Community Organizations Active in Disasters

The concept of a COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disasters) or a VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters) is a nationwide initiative to assist communities in organizing and mobilizing the substantial existing resources present in organizations in their communities. Those resources are present in numerous non-profit organizations as well as in the business community.

A COAD/VOAD is a partnership organization that brings those community agencies, companies and resources together to plan, collaborate and coordinate efforts before, during and after a disaster or emergency in the community. Ideally, the existence of an active COAD/VOAD organization will ensure that our community is better prepared for and respond more effectively to emergencies and disasters.

Additionally, a COAD/VOAD is an integral part of the short and long term recovery following a disaster - emergency management practitioners recognize that recovery is the most important, essential and, unfortunatley, the most difficult phase of any emergency or disaster.

Sometimes referred to as Long Term Recovery Committees, local COAD/VOAD organizations bring immense organizational resources together from well known national response organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army and align their resources with local organizations. Those other local organizations including local and regional church and faith-based organizations, foodbanks and feeding organizations, social service and non-profit organizations, businesses and government agencies all bring extensive resources and effort together under the umbrella of the local COAD/VOAD.

In Scott County, the Quad City COAD is a bi-state, multi-county organization that meets quarterly to plan for response and recovery from disasters in the Quad City Area. See the QCCOAD Facebook page here:http://www.facebook.com/ScottCoIAEMA/#!/Quad-City-Area-VOAD-438213469636887/.

The meeting schedule for 2018 is January 16 (at Riverbend Foodbank), April 17, July 17 and October 16. Meeting locations can vary - most meetings are held at the American Red Cross offices in Moline. The public and potential new members interested in planning for and improving the community response and recovery from disaster are encouraged to attend. For more information contact [email protected]