Natural disasters affect us all, and a new student organization is starting on campus with a focus on disaster response and relief training.
The group, called Ottawa Disaster Action Team, plans to work with the American Red Cross. The goal of ODAT is to produce student volunteers who are certified in disaster response, with an eye to serve the community of Franklin County and surrounding areas.
Kara Cunningham, Assistant Professor of Communications, is one of the faculty advisors for ODAT. She is glad to be advising a club dedicated to humanitarianism and service “We don’t have a lot of service-type organizations,” she said. Steve Boese, Associate Professor of Biology and the other faculty advisor, said that he feels ODAT “fits the mission of the school.”
The original idea that became ODAT started as an interdisciplinary class called Disaster Planning, Assessment and Response. The class will combine communications studies, biology, and business management. As part of the course, students will gain American Red Cross disaster relief certification in disaster assessment and public affairs, according to the course description in the original course proposal.
While the class is still planned, it also is important to give students a place to apply and grow the knowledge they learn in the course. Also, as Boese said “Disasters aren’t going to happen specifically the semester that we have class.”
The Ottawa Disaster Action Team was formed as a new student organization. Members of the club are not required to take the course, or vise versa. However, members of the club will have to be American Red Cross certified in at least one of 60 areas of disaster response.
As certified Red Cross volunteers, members of ODAT would be able to help both locally and nationally when their specific areas of certification are needed.
Cunningham talked about the Red Cross’ need for volunteers. Many volunteers are retirees, who simply can’t do as much as a young student with a good back. “They need younger people who are certified,” she said.
Laura Reed, a junior communications major, is one of the first members of ODAT. Reed said that she wants to be able to help the community in which she lives. “I want to be able to help others that are victims of natural disasters,” she said.
Reed interned with the Wyandotte chapter of the Red Cross this summer. “I was fortunate to be a part of such an amazing organization,” she said. Her experiences inspired her to continue her involvement with the Red Cross. When Cunningham approached her with the idea for ODAT, she was excited. Reed also said that she would like to help other areas of the nation that have been hit by natural disasters.
The Wyandotte chapter of the American Red Cross covers five counties including Franklin County. ODAT plans to have its first meeting this month.