Disaster Services
The Warrick County Chapter of the American Red Cross responds to many disasters every year which could impact any or all of our 57,000 county residents.
Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting the emergency, disaster-caused needs of individuals and families. Assistance may include a safe, dry place to sleep, warm meals, health and mental health services, referrals to other locally available assistance, and help with recovery planning. We also provide emergency workers with food and drinks and handle inquiries from concerned immediate family members.
All assistance is based on verified, disaster-caused needs and all assistance is free - a gift made possible by generous donations from people and businesses mostly within Warrick County.
If you are a disaster victim in need of assistance, please call (812) 897-0390.
When We Respond
Each year, the American Red Cross of Warrick County responds immediately to disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), floods, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, and other natural and man-made disasters in our county. Trained Red Cross volunteers and staff are ready 24-hours-a-day, year-round to meet the immediate, emergency disaster-caused needs of people in our community by providing disaster victims with essential items such as: food, clothing, comfort kits, shelter/temporary housing, replacement of prescription medicines and essential health supplies, and referrals to our partner agencies that can assist in aiding additional needs.
Read our Chapter Disaster Plan [PDF, 3.88MB]
Become A Disaster Volunteer
People know they can rely on the American Red Cross to be there for them when disaster strikes. New volunteers are always needed. Specialized opportunities exist for licensed mental health professionals, nurses and other health professionals. Volunteer hours are flexible.
Disaster volunteer training is offered year-round and is free to participants. Once trained, you can volunteer locally as a Disaster Action Team (DAT) member or Disaster Volunteer.
As a volunteer in disaster services, you will learn everything you need to know through classes and on-the-job training. Disaster Services training is available in shelter management, feeding operations, client casework, driving emergency vehicles, working with other emergency response agencies to coordinate relief efforts, keeping records, recruiting staff and setting up technological equipment for relief operations. For more information about disaster services training courses, click here.
What is a Disaster Action Team (DAT)?
DAT Teams respond to requests for emergency assistance after hours, on weekends and on holidays. These requests usually come from the fire department/dispatch or our after-hours answering service. Usually the response is to a single family disaster; however the DAT Team assesses the disaster to determine if a greater response is needed. At the scene, we determine our clients' needs and insure that their immediate food, shelter, clothing, and emotional needs are met. DAT Team members rotate being "on call" throughout each month.
How Do I Become A DAT Member?
All DAT Team members are trained for free by the American Red Cross Warrick County Chapter to respond in their local community to both natural and man-made disasters. New members will be issued a DAT Bag which contains all necessary reference materials and forms.
The challenges of serving as a Red Cross DAT Team member are not suited to everyone. A DAT Team member must have the time and patience to complete required training classes which are offered throughout the year. He or she must be willing to get up in the middle of the night to respond to a disaster call and realize that the frequency of disasters is impossible to predict.
If you are interested, please contact (812) 897-0390 to begin the volunteer process.
Active Disaster Volunteers
Active disaster volunteers click here.