Guest entry by James Sedgewick, disaster management associate, Canadian Red Cross in Nova Scotia
This September marks a decade of emergency response for a special team of Canadian Red Cross volunteers in Nova Scotia. While Red Cross volunteers did respond to emergencies for decades prior to this, the Central District Emergency Response Team (ERT) as we know it today was established as a result of Hurricane Juan in 2003. The hurricane caused significant damage in the province and highlighted the need for the Red Cross to increase its volunteer base and capacity to respond.
From an initial dozen, the team has grown into a diverse group of 120 volunteers from the Halifax area who now make up more than a quarter of the 400 dedicated disaster response volunteers in the province.
Volunteers from the Central District Emergency Response Team in Nova ScotiaThe ERT serves a large urban area and has contributed more than 36,000 hours over the past ten years responding to emergencies such as forest fires, apartment and house fires, and other emergencies. Members of the team also help promote disaster preparedness in their community, take part in events, and training exercises.
The team recently celebrated its Prix d’Excellence Award for 2013, awarded by the Canadian Red Cross. The award recognizes volunteers’ outstanding and innovative accomplishments in service delivery. Longtime ERT volunteer Mary Macnab describes her experience best:
I’ve held several volunteer positions during my lifetime, and nothing I’ve done outside my family circle can compare to the enormous level of personal satisfaction I’ve gained from my work with Canadian Red Cross Emergency Response Team.
For more information on volunteering, visit redcross.ca/volunteer.