by David Guth

In connection with a national initiative to more closely connect the American Red Cross with the communities it serves, the Kansas and Oklahoma Region recently hosted its first Disaster Action Team Summit.

According to Regional Disaster Officer Shelly Webb, 131 people across the two-state region participated in the day-long event. The DAT summit was a part of a national Red Cross Regional Success Initiative, which evaluates and supports a region’s capability and capacity to deliver effective disaster services for home fire responses.

The June 7 summit focused on both client experiences and Red Cross Duty Officers and DAT responders, who Webb called the backbone of Disaster Services. The goal was to make every contact between a client and a Red Cross representative a positive one. To that end, the Red Cross has established a client experience index to gather valuable feedback that helps local offices evaluate and improve each client contact.

“We want to treat everybody with respect and dignity,” Webb said. “We reviewed the client experience metric to ensure that we are in alignment with Red Cross values.”

To ensure the widest possible participation, a hybrid delivery model was used, merging both in-person and virtual experiences linked by Microsoft Teams software at 10 locations in all six chapters in the region: Topeka and Garden City (Greater Kansas); Wichita (South Central and Southeast Kansas); Guthrie and Stillwater (Northern Oklahoma); Tulsa (Tulsa Area); Lawton and Oklahoma City (Central and Southwest Oklahoma); and Ardmore and Muskogee (South Central and Southeast Oklahoma).

“I felt it went extremely well,” said Webb. “We did a recognition and appreciation at the end that showed the impact of our top responders and top duty officers. We also had some client testimonies that were recorded and were very empowering and powerful.”

Typical of the client feedback shared during the summit was that from the Herbert family of Grinnell, Kansas, which said “The Red Cross was there for us in our time of need. Everyone we talked with was so helpful and understanding.”

William Richardson of Lawton, Oklahoma, shared, “I am so grateful for the Red Cross. I can never repay this debt to you. Love you all.”

Claredda Feuerstein of Oklahoma City added, “I had never had any dealings with the Red Cross before the fire. I was impressed with the kindness and compassion.”

Donna Hill, one of the Red Cross volunteers honored at the summit said, “Of all the Red Cross awards I have gotten over the years, presenting me with the impact award and hearing the client's voice share what I meant to her has been by far the highlight of my Red Cross career.”

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.