in southeast Texas between Houston and the Louisiana border. The three counties have a combined population of over 380,000.
Collaboration includes judicial, administrative and legal providers at the local, county and state levels. RSVP volunteers serve alongside police, sheriff and fire teams, emergency medical response personnel, public health and Red Cross workers, as well as higher education professionals.
Outcome
- These recruitment strategies have markedly increased the numbers of volunteers within RSVP.
- Great strides are made in the community in the areas of public safety, disaster mitigation and preparedness.
- Through collaboration among various groups, associations are formed that provide lasting and positive benefits in the form of good will in the community and coordination of services.
Evidence
Implementing these ideas, one RSVP program recruited over 100 volunteers in one year's time.
Posted On
August 27, 2003For More Information
Resources
NSSCTalk is an e-mail discussion group, created primarily for the participants in the National Senior Service Corps, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Anyone with related concerns, however, is invited to join in.
To subscribe by e-mail, send a blank message to join-nssctalk@lists.etr.org
Or subscribe via the Lyris Listmanager web page at http://lists.etr.org/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=nssctalk/.
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