Community Revitalization Centers (CRC)

Proposed Plan Description:

CAN-DO's proposed plan is the introduction of Community Revitalization Centers (CRC).  A CRC is a location or structure that fulfills short and long term needs of an affected community in the wake of a natural disaster.  Whether it is a building, trailer(s), or a tent area in harder hit regions, it is a centralized hub from where relief operations are directed and properly managed.  With a pre-constructed plan, a

CRC can be set up within 48 - 72 hours to provide an organized well planned assistance to victims with immediate needs, such as medical treatment, food, water, and shelter.  In addition, the CRC addresses long-term needs of survivors by supplying the necessary resources in one centralized location. As immediate goals are met and rebuilding throughout the community progresses, the CRC will evolve with the capability to tailor itself to the community it supports.

CRC/ COMPONENTS:

Within 48-72 hours, a physical location is erected or prepared by an emergency response team.  Once "on the ground", the team is ready to provide immediate aid while simultaneously organizing local volunteers and coordinating with municipal officials.   As communication with other organizations is established, the team becomes available to coordinate emergency relief on a wider scale.  Through our network of relief providers, sundries and material begin to flow into our location. Initially, the CRC acts as a Point Of Distribution or POD, coordinating the distribution of immediate needs of the community. Once the initial phase of distribution has been set up, a Drop Zone is established.

DROP ZONE AND GRID SYSTEM:

A drop zone is a large, centralized staging area where supply needs are met.  Here, supplies are filtered, properly logged, sorted, and distributed. Through proper assessment and by using the grid system to evaluate the different areas in need, we are able to filter supplies and provide aid more efficiently over larger areas with less confusion. Once our Drop Zone has been established, CAN-DO can begin setting up PODs/ Satellite POD's (Points Of Distribution).

POD's (POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION):

A POD is a staging area, often times a tent, where the necessary supplies and information are distributed to the public after a disaster has taken place. A POD can also range in size and number depending on the overall size of the area it is supporting. Once the proper assessments are made we strategically set up PODs, allowing us to service larger areas of the community from one central location. This method, when managed properly, has proven to be very effective in the past. Once supplies begin to filter in and PODs have been properly designated throughout the area or communities, we begin feeding the PODs via our Drop Zone. This method of circulating the supplies allows the specific inventory at each location to be overseen centrally and avoid duplication, mismanagement, and fraud. In the past CAN-DO was responsible for setting up small “satellite” PODs in areas forgotten or overlooked.  In order to meet the supply needed, we would consolidate the over-run warehouses to feed these smaller satellite PODs.  CAN-DO has found that a POD can best serve its community if it has the potential to grow and evolve with the recovery effort, allowing for additional relief services to be implemented over time. 

*When the proper assessments are not made and communication is not established, duplication of relief efforts becomes a serious problem and operation slows down.   Below is an aerial map of Biloxi , MS .  The areas circled represent distribution centers or PODs, which were specifically set up for food, water, clothing, home supplies, and information. These PODs were set up in Biloxi shortly after Hurricane Katrina and remained in these locations for months or until they were phased out. The map below illustrates the overlapping of PODs in a condensed area. This is a clear example of why a stronger communication network between organizations is crucial in the relief process.

(Note: Radius of Circle = 1,800 feet.)

*Another example illustrating the importance of inter-agency communication (or the need for a Shared Relief Network ). Several groups were offering medical care within the west-central portion of the city, while no medical services were available in the northern part of town. In addition, despite their physical proximity, it was several weeks before physicians in one area realized that they had an abundance of insulin, while the other center was seriously lacking.

(Circles represent Medical PODS)

MOBILE RESPONSE UNIT:

In addition, CRC utilizes Mobile Response Teams.

From the CRC, mobile relief teams will be dispatched into the hardest hit areas. Using the Grid System , teams will disseminate crucial aid and information to survivors. These mobile units also act as providing ongoing assessment teams, documenting vital information, while relaying it back to base to be processed and assigned to various organizations present on the ground. An accurate assessment allows for a cleaner chain of information resulting in better communication between the organizations and their relief teams on the ground, as well as the outside world. It also helps eliminate the overflow of unnecessary supplies in the future. Hence, duplication of efforts, fraud, and failure to meet individual needs are greatly reduced. In addition, through a unified effort between the Mobile Response Teams and the Shared Relief Network, agencies/organizations will be accessible to both each other and the survivors they are servicing.

USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND A SHARED RELIEF NETWORK:

Another factor crucial to the success of a CRC is immediate access to updated and accurate information Our use of Mobile Response Teams, satellite phones, and internet access points allow for real time communication with the outside world, and allow the CRC to distribute Federal, State and Local aid to the community.

CAN-DO has developed the  Shared Relief Network (see SRN proposal) to disseminate information, register victims, and allow for timely transfer of information.  With the help of the SRN, all relief agencies and volunteer organizations can gather and share information via one shared database to strategically target the communities' specific needs and goals much more efficiently.

After uploading their individual data/findings, agencies can then tap in to the SRN to establish where relief is most needed and plan their responses accordingly.  Organizations will be able to coordinate their objectives more effectively with one another and with the citizens they serve. In addition, the CRC can access the SRN to obtain registration and aid opportunities for survivors. Survivors and family members may also access the system to obtain accurate and necessary updated information (i.e., vaccination locations, how and where to obtain registration information and where to apply for various AID and relief services).

