Disaster

The mission of HelpLink" is:

To quickly and accurately link the community to appropriate human serving organizations.

In times of community wide disaster we will fulfill this mission by:

• Maintaining operations throughout the disaster or striving to return to operational status within 48 hours if continuous operation is made impossible by the disaster

• Expanding our linking role to monitor and maintain a database of disaster related and/or emerging needs and services

  • Working with other local disaster service providers to ensure that victims' needs for information and services are met in a compassionate, timely manner.
    
    

National Emergency Response Information Network

History
The (NERIN) was formed in 1995 by the (AIRS) after receiving a planning grant from the to develop a national model of an internet-based human services infrastructure for disaster recovery. The goals of are to develop:

• a national network of information and referral agencies (I&Rs);

• internet linkage of the I&R network;

• a single national standard for collecting, organizing, retrieving and reporting on services and needs in time of disaster;

• a model for I&Rs to operate collaboratively in local disaster services coalitions;

• training to prepare I&R agencies to play an effective role in meeting the human service needs of disaster victims.

The project and these specific goals came about as a result of a realization that a growing number of people who are especially vulnerable to disaster because of poverty, disability, lack of English language skills or other risk factors are often located in the most disaster-prone areas of the country. Starting with the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, it has become clear that traditional disaster response agencies, both public and private, are neither tasked with nor prepared to deal with all the long-range recovery needs inherent in these situations. Local human service agencies are increasingly called upon to fill the gaps in service. recognizes the role of these agencies and gives them the tools needed to fill this role effectively.

Partners in include: INFO LINE Los Angeles; Center for Developmental Disabilities, ; (FEMA); special representatives to FEMA; , ; among others.

Phase I of the project was to develop the models and test among 7 I&Rs. Phase I was complete in 1996. Phase II - Full Implementation began in 1997.

HelpLink's Involvement
Since the Miamisburg train derailment, we have been aware that there will be an expanded need for I&R services in the time of disaster. We are also aware that these needs may be for services not typically provided in the community , nor tracked by our database. Consequently we have historically been involved with groups such as the Disaster Services and MGLERC (Montgomery & Greene Local Emergency Response Council) in an effort to maintain a high level of disaster readiness on our part. is a natural fit to the role HelpLink would want and need to play in the time of a community wide disaster.