DAVIS COUNTY—It takes a lot of dedicated people to help at a moment’s notice when there’s a disaster, but that’s what the Red Cross does – show up on the worst day of someone’s life. The Red Cross does much more than blood drives, although that is a big part of their mission, they also offer relief when it is needed the most.

“We’re a humanitarian organization,” said Executive Director Northern Utah, Michael Smauldon. “Part of our mission is to alleviate the suffering in the community.”

The disaster cycle team works closely with cities and the county emergency services, he said. “If there’s a house fire or larger event or they have an evacuation center it’s our job to work to provide relief for those in some type of disaster.”

Smauldon said they have a good relationship with the fire department. “Usually they’ll reach out to dispatch and they call us on a hotline that dispatches to our team. We have a volunteer duty officer on 24/7.” 

They’re on call and dispatch to other volunteers who respond to the house fire, he said. “Within two hours we can be on the ground at the home to give immediate assistance. Things like a hotel room, food items, comfort kits, shampoo and a Red Cross blanket. It’s there for comfort, especially during the colder months of the season.”

If there’s a larger incident like the Centerville wildfire, Smauldon said they’re usually notified by the city or the county emergency manager. “They’ll notify us if a shelter needs to be opened. Depending on the location of the disaster we’ll try to find capacity at churches or county/city rec centers, those types of shelters. We’re there to provide comfort care and welcome them in.”

Everything starts at the local level, he said. “When there’s a hurricane in the gulf, they’ll activate their volunteers.”

If they need more help, the Red Cross will activate other regions, said Smauldon. “There are local and regional divisions in each state and on a national level. All the teams around the United States will converge on that area.”

The Red Cross is a volunteer led organization, he said. “The majority of our staff are volunteers. Our chapter only has three staff members. There’s no way we could respond to fires, the military and hold blood drives without the power of volunteers.”

“Ninety percent of our workforce are volunteers,” said North Salt Lake resident Kristy Denlien, Regional Volunteer Service Officer Northern Utah. “There’s a huge need for volunteers. Davis County is one of the most needed areas.”

Denlien said they try to match community members with volunteer roles to deliver their mission which is disaster preparedness response. “Our Disaster Action Team members help a family who has experienced a home fire. They help them with the next steps of recovery.”

It can be something small, she said. “Volunteers can work at the evacuation shelter with community members who have been displaced to give them a safe place to lay their head while the fire department tries to get the people back into their homes.”

There are also volunteer opportunities at the blood donation centers, said Denlien. “They can be a blood donor ambassador. They check people in when they arrive and supply them with snacks, etc. It is a critical role in the blood collection center.”

 There are dozens and dozens of opportunities for someone who wants to give back to the community, she said. “They can help in person or virtually. There are virtual administrative positions such as returning phone calls or in the follow up referral service checking in with a family in recovery to ensure they are getting the support they need.”

Volunteers can explore their options by going to redcross.org/volunteer, Denlien said. “There’s an interactive quiz to help them find the right position for them.”

“Volunteers are the most important thing at the Red Cross,” said Smauldon. “We’re always looking to add volunteers to our family here at our chapter.”λ