Community Organizations

There are many kinds of disasters, each having different magnitudes and differing impacts on the lives of the survivors. When they happen, neighbors and community organizations want to reach out and help, but it is not always easy.

Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) can help a community make the best use of its resources in a disaster. Community Organizations Active in Disaster are effective because local organizations are in the best position to mobilize and bring practical and timely assistance to disaster victims. It stands then that the mission of a COAD is to organize and deploy community resources, in an effective and timely manner, in response to the needs of community disaster survivors.

No two disasters are alike. The impact on each victim is different. The needs of each are unique and often unmet. However, a community that brings all of its resources together in a COAD can effectively respond to the needs of disaster victims in a timely way, thereby reducing the social and economic impact of the disaster.

For more information on Community Organizations Active in Disaster, please contact the Human Services Program Manager at (253) 512-7054.

Local Disaster Assistance Councils, or other local groups with similar functions, coordinate disaster relief activities to create the best means of serving the immediate needs of disaster victims, consolidating local immediate needs of disaster victims, consolidating local relief efforts and reducing duplication of effort.

With the assistance of the state, local councils are being formed through agencies and private volunteer groups. Frequently, these local organizations are the first on the disaster scene to provide food, shelter, clothing, and other needs for disaster victims. This public-private partnership benefits disaster victims during major presidential declared disasters and local, non-federal events.