On the second night of Red Cross training, we all took the same seats as the evening before, and continued the awkward conversations from the evening before waiting for the class to begin. The big difference this time was that most of us had prepared for the stifling hot room as we hadn't the night before. This preparation included shorts and bottles of water. The instructors began the class by telling us that the national Red Cross office had specifically asked that our training be switched to Family Services training rather than the Shelter Simulation we were scheduled to take. I don't know how the class really felt about this; I think that most people were kind of confused as to everything going on, and not really feeling as if they had learned anything; at least this is how I felt, maybe I shouldn't speak for the group? The instructors seemed to be kind of sad that they weren't going to get to put on a Shelter Simulation; after all, they kept referring to this as the "fun part of the training."
So you're probably asking yourself what exactly Family Services does within the Red Cross. I was wondering the same thing. Well, you know those Red Cross debit/credit cards that are in the news? Well we were trained on Wednesday how to fill out all of the appropriate paperwork, determine the amount each client (the Red Cross calls all of the people it helps clients, which I think is a nice touch), and activate the cards for each recipient.
This seems like a lot of power to give people who have been trained for barely four hours but we are actually just form-filler-out monkeys. The amount of money that the people receive is not just decided willy-nilly by some retired teacher or a college student volunteering for the disaster. There is a formula that differs for each disaster and each location that determines how much money the client receives. For example, there are three adults in the household, and all of them have lost their clothes. The chart says that for each adult, the Red Cross will provide $130. So for the three adults this is $390. And so on, and so on...
I remember those being the actual amounts we were told during training. However, I remember that during Katrina some clients received $3000+ on their debit cards. Though this was not my responsibility during the disaster (despite my training) I had several people tell me this.
Red Cross volunteers were also issued the same debit cards (though they were imprinted with Disaster Staff or something similar) to use as a stipend. An amount was placed on the cards every three weeks, or once if you only lasted your initial deployment, to help pay for all of life's necessities: food, gas, toiletries. We were supposed to use the remainder of our balance during our trip home and then destroy the card once we were safe at home. I kept mine. It is still in my wallet. It makes me remember my time in Louisiana.
This may not really seem like a lot of money for new clothes, but the Red Cross only attends to immediate needs (those that need to be met within fifteen days). For all other needs, the Red Cross refers people to different agencies such as the Mennonites and the Salvation Army. It is actually pretty interesting.
On top of our official positions as pencil pushing drones, we are supposed to be a part of the grieving process for the clients. From what the trainers told us, many of the people within the shelters are still in shock. Because of this they are not thinking about things like getting new clothes. We are supposed to be kind of bringing them back to reality by asking questions to help them begin to move on. Some of the questions are things like "What are your plans for a home in the future?" This is going to be awfully rough on the people, and the volunteers I have a feeling.
Additionally we are supposed to be on the look out for people who need some mental help. We are often the people who catch this, the instructors told us.
So we learned how to fill out forms etc, now what? At the end of class, we had to go through a short five question verbal pseudo interview. The questions were basically the same as those we answered the first evening of class. After answering we were handed little Red Cross cards for our wallets listing the courses we had completed. As of Wednesday evening I am certified by the Red Cross in:
- Sheltering
- Mass Care: An Overview
- Introduction to Disaster Services
- Family Services: Providing Emergency Assistance
While I was working on the disaster, I was also certified in several other things. I can't find my cards at the moment, but know that I went through all of the supervisor training, and am now qualified to be a supervisor, despite having acted as one for the last six months of my deployment, an ECRV class, and extensive RTT training in Austin, Texas where I learned how to work in every aspect of Response Technology including setting up a satellite for Internet service, wiring a network, deploying a server, customer service, CAC, and basically every other thing you could possibly think of doing technology wise on a disaster.
Now this is what is supposed to happen next:
- The Red Cross calls within twenty four hours of your leaving, informing you of your location, what you need to bring, etc.
- You go to the Red Cross and pick up a packet with an airline ticket and a fifty dollar Red Cross credit card.
- You board the plane and fly to your location.
- You train at your job in your destination for a day or so with someone who is currently doing the job.
- You work your three weeks, either sleeping in a hotel or the shelter, depending on resources.
- You come home.
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