How Disaster Relief Has Adapted to Covid-19
From big companies to local businesses, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected hundreds of establishments and operations, including disaster relief groups in the country such as the American Red Cross, Team Rubicon, and AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team. Earlier this year when the tornado and flood season emerged, disaster relief operations were conducted and new protocols were observed for the safety of the staff, victims and volunteers as the virus started to spread all throughout the country.
How the American Red Cross adapted to Covid-19
Adapting to the pandemic even when disastrous storms passed through the South in April, the American Red Cross was determined to keep helping people by preparing and providing shelters, with hundreds of volunteers to make sure they kept up with the latest protocols. In a span of 48-hours, more than 100 tornadoes that passed through Texas all the way to Maryland were tracked earlier this year, with at least 34 people dead and hundreds left homeless.
According to Ben Williamson from the Red Cross of South Carolina, instead of deploying the victims in shelters like in usual operations, the Red Cross placed more than 550 affected people into 11 hotels across the states to fulfill the new social distancing guidelines. The Senior Vice President of Disaster Cycle Services for the Red Cross, Trevor Riggen, said that hotels offered a safer environment the “pandemic world” we’re living in.
In addition, Riggen also mentioned that the Red Cross usually put a small number of affected people in hotels, especially during instances like house fires. However, this was the first time they were able to deploy hundreds of victims to hotels since they stopped opening shelters in January.
Fewer volunteers and staff were also being placed in disaster areas as the Red Cross started to manage logistics by virtual communication. 
The team also began to virtually respond to incidents like house fires, recovery support and mental health aid. As per Riggen, the Red Cross virtual response initiative works by talking to the victim by phone to call or video call via FaceTime or Zoom to ask them what they need and what kind of assistance is necessary.
How Team Rubicon adapted to Covid-19
Aside from needing people to provide shelter, food, and clean clothes to the victims, places affected by the tornadoes also need “Greyshirts” to help clean up and repair the debris and damaged homes. The “Greyshirts” is a term Team Rubicon calls their trained volunteers. This veteran-led response team focused on helping restore the homes in Monroe, Louisiana, Tennessee etc. in March.
Like the American Red Cross, Greyshirts were also taking precautions when it came to their operations as a way to adapt to the pandemic and protect their staff as well as their volunteers. According to Marc DeNofio, Team Rubicon’s public relations manager, the organization implemented protocols such as social distancing, supplying hand sanitizers and making sure that everyone was wearing face masks. DeNofio added that these rules were essential because the safety of their Greyshirts is their number one priority.
Aside from this, Team Rubicon is also supporting Covid-19 testing operations and medical stations in some areas in California, North Carolina, Arizona etc. DeNofio told ABC news in an interview that their volunteers have been giving food, medicine and other essential supplies to communities that need it most.
How the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams adapted to Covid-19
According to Samantha Jo Warfield who is the spokesperson of the Corporation for National & Community Service, the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams usually responds to areas affected by natural disasters such as tornadoes, forest fires, hurricanes, and floods with the help of their dozens of volunteers.
As an acknowledgement of the pandemic, the AmeriCorps team made sure they were involved in Covid-19 relief operations. In collaboration with the California National Guard, they worked on food banks and medical facilities.
During these trying times, disaster relief organizations try to learn new things to adapt while also doing their job in rescuing and assisting victims. With their new Covid-19 protocols, Trevor Riggen said that it is possible for the Red Cross to implement these rules even when the virus subsides in the future.
