In an episode of the well-known TV show Seinfeld, the three friends spontaneously decide one day that they want to be volunteers. One of the volunteers went to visit an elderly lady with a goiter; the other two friends went to visit a couple of elderly gentlemen. None of them gave a great deal of thought or planning as to what their responsibilities would be as volunteers. What would be the needs of those they would be visiting, and would they be able to provide the services?

It is much the same situation with people wanting to respond to a disaster. We all have a desire to help, to lend a hand, especially to those of our community who have experienced a tragedy. The most common difficulty that disaster workers face is that great numbers of volunteers show up at a disaster scene ill equipped and ill prepared to really be of help. Many times the volunteers make the situation worse rather than better. We offer here some suggestions to keep in mind before you offer your help to assist in a disaster.

1. DON’T SELF DEPLOY. Immediately after a disaster strikes there is a great deal of confusion. The situation must first be assessed for damage to private property and human needs. This may take hours before decisions can be made as to the kind of help that will be required and when. Don’t just pack up and go to help until it can be determined the kind of help that is needed. Emergency services will notify the public media, radio and television when the volunteers are needed, what is needed, and where to report. Know where volunteers are to report for assignments. Emergency workers operate under the Incident Command System. Be sure to pray, asking for God’s direction as to where and how you can serve to his glory.
2. Be physically prepared. Do you have proper clothing to be able to do a task that you might be assigned? Heavy duty clothing, work shoes and gloves are necessary. Dress for the weather; warm clothing for cold weather and lighter clothing warm weather. Know your physical limitations. Not all tasks are physically demanding, but be sure to accept tasks you can perform without endangering your health. Be prepared to work long hours. Pray for God’s protection for yourself and others.
3. Be mentally prepared. Disaster scenes can have a strong effect on our emotions.
   When we are called into action, our bodies release chemicals that enable us to respond. Our senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch are more sensitive. What our senses encounter is recorded in the brain rapidly and later it processes the information in order to bring some meaning to the event. We may, as a result, experience emotional, cognitive, behavioral, physical and spiritual difficulties as we work among the ruins. Be sure to begin and end your task with prayer.

The South Wisconsin District can assist your school and congregation to prepare to respond to a disaster both nationally and in your local community. We can provide a three-hour training workshop for your congregation members. Our team can also assist with specialized training such as tarping, brush removal, etc. To schedule either of these trainings contact Peg Raabe at the District office, (414) 464-8101 or raabe@swd.lcms.org.

Our District also has a trained Critical Incident Stress Management team (CISM). This team can respond to your school or congregation to conduct a variety of mental health interventions to organizations that have experienced a traumatic event. We also have a supply of flood buckets available to help clean up facilities that have been damaged by flood waters. For these services you may also contact Peg at the District office.