Preparing Before Disaster Hits with a Community Based Volunteer Effort
A group of few with the power of many. That was the theme behind Disaster Ready Kane, a new initiative designed to strengthen coordination among community organizations before, during and after emergencies.
The Kane County Office of Emergency Management recently hosted a kickoff meeting, bringing together around 50 people representing agencies, nonprofits, civic groups, houses of worship and businesses to better align resources and improve response efforts across the county. The initiative blends elements of a Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) and a Long-Term Recovery Committee (LTRC), supporting both immediate response and long-term recovery needs for individuals, families and businesses.
Disaster Ready Kane is not a government organization and will be run by volunteers, with requests coming from emergency responders such as the Kane County Office of Emergency Management. Scott Buziecki, KCOEM Director, said he was pleased with the turnout for the initial meeting.
“There’s a lot of knowledge in this room, and that’s what we were hoping for,” Buziecki said.
The goal is to establish organizations that can step forward while emergency responders are on the front lines addressing critical needs and continue to assist individuals in the aftermath of a disaster, including coping with loss, navigating insurance and supporting recovery.
As part of the rollout, organizers introduced key committees focused on areas such as emergency sheltering, emotional and spiritual care, debris removal, damage assessment, donations, volunteers, animal services, communications and long-term recovery.
Attendees also heard from Kankakee County’s Becky Powell, who shared lessons learned from a recent EF-3 tornado response, highlighting the critical role coordinated networks play in disaster recovery.
To get involved with Disaster Ready Kane, contact Scott Buziecki at BuzieckiScott@KaneCountyIL.gov or call (630) 232-5985.
Learn more about the Kane County Office of Emergency Management at https://oem.kanecountyil.gov/
Sign up for the free Kane County Public Safety Alert System at https://oem.kanecountyil.gov/Pages/Emergency-Alerts.aspx
