By Gordon Williams, Northwest Region volunteer

Military boot camps aim to turn recruits into trained soldiers and sailors able to take their place in combat front lines. Following the same game plan, Red Cross boot camps aim to turn new volunteers into trained shelter workers, able to care for those who have fled a disaster.

A total of eight shelter boot camps have been offered so far -- at least one in each of the Northwest Region's five chapters -- under the leadership of Red Cross mental health volunteer Rodney Jong of Seattle. The first took place in mid-August in Tacoma and Yakima. Two more opened in late August in Seattle and Spokane. Jong says that eventually there will be boot camp programs running in every corner of the Red Cross Northwest Region, serving Washington and north Idaho.

Each session lasts a full day, and any Red Cross volunteer can take part in a camp. Jong says that by day's end, when camp breaks up, each participant will be a trained shelter worker able to deploy to a disaster scene.

“They will know how to open and run a shelter,” Jong says. They will also come to understand what’s involved in leaving home and responding to a disaster scene that may be half a continent away. Finally, they will learn the basics of Red Cross disaster response -- how to respond to fires and floods and other disasters, how to evacuate and collect victims, and bring them to safety and shelter.

Instructors at each camp are Red Cross volunteers with plenty of sheltering experience. Camp attendees will learn from instructors who have gone through the volunteering and deployment process. Jong says the response to the first boot camps has been overwhelmingly positive. Both the Tacoma and Spokane camps drew more than 30 volunteers.

Jong says that volunteers wanting to attend a boot camp should have the ability to travel when necessary. “You should have a strong interest in serving people,” he says. Most have had at least some experience in disaster response, often as members of a Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT).

For training purposes, boot camp shelters are kept to the basics -- no beds or feeding areas -- just a place to get safe and dry, and out of danger. Jong says, “We do the training with evacuation shelters, meant to help people coming in out of the storm.” Once trained, volunteers will know how to carry out all the functions of a shelter manager. That includes how to house and feed disaster victims, how to manage medical and mental health needs -- even how to cope with shelter residents with disabilities.

Jong points out that Red Cross shelters must be compliant with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act -- meaning volunteers must learn the basics of helping shelter dwellers who are disabled in some way. That means having to cope with refugees who must use walkers or wheelchairs. It also means having to cope with shelter residents left in emotional distress by the disaster.

Beyond the basics in setting up and running shelters, those attending boot camp will learn how to go through the process of first deploying to a disaster scene. That means making arrangements to leave home and family behind for a week or two and flying to the disaster scene.

There is a list of requirements a volunteer must meet first to deploy -- classes that must be taken, physical needs that must be taken into account. Boot camp, of course, will help novice responders understand all the requirements for deployment. The training also includes how to manage mission cards -- the debit cards shelter workers use to buy what incidentals the shelter needs.

Jong himself carries the titles of Client Care Chief and disaster mental health manager. In his working career, he was a licensed marriage and family therapist -- well-trained in coping with the mental health issues of highly stressed-out individuals. He first volunteered with the Red Cross in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack. Given his background in helping people cope with trying conditions, he was immediately drawn to disaster mental health (DMH) -- helping victims cope with the mental stress of being forced from home by fire or flood.  

Jong has responded to disaster scenes such as fires in California, storms in Florida, and tornadoes in the Midwest. His primary role is helping train volunteers who will be posted to shelters. Taking boot camp won’t turn you into a skilled shelter worker overnight. What boot camp will do, Jong says, is enable even the newest volunteer to add “shelter manager” to their skill set.

At the rate and volume shelters are needed each wildfire season, the Red Cross will need every qualified shelter worker it can get.