The Disaster Action Team (DAT) serves as the first Red Cross contact at the scene of a disaster. As a lifeline for people facing the most difficult crisis of their lives, the Red Cross Disaster Action Team supports those affected by fires, floods, and other natural or man-made disasters.
The California Gold Country Region responds to a local emergency — most often a house or apartment fire — an average of once every 11 hours. The DAT conducts the initial disaster relief fieldwork to ensure that affected clients are given resources to aid in their recovery over the next few days or weeks. A DAT generally consists of a team leader, a team member, and one or two members in training.
Specific Responsibilities
- Responding immediately to dispatches
- Performing disaster assessments
- Compassionately interviewing clients
- Assessing immediate emergency needs
Volunteer Qualifications
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Have a valid driver's license or reliable form of transportation
- Possess strong interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills
- Able to work with clients under stress while maintaining objective, productive working relationships
- Able to promote and maintain relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds
- Able to understand and apply Red Cross policies and procedures appropriately
What to Expect
- 4–5 hours of virtual, self-paced training
- Additional instructor-led training
- Must commit to a once-per-month minimum on-call rotation for your territory
- Complete online training within 90 days
- Local teams communicate regularly about on-call availability to support disaster response needs
Ready to Register as a Volunteer?
Visit RedCross.org and select "Apply Now" to begin the registration process. You will be asked to enter basic contact details, complete verification, and agree to Red Cross Policies.
Look out for communication via email, text, or call to answer questions or guide you through the registration process.
Need More Information?
Contact the California Gold Country Region volunteer team:
- Email or Text: goldcountry.vol@redcross.org
- Phone: 916-268-0865
- Request a scheduled phone call — the team will call at your chosen time to share volunteer information