Wood County Emergency Management and Volunteer Center Partner to Develop Disaster Training - WI Rapids

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI – In partnership with Wood County Emergency Management, United Way of Inner Wisconsin’s Volunteer Center will be conducting a Disaster Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) Training on November 11^th and 13^th, 2014 from 5pm to 7pm both nights.  The event will be held at the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, 1120 Lincoln Street, Wisconsin Rapids.  Dinner will be sponsored by Tropical Smoothie Café (former Smoothie Island), and Domino’s Pizza.

During a disaster, there are two types of volunteers:  spontaneous and affiliated.  Affiliated volunteers have a relationship with a volunteer organization, such as American Red Cross, and have been trained and vetted.  Spontaneous volunteers are unaffiliated and may not be trained, but may still have skills, energy and compassion to share after a disaster. 

In the event of a disaster, any spontaneous volunteers who arrive at a disaster scene will be directed to the VRC, where they will fill out an application, be interviewed and screened, matched with a disaster volunteer opportunity, trained and fitted with a wristband before being sent back out to the disaster scene.  The VRC is staffed by another group of volunteers.  We are currently recruiting volunteers to join our VRC team. 

Day one of our VRC training will consist of lecture, where we will be discussing what happens during a disaster, what we do at the VRC and why it is important.  Day two will be a hands-on exercise.  At the conclusion of the training, each participant will be asked to join the VRC team.  Each VRC volunteer fills out an application, is screened, and asked to attend future trainings.  VRC volunteers are also asked to be available in the event of a disaster.

To register for the training, please visit  www.volunteerinnerwisc.org , click on “Volunteer at Events” and scroll down to “Disaster VRC Training.”  For more information, please contact Angie Loucks, Volunteer Center Coordinator at 715-421-0390 or angie@uwiw.org. 

About United Way of Inner Wisconsin’s Volunteer Center

The Volunteer Center is a clearing house for requests for volunteers and volunteer opportunities.  An online database of volunteer opportunities is available at www.volunteerinnerwisc.org.  Volunteer opportunities can also be found every Wednesday in Daily Tribune Media and on River Cities Community Access.  The Volunteer Center works on several initiatives such as Day of Caring, Stuff the School Bus, Homeless Point in Time (PIT) Count, Disaster Volunteer Reception Center and Holiday Give and Get Help Guide. 

The Volunteer Center is a program of United Way of Inner Wisconsin.  Its mission is to mobilize and inspire people to utilize their talents to enhance our community.