When everything is lost, Red Cross DAT volunteers offer a place to start
By Ashley Peterson-DeLuca
It was the middle of a bitterly cold night in winter 2023 when Ruth Hadland received a call to go on a Disaster Action Team (DAT) call. A family’s trailer had caught fire, and the mother, her adult son and their dog had barely made it out in time.
“They didn’t have their car keys or even readers,” says Hadland, a Red Cross volunteer living in Dubuque.
DAT members are 24/7 on-call Red Cross volunteers and staff who provide immediate emergency assistance to people affected by local disasters, including home fires, floods and storms.
For Hadland’s clients, that meant helping them find a hotel and arranging meals, which she stepped in to do immediately. She also went to the humane society to pick up dog food. And when the older woman couldn’t read the Red Cross paperwork because she had lost her glasses in the fire, Hadland lent her a pair of reading glasses.
“We always make sure they have a safe place and food for the night,” says Hadland.
Depending on their needs and eligibility, families may receive immediate assistance for obtaining essential supplies and food, a hotel room or a comfort kit with toiletries.
DAT volunteers also gather information to help ensure families receive support beyond the first day. That information allows a Red Cross recovery caseworker to continue working with them as they navigate the aftermath of a disaster over the next few weeks and months.
“We open their case in our system so they can get more assistance down the road,” explains Denis Fett, a Red Cross volunteer from southeast Iowa.
Fett also never responds to a call without a stock of Red Cross teddy bears.
“If there are little kids involved, we have teddy bears we can give out,” says Fett. “Kids don’t know what’s going on, why their mom is talking to a stranger and why they can’t go home. The bear gives them something else to think about.”
DAT volunteers typically respond in pairs, allowing one person to focus on paperwork and logistics while the other can give the family their full attention.
“Being the first person there, the first response and the first face of the Red Cross, is such an important role,” says Hadland. “We let them know that we’re here for them and let them talk. Before you even start the intake, you just let them talk.”
If volunteers learn that someone needs additional support, such as mental health services, trauma support, or medical supplies, they document those needs in the Red Cross system so the family’s caseworker can follow up.
“Every case is different,” says Fett. He often responds to home fires, traveling up to 40 miles.
Fett became a Red Cross volunteer after a neighbor who was already involved with the organization suggested it. Fett was looking for something meaningful to do after retiring from his work as a fiber optics contractor for the State of Iowa.
Hadland also deploys virtually, helping people in other parts of the country from her home office. She communicated via WhatsApp with people in Guam because the cell phone towers and electricity were still out weeks after a massive storm. She also staffed a digital call center for the Spokane wildfires, responding via text and phone to people who had been displaced.
Hadland had a different reason for volunteering. After moving to Iowa, she was looking for a way to connect with her new community and give back.
“I love human interaction. I love people. I love being able to work with someone through a very traumatic incident,” says Hadland. “Previously, I was a customer service manager, where I used my people skills and learned how to turn a negative situation into something more positive.”
Volunteering has also given Hadland opportunities to develop new skills and try different roles, including serving as a caseworker supporting longer-term recovery.
“I’ve enjoyed that the Red Cross has let me follow my heart and do what gives me personal satisfaction,” says Hadland. “I love the training. It is thorough, organized, and you can do it at your own speed. There’s no pressure.”
For Hadland and Fett, volunteering for Disaster Action Teams offers a chance to be there for people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives — often when they have little more than the clothes they were able to grab on their way out the door.
We need DAT volunteers throughout our region to support community members in their darkest hours, like Ruth Hadland and Denis Fett. Learn more about the Disaster Action Team and other volunteer opportunities. Visit: https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer
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