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Ferraro Week 8
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Dana Ferraro posted Jun 24, 2024 5:28 PM
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In our fictional Bobsville scenario, volunteer organizations have started their response efforts to the area. Although volunteer support is extremely helpful, there are a variety of concerns when dealing with volunteer organizations. Since the Red Cross cannot fully support their response efforts, the Department of Defense (DoD) can legally assist in helping until the Red Cross can fully meet the community’s needs. This assistance is derived from the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Specifically, Section 309 of the Stafford Act discusses the use and coordination of relief organizations, such as the American National Red Cross. This section states that the President is authorized to enter into agreements with a variety of long-term recovery groups to provide relief and aid to communities after a disaster. It also advises that the resources that these organizations can provide include medicine, food, and supplies in the restoration of community services housing and essential facilities if the President deems it necessary (Department of Homeland Security, 2019).
Another component of organizing volunteer organizations during a disaster is to maintain order. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that they maintain laws, rules, and regulations when it comes to volunteers supporting disaster response and recovery operations. Although volunteers involved in these organizations are eager to lend a helping hand, it is important that they abide by the state and local laws of the community they are providing assistance to. This is especially important when national organizations are utilizing volunteers from different states or regions where they may have different sets of laws, rules and regulations.
One helpful piece of legislation that would protect the volunteers in this scenario is the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997. This act was created in order to ensure that nonprofit public and private organizations are able to protect volunteers from “frivolous, arbitrary, or capricious lawsuits” (US Congress, p 219). Prior to the inception of the Volunteer Protection Act, people were deterred from volunteering for organizations in fear of potential liability actions against them (US Congress, 1997).
Resources
Department of Homeland Security. (2019). Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act & United States Code, Title 42. The Public Health and Welfare, Chapter 68. Disaster Relief. Stafford Act, as amended, and related authorities. In FEMA P-592. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/stafford-act_2019.pdf
United States Congress. (1997). Volunteer Protection Act of 1997. In PUBLIC LAW (Report No. 19; Vol. 105, pp. 218–220). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-105publ19/pdf/PLAW-105publ19.pdf
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