Another essential service provided via the  Shared Relief Network is volunteer coordination. Volunteer Coordinators working in the CRC have access to the Network and will direct volunteers to appropriate areas that need the most aid. Hence, this maximizes the organization on the ground to act more efficiently and responsibly.  By supporting GPS mapping, the Shared Relief Network  can identify the location of any group working on the ground by simply obtaining their GPS coordinates. Therefore, organizations are able to set up new satellite PODs in the areas in which they may be most useful.  Under this new system we are able to maximize the use of volunteer services more effectively.

With the aid of GPS mapping, the Shared Relief Network establishes a remote, real time schematic of the relief effort, accessible to all potential providers.

**This Shared Relief Network will soon be accessible via www.can-do.org.

Once the Shared Relief Network is aggregated, the plan starts to take shape in the following three-phase manner: Immediate Response, Short-term Need Fulfillment, and Transition to Long-term Assistance Programs. In the last phase, the CRC has the potential to evolve into a permanent revitalization center for the community.

How it Works:

Phase One:  Immediate Response  
Following a natural disaster, a CRC will quickly initiate a pre-planned response to meet the immediate needs of a devastated populous.  Within 24 hours, the CRC base, with communication and rescue resources, arrives on the ground in the affected area. Within 48 hours a suitable location is allocated, as well as a centralized community drop zone, which would preferably be located at a secure warehouse or structure.  Upon designation, supplies would begin to filter into the region via the public and our vast network of contributors, (see SRN).   Within the first 72 hours, VCT and Mobile Units will triage the local needs and make requests for aid via the Shared Relief Network . Through the network, communication is established between organizations both locally and nationally. In addition, coordinators begin to organize the volunteer work force in gathering information, registering homeowners for aid, and beginning the process of restoration. In union with these objectives, a second phase of operations begins.

Phase Two: Addressing Short Term Needs
In phase two, serving victim needs is top priority. Supply Distribution lines and PODs (Point of Distribution sites) are set up. Mobile Units have already been dispatched to remote areas to find and assist those unable to travel to the CRC. As donations and supplies flood the area, the center can aid the flow of information and material into the distribution chain.

The CRC is able to triage specific supplies to the appropriate location, generally a POD or Medical Clinic. The CRC can easily identify these disparities and assist with the solution through our Shared Relief Network . As assessments continue through the community specific needs for the region are identified and immediately relayed to the relief organizations on the ground.

The Network will function as a source of information to prevent confusion and duplication throughout the community.  Progress reports will be provided to local and federal emergency management teams regarding the current status of the relief services being done on the ground. During Phase Two, a mobile-information vehicle will be dispatched to notify the community where to register for aid and receive services.

Specific (non-confidential) victim information is gathered at any POD where services are provided, and statistics are entered into The Shared Relief Network database. This will be accessible to all ground agencies and organizations and will paint a more accurate picture of the extent of damage and overall needs. Vouchers will be issued to those seeking aid, allowing universal access, ensuring aid is given according to need, and helping to eliminate hoarding and fraud. Throughout Phase Two, available relief services are recorded; needed programs are sourced, imported, and assigned.

Phase 3: Addressing Longer Term Needs
As survivor's needs are met and rebuilding begins, a different focus takes precedence. 

The CRC changes focus to assist in the rehabilitation of the community. Despite the fact that basic emergency services are no longer needed, the CRC continues to maintain a positive role in the community. While emergency medicine may no longer be a necessity, the long-term effects of trauma will become more evident. Psychiatric care and counseling are highly valuable for survivors of destructive natural disasters. Furthermore, employment assistance programs, including job retraining, are important in a post-disaster economy. Childcare, aid for working parents, DMV, and other "gap" services can now be housed where other CRC programs are phased out. Despite the inevitable ruin of the community around it, the CRC still remains relevant, while symbolizing hope and support, as the community rebuilds.

Benefits of a CRC:
There are many benefits that result from centralized control and management of services, both tangible and intangible. Some are listed below:

• ONE location where victim needs are immediately addressed.
• Preplanning speeds supplies and materials to those in need.
• Open communication between agencies reduces duplication of efforts and fraud.
• A Shared Relief Network encourages collaboration between agencies.
• Volunteer groups are managed resulting in a more constructive and effective relief effort.
• Pressure is taken off City and Local officials to organize all relief efforts, allowing their
offices to focus on important revitalization issues.
• One database or Shared Relief Network allows for prompt and accurate dissemination
of information resulting in more organized relief efforts and decreased confusion between organizations.
• Centralized management increases overall organization structure.
• Important health and safety information is quickly transferred to those who need it most.
• United efforts accomplish more in less time, with less overlap.
• Special needs are more easily identified and addressed.
• Each program is customizable to meet the criteria based on location and survivor needs.

Conclusion:

A Community Revitalization Center is not exclusively a Command Center from which to organize relief efforts. It is, more importantly, a safe place that will guide citizens, through the recovery process. A CRC is a hub where various, multiple relief organizations come together with common goals, encompassing all sides of civil service needs, which are crucial in disaster situations. CRCs will not only help to alleviate the added pressures put on Federal, State, and Local Organizations during crisis, but will also help reduce overspending.  CRCs will also effectively field and contain problems as they surface while moderately allowing them to manifest into much larger issues.  Instead of falling into a chaotic melee destined for marshal law, a region can plan, in advance, to handle the needs of their citizens.  They can then set up a program in a cohesive, comprehensive manner that fosters true collaboration and cooperation.