Community Organizations Active in Disaster
Manchester Red Cross - Lisa Michaud, Executive Director
New England has a long tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. When times are tough, we look out for those around us. Several New Hampshire communities have used recent disasters to develop a more formalized version of that assistance via a COAD. A Community Organization Active in Disaster (COAD) is an umbrella organization that exists to bring together stakeholders interested in building better prepared and more resilient communities.
In the fall of 2005 the Monadnock region was devastated by intense flooding. This disaster unified the efforts of a variety of community stakeholders. Through their coordinated approach to response and recovery, the region was able to prove their resiliency. The effectiveness of this collaboration prompted this group to remain organized to better prepare for the next disaster. This COAD now has a vested interest in all four phases of a disaster, making the region more resistant to future disasters.
Following a devastating house fire in January 2008, a consortium of local organizations worked together to help 28 displaced victims. The effectiveness of this collaboration promoted the streamlined and immediate delivery of services to meet these families' most basic needs. The Greater Manchester COAD, led by the Greater Manchester American Red Cross, used this event to highlight the need for effective collaboration. The COAD was able to formally organize itself and increase its current membership to 42 partners strong , thus ensuring that Manchester is better prepared for disasters.
COADs do not provide direct services, but provide a network through which individual organizations can more effectively address their mission and service goals during all four phases of a disaster. COAD members maintain their autonomy while working to reduce duplication of services and other inefficiencies that occur during times of disaster.
Lisa Michaud, the Executive Director of the Greater Manchester American Red Cross was instrumental in bringing Manchester's support service agencies together to form their COAD. Michaud is quick to say, "Although the American Red Cross facilitates and convenes the Greater Manchester COAD, this is a well-oiled team made up of community partners who are committed people of the heart." The end result of this COAD is that a victim only has to tell their story once. They are placed in the hands of a group of agencies working together to ensure that each victim does not get lost in the shuffle. Michaud's vision and dedication to humanitarian work earned her the Stovepipe Award from New Hampshire's Homeland Security and Emergency Management agency.
Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 11:12:39 EDT