WANTED: Disaster Volunteers

The Iowa Rivers Chapter of the American Red Cross is recruiting and training people interested responding to disasters with the American Red Cross.  Our training will prepare you for both national-scale and local disaster response in our chapter area.  Your travel, food and lodging will be covered by the Red Cross while on assignment.

Download an application here.

Learn about the many Groups/Activities within Red Cross Disaster Services:

***Disaster Training Schedule for other Iowa Chapters***

Classes Currently Available Online:

Introduction to disaster services

Online course available here.

The purpose of this basic level Disaster Services online course is to engage and inspire the public to actively participate in supporting American Red Cross disaster response. This self-study course will introduce learners to American Red Cross Disaster Services and allow them to discover how volunteers support this critical mission and to explore ways they can become involved in a local chapter.  This course is a prerequisite to all other disaster training.

For the following online classes: contact James Swope, Emergency services director at esdir@iowarivers-redcross.org or by calling 641-753-3317

Logistics and Logistics During WMD

The course will provide you with basic information about how Materials Support Services supports an American Red Cross disaster relief operation. Participant will learn the three core logistical activities in a disaster relief operation (transportation, facilities, supplies).

Fundamentals of Staff Services

Participants will learn how to identify the roll and responsibilities of Staff Services on a disaster relief operation and be able to describe how to support the workforce as a response scales up from a local chapter to a disaster relief operation.

Work Force Planning and Acquisition

Participants will learn the process of assigning workers including the ongoing recruitment, screening, interviewing and placement of staff and volunteers for a disaster relief operation.

Preparing/Managing a Spontaneous Volunteer Work Force

The purpose of this online course is to provide Red Cross staff with the knowledge and skills to prepare for, manage and maximize the use of a spontaneous volunteer workforce during a disaster relief operation.

Emergency Operation Center Liaison Training

The purpose of this course is to prepare Red Cross staff and volunteers who will be assigned to an Emergency Operations Center to work cooperatively with partners helping to ensure coordinated response. 

Financial and Statistical Information Management

This course is designed to prepare FSI staff for the management of client records and client assistance for a disaster relief operation.

Deployment Orientation

This orientation will provide volunteers assigned to a disaster relief operation with information they need for a successful assignment.

To register and find out about other scheduled classes, please email: James Swope, Emergency Services Director, at

esdir@iowarivers-redcross.org or by calling 641-753-3317.

Our local volunteers are

trained and ready to respond