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A Disaster Services Volunteer plays a vital role in fulfilling the Red Cross mission: preparedness, prevention, and response to emergencies of all kinds. At the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay, there are about 1,000 active disaster volunteers working day and night throughout our 145 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts.


No matter your interests, skills, or schedule; you can make a significant contribution to your community. Find out how rewarding giving your time and efforts can be. Take a look at the volunteer opportunities below and discover the various ways you can get involved with the Disaster Services Programs at the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay.



Disaster Action Team Member:
Disaster Action Team (DAT) members are on call with their team for one or more shifts, and are ready to respond to provide for the emergency needs of disaster clients.
Activities may include assessing the immediate needs of disaster clients, interviewing clients and beginning casework and financial assistance documents, providing canteening services for emergency responders and conducting damage assessments.

Disaster Action Team Response Supervisor:
Response supervisors provide supervision, technical guidance, mentoring and career development support to current DAT members.

Disaster Action Team Leader:
DAT leaders coordinate the activities of evening and/or daytime Disaster Action Teams for the chapter’s local response system. The Team Leader provides supervision, technical guidance, mentoring and career development support to current DAT members and Response Supervisors.

Disaster Mental Health Volunteer:
Disaster Mental Health (DMH) volunteers are licensed mental health professionals who serve as on call support to provide emotional support and assistance to clients and/or Red Cross workers .

Disaster Health Services:
Disaster Health Services (DHS) volunteers are licensed health professionals that are on call to provide a medical professional presence during larger-scale disasters, primarily in the event that a shelter or evacuation center is opened. DHS volunteers can play a pivotal role during deployments of the Red Cross general volunteer base, by reviewing Health Status Records.



Emergency Operations Center Liaison:
Volunteers trained as ARC Liaisons, represent and promote ARC relief capabilities and facilitate the assignment of ARC resources to support the relief operation from emergency operation centers throughout the state.

Shelter Volunteer:
Volunteers trained and ready to help staff a shelter or evacuation center, as necessary. Some activities may include: mass feeding, in-processing of shelter residents, and logistical support of material resources at the shelter.

Dispatch:
Emergency Dispatchers are on-call after hours for specific shifts to field initial calls reporting disasters and take a major role initiating the response for that call.

Client Assistance Card (CAC) Activator:
CAC Activators are on-call after hours for specific shifts to take calls from DAT Leaders and load financial assistance onto Client Assistance Cards (CACs) from home using a web-based program.

Community Disaster Education:
Community Disaster Education (CDE) volunteers are responsible for community outreach; including giving disaster preparedness presentations to diverse community groups and distribute preparedness information packets to local families.

Community Liaison:
A Community Liaison (CL), acts as a link between the American Red Cross of Mass Bay and the local communities. It is strongly recommended that a CL have experience in other volunteer roles before becoming a liaison.

Transportation Management:
Transportation Management volunteers assist in the responsibility of planning, assessing, and organizing the chapter’s fleet of vehicles.

Disaster Services Human Resources System:
Registered Disaster Volunteers may be eligible to deploy to National Disaster Relief Operations in a variety of groups and activities. DSHR members are also able to track their training and career development within the Disaster Services department through the DSHR database.

Please email MassBayVol@usa.redcross.org for more information and to recieved a volunteer application.