Community Organizations Active in Disaster
When a disaster occurs, neighbors and community organizations are often eager to help. The Schuylkill County COAD is an organization formed to improve awareness of the needs of the community and connect the capabilities of community partners with those needs during all stages of an event. The Schuylkill County COAD hopes to provide opportunities for community organizations to get involved to make the community and its members safer and more prepared for threats of disasters of all kinds.
The concept of non-profits and County and Local government working together in disaster response stared in 2005 with the County’s response to accepting Hurricane Katrina evacuees. At the time, the County had an active Citizens Corps Council, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and the beginning of a Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). Throughout the years these groups coordinated responses to the Flooding in June 2006, Tropical Storm Lee in September 2011, as well as some smaller events.
In January 2018, a small group of member organizations met to discuss the future of these programs in the County. The group was re-organized as the Schuylkill County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) under the umbrella of the Schuylkill County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). Working with the LEPC would provide an opportunity to utilize the existing resources with the private, non-profit, and government organizations represented to provide an “All Hazards” approach to planning and response throughout Schuylkill County.
What is COAD?
COAD stands for “Community Organizations Active in Disaster”. A COAD is a local group of community organizations that coordinates emergency human services, while working in concert with partner agencies, including the local emergency management agency and social service agencies, during all stages of a disaster.
What does the Schuylkill County COAD do?
The Schuylkill County COAD is a collaborative partnership between community stakeholders – government, voluntary, private and non-profit organizations – that assists in organizing community efforts to provide needed services to community members that arise as the result of a disaster that occurs in the County. The goal of the Schuylkill County COAD is to organize and deploy community resources in an efficient and timely manner during each phase of a disaster.
Schuylkill County Community Organizations Active in Disaster
2021 Leadership
C0-Chair- Pastor Mark Brooks, Bethesda EC Church
C0-Chair- John W. Blickley, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency
Treasurer-Mandy Fitzpatrick, Schuylkill Vision
Secretary- Shelly Smith-Moyer, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency
Long Term Recovery & Un-Met Needs Committee
Pastor Mark Brooks, Bethesda EC Church
Pastor Maureen Duffy-Guy, Schuylkill Association of United Church of Christ
Kay Jones, Saint John's United Church of Christ, Orwigsburg
Shelby Sattizahn, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency
Partner Organizations
American Red Cross PA Rivers Chapter
Bethesda EC Church Schuylkill Haven
Eastern Pennsylvania Conference The United Methodist Church
Liberty Lutheran Congregational Services
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency-Eastern Area Office
Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
Saint John United Church of Christ Orwigsburg
Salvation Army Service Extension
Schuylkill Association United Church of Christ
Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency
Schuylkill County Local Emergency Planning Committee
Team Orwigsburg
The Interfaith Health Network of Schuylkill County
Meetings
The Schuylkill County COAD meets on the fourth Wednesday of the Month at 1 PM.
All meetings are currently being conducted virtually for 2021.
Get Involved
As a community organization in Schuylkill County, you can help prepare the community for disasters and provide much needed assistance to community members if an event occurs. Joining the Schuylkill County COAD allows your organization to help your community in an organized and effective way.
With a strong and organized COAD, Schuylkill County will have more resources to respond to a disaster or event that occurs in our community, adding to our community's preparedness and resiliency.
The Schuylkill County COAD is looking for any agency, business, civic group, faith based organization, or any other community organization that may provide assistance to the community during all phases of a disaster or event.
If you or your organization are interested in volunteering, please email info@schuylkilloem.org with your organization name and contact phone.
Un-Met Needs Committee
The Un-Met Needs Committee is an organized group activated in the immediate aftermath of an event that focuses their efforts and resources on meeting the unmet, uninsured, essential needs of disaster-affected individuals and families.
This committee acts as a sort of “safety net” for many people who are affected by disasters and have not been able to access assistance for various reasons. Not all disaster recovery needs of individuals and families can be fully addressed by traditional federal and state assistance programs. In most cases, local disasters will not result in a presidential declaration because thresholds have not been met. Consequently, federal disaster assistance will not be provided. Likewise, there is no guarantee that a local emergency or disaster will require state assistance. When federal or state assistance is provided, it may not meet all the needs of the disaster survivor.
The Un-Met Needs Committee works with a Disaster Case Manager and Construction Manager to asses the un-met needs of individuals and families.
The Disaster Case Manager is the primary point of contact, assisting the client in coordinating necessary services and resources to address the complex disaster recovery needs. Therefore, the case manager serves as the central link between the individual and family and the Un-Met Needs Committee.
Construction Management in Long Term Recovery consists of overseeing repairing or rebuilding of client homes to safe, sanitary, secure and functional condition. This may include repairing an existing home, rebuilding a destroyed home or relocating a home for clients that have been through the proper case management and are eligible for assistance.
Throughout the process Disaster Case Managers and Organizations respect the client’s right to privacy, protect client’s confidential information, and maintain appropriate confidentiality when information about the client is released to others.
The Un-met Needs Committee meets regularly throughout the long term recovery process with the Disaster Case Manager and Construction Manager to discuss projects and possible funding, donation of materials, and coordination of volunteer teams. The Committee has also built relationships with local contractors and vendors to provide timely assistance to clients.
Projects are funded through an established Long Term Recovery Fund, donations from local churches, organizations, state & regional faith-based groups, as well as grant funding when available.
Recent Responses of the Schuylkill County COAD
Schuylkill County Flash Flooding July 23-27, 2018
Schuylkill County Flash Flooding August 12-14, 2018
Gilberton Borough Flooding June 10-16, 2020
COAD Gilberton Flooding Presentation 9-10-2020