Volunteering to help out during Disasters?

Question

I have decided that I would like to sign up to volunteer during disasters. I have done some research but I'm having trouble finding what skills I should possess to be of use- I am willing to go out and take classes, and hopefully within a couple of years be fully ready to go out and help people all over when disasters occur.

I wondered what skills are good to have, and how I go about achieving these skills? I figure that basic stuff such as knowing CPR would be a plus, and I've already been CPR certified once before so I can go about doing that. I'm also going to be working on my own dexterity and strength (and overall health for that matter), but is there anything else I can do?

I've also taken some courses at my local community college for psychology and human services. Do these help me at all?

Any information would be great, and if you get it from a certain site please link me, the sites I've found have a lot of broken links unfortunately.

THANK YOU!

Answer 1

Your local AMerican Red Cross offers classes, including first aide and CPR. Contact them.

Answer 2

Your local chapter of American Red Cross has a Disaster Action Team.(DAT)  for which you can volunteer.  DAT volunteers are asked to take training in first aid,setting up a shelter, mass feeding,assessing needs, working with community agencies to get help for victims, damage assessment, grief counseling,and more.  New DAT members work with experienced team members helping people at local disasters like single family fires. As they gain experience and add skill sets they may work on regional disasters too.  After that if they continue and if they wish they may go to national disasters.   More skills and more experience and the person may if they wish volunteer for international disaster work.   Red Cross requires certification by Red Cross in the different skill areas.   This means taking their courses which do have a cost but a reasonable one.   Other skills that would be useful would be facility in a 2nd language, accounting, being an RN or LPN or a clergy person (this last is especially helpful on the condolence teams which work with families of ppl killed in disasters.   Good overall health and stamina helps too.  

Some church groups also have disaster response teams.