By Vic Merolla, Northwest Region Volunteer

KT Smith serves as a Disaster Action Team (DAT) Supervisor with the South Puget Sound & Olympics Chapter in the Northwest Region of the American Red Cross.

In her role, KT is on the front line, meeting with individuals who have experienced a disaster firsthand. These include home fires, floods, and other kinds of events. For many, this is the worst experience of their lives, and it takes a special kind of person to help.

“An individual must have good listening skills, be compassionate, and have a strong belief that everyone deserves to be treated equally and with respect and dignity,” Smith says. She stressed the ability to be flexible, adding, “Volunteers must be comfortable meeting people who may not share the same background or experience as themselves.”

KT grew up in the San Francisco/East Bay area. After attending college at the University of California at Davis, majoring in Genetics, she made her way to Washington State where she spent 12 years working in the biotech industry. KT then decided to go back to school to earn a degree in Computer Programming. She spent the next 20-plus years supporting healthcare database systems and as an independent consultant, before retiring in 2023. 

It's not necessarily a clear path from computer programming to disaster response, but she did have some prior volunteer experience. While in high school, KT worked in Search and Rescue. During the 80s and early 90s, she was an EMT. Joining the Red Cross wasn’t as much of a stretch as her computer background might suggest.

"The Red Cross is well known, and is a reputable non-profit organization with fundamental principles that align with my core values,” KT says. She likes on-call work and client interaction, both of which the Disaster Action Team role offers. Each event and client have unique circumstances.

She remembers working with a married couple and their 3-year-old child. The mom was 9 months pregnant and was going to the hospital the next day to deliver. That night, the family was about to celebrate with a nice dinner when the kitchen in the home they had just moved to caught fire. All their belongings were destroyed.

KT and the volunteer who accompanied her to the scene kept the 3-year-old busy while the couple made calls to their insurance company to find a place to stay. The Red Cross pair provided blankets, toiletries, a toy for the child, and immediate financial aid and resource information.

Most importantly, KT showed them compassion and understanding in addition to letting them know the Red Cross was there for them. A Red Cross caseworker would follow up with the family later.

KT is a very special person, and the Red Cross is lucky to have her as a volunteer. If you think you have what it takes to assist clients of disasters in your area or farther away, visit redcross.org/volunteer. Disaster Action Teams and other roles need individuals at all levels of participation. There is no greater satisfaction than knowing that you have been there for another.