Home fires and other disasters can occur any time, any place. In fact, every 8 minutes, someone in the U.S. is affected by a disaster and in South Carolina, our teams respond to a home fire, on average, six times a day

Most of the 60,000 emergencies that the Red Cross responds to each year are local, personal disasters like home fires. They may not make the news, but we know they are just as devastating to the families affected. Trained and available, Disaster Action Team volunteers are ready to respond to these emergencies, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. From offering a shoulder to cry on, to meeting any immediate needs for shelter or supplies, to connecting people with long term recovery services, our volunteers ensure that families don’t have to face tough times alone. 

Disaster Action Team volunteers help local families cope with emergencies. 

As a Disaster Action Team volunteer, you’ll provide emotional support, financial assistance, and information to help families begin the process of recovery. After your initial training, your shifts will include responding to emergencies within 2 hours, night or day, rain or shine, either on the scene or coordinating remotely to provide immediate compassion and care. With experience and further training, you can take on leadership and response coordination roles to have a wider impact. At the same time, you’ll be developing skills that you may choose to apply to larger-scale disaster response efforts with the Red Cross.