Natural disasters can be devastating, leaving behind a trail of destruction and chaos, and leaving victims stranded, injured and without basic necessities. It is during these times that the Disaster Task Force TriDent springs into action. At the forefront of this response effort are the dedicated volunteers of the DePloyment Group.
The work of the DePloyment Group begins as soon as a natural disaster occurs. DePloyment Group volunteers perform a variety of crucial tasks, starting with the assessment.
They immediately assess the damage to affected areas and the immediate needs of those affected. It is their responsibility to determine whether the Disaster Task Force should be activated for a DePloyment. This decision is not taken lightly, as it involves the safety of the volunteers and the people affected by the disaster.
Once the decision is made to activate the Disaster Task Force, the DePloyment Group gets to work checking the regularly updated inventory of the Pre-Deployment Group to determine what supplies, gear, and equipment are on hand in the Disaster Task Force storage facility. Once they have an accurate list of what is available, they compare it to the list of immediate needs created during the assessment process. This information is crucial in determining what items are immediately available and what needs to be collected.
Next, volunteers from both the Pre-DePloyment Group and the DePloyment Group collect the essential items needed, create a list of those items, and load them onto vehicles to be driven by volunteers of the Disaster Area Response Team (DART) to areas with the greatest need.
The first step in any DePloyment is to map out the safest and most direct route to the affected areas. This is where the DePloyment Group’s volunteer members come in, using their knowledge and experience to identify key landmarks like fuel locations along the way. Once the route has been mapped out and essential items have been loaded, the real work begins.
The DePloyment Control Center (DePCC), named ‘WooDe’, is the nerve center of the DePloyment Group’s operations. This physical and virtual facility is where volunteers keep in constant communication with each other and live track the DART. It is here that every facet of the DePloyment is overseen, ensuring that safety and efficiency are maintained throughout the process.
The DePCC remains active until the last member of the DART has safely returned. This is a testament to the dedication and commitment of the DePloyment Group’s volunteers, who are willing to go above and beyond to help those affected by natural disasters.
