Donations Management
Gaston County Emergency Operations Plan

Coordinating Agencies: Salvation Army
  Volunteer Civic / Religious Organizations
   
Cooperating Agencies: Emergency Management
  Solid Waste
  County Manager
  Unmet Needs Committee
   
Attachments
Attachment 1 Preparedness / Response Checklist
Also see
Annex Resource Management
   
   
I. PURPOSE
This section of the plan describes the function of managing goods and services that are donated, in the event of a major disaster, for relief of residents of Gaston County or for the collection of goods donated by the residents of Gaston County to be shipped to victims in other disaster areas.
 
II. SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS
 
  A. Situation
 
    1. Historically, persons not directly affected by a disaster are eager to render aid to disaster victims through donations of money, goods, and services.
 
    2. Lack of an organized system of management for the identification, receipt, organization, and distribution of donated goods and services will result in confusion and loss of control of donated resources.
 
    3. The timely release of information to the public regarding needs of victims and points of contact is essential to management of donated goods and services.
 
    4. At the national level several organizations have established telephone numbers for disaster relief inquiries. These organizations include FEMA, the American Red Cross, and the Salvation Army. The State of North Carolina will also establish a telephone line when the situation dictates.
 
    5. Suitable facilities, equipment, and personnel are needed for the management of donated goods.
 
    6. The coordination of the collection, packaging, and shipment of goods to a disaster area is best accomplished at the county level.
 
    7. The distribution of donated goods must be coordinated with the identification of unmet needs.
 
  B. Assumptions
 
    1. Suitable space and equipment will be available to receive, sort, and store incoming donated goods and volunteer resources.
 
    2. Adequate personnel for donated goods operations will be available.
 
    3. Multiple local distribution sites will be able to be made convenient to the affected populations.
 
    4. A central reception and distribution site will be established, by the State, away from the disaster area.
 
    5. An aggressive public information effort will expedite the distribution of goods to disaster victims as well as limit an influx of unwanted goods.
 
    6. Local transportation will be available to ship the donated goods to other disaster locations.
 
    7. That there will be a surplus of some donated goods that will require disposal.
 
    8. Citizens and businesses in the county will elect to donate money and goods to disaster victims elsewhere and will seek guidance on methods of participation.
 
    9. Some donors will seek to bypass the distribution system established by the county.
 
    10. Charitable and religious organizations will offer their assistance in managing and operating distribution centers.
 
III. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
 
  A. General
 
    1. The goal in donations management is to establish an approach whereby goods and services, if they cannot be discouraged, will be directed to a central reception center away from the disaster area where they can be sorted and organized for distribution.
 
    2. Prior agreements have been made with the Salvation Army to handle the receipt, distribution, and assignment of donated goods and manpower.
 
    3. After a disaster, Emergency Management along with local officials and private voluntary organizations must assess as quickly as possible the needs of the impacted area, begin requests for the needed resources and notify the State Emergency Operations Center Common Function for Donation Management.
 
  B. Receipt of Donated Goods
 
    1. The Salvation Army will be the lead agency designated for the reception and distribution of donated goods and services.
 
    2. The magnitude and severity of the disaster will dictate the amount of space and personnel required for the reception and distribution process.
 
    3. The lead agency will coordinate with other relief agencies working on the disaster to ensure needs are met without duplication of efforts.
 
    4. A central reception and sorting center for donated goods will be established by the county as needed and separate locations convenient to the affected area(s) of the county can be used as distribution centers.
 
    5. Operational personnel will be solicited from the Volunteer Coordinator's list of available personnel resources.
 
    6. Public information regarding distribution and reception sites, needed goods, volunteers, and other pertinent matters will be coordinated with and by the County Public Information Officer.
 
    7. Requests for needed goods and resupply of needed goods will be channeled through the State EOC Common Function Donations Management and the State Distribution Center when it has been established.
 
    8. Upon receipt of donated goods they should be sorted and packaged in a manner suitable for distribution.
 
    9. Surplus donated goods will be disposed of in a manner consistent with the donor's apparent intent.
 
    10. The Gaston County Landfill will be used as needed for disposal of unwanted/unneeded donated goods within the scope of what they are able to legally accept as refuse. The County would contract for the pickup and disposal of such unwanted/unneeded donated items.
 
    11. Designated donations.

  • A designated donation is an offer of a donation made to and accepted by an organization or a specific donation requested by an organization.
     

  • Inquiries concerning donations for a specified organization will be referred to that organization. The organization accepting\receiving the donation will follow its own policies and procedures for handling the logistics involved.
     

  • Once an offered donation has been accepted, it is a designated donation and belongs to that agency.
     

  • Distribution of a designated donation will be accomplished by the receiving organization's procedures and under various other plans, such as, mass feeding or sheltering.
    12. Unsolicited\undesignated goods.
  • Unsolicited\undesignated goods are those donations that have arrived, but have not been requested by an agency.
     
  • Every effort will be made to designate every shipment to a specific agency.
     
  • As a last resort, shipments which are unsolicited and undesignated will be directed to the reception center.
     
  • Unsolicited donations that cannot be directly sent intact to a using organization from the reception center will be unloaded, sorted, classified, and stored.
    13. Transportation.
  • The transportation of goods from the donor to the receiving organization will be the responsibility of the donor. Exceptions to this will be on a case by case basis and only the most desperately needed items.
     
  • Transportation of donated goods from the reception center to the distribution points will be accomplished using local, state, or in some cases federal resources.
    14. Voluntary Services.
  • Persons calling may wish to volunteer their personal time and services.
     
  • The phone bank operators, or others taking inquiries from volunteers, will encourage individuals interested in volunteering services to affiliate with a recognized private voluntary organization or other organized group of their choice.
     
  • The Emergency Management office and local officials will identify potentially needed volunteers who have specific technical skills.
     
  • Public-Sector volunteers will be registered through the Donations Management lead agency and will be called upon by agencies seeking particular skills.
IV. DIRECTION AND CONTROL
 
  A. Gaston County Office of Emergency Management will assign a lead agency for direction and control of Donations Management.
 
  B. The designated lead agency using various volunteer agencies will organize and direct donations management activities.  Their activities will be coordinated with the Emergency Management Administrator.
 
V. CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT

 The line of succession is:
 
  A. Salvation Army
 
  B. Volunteer Church Groups
 
  C. Gaston County Office of Emergency Management
 

Attachment 1
Donations Management Preparedness/Response Checklist
 
     
  Emergency Management Administrator:
 
  Appoint a Donations Manager / Coordinator or donations management organization (Salvation Army)
 
  Donations Manager then becomes part of EOC Human Services Group.
 
  Pre-determine locations that will be both suitable and available to receive large quantities of donated goods (i.e. warehouses).
     
  Donations Manager:
 
  Develop detailed plans and procedures to quickly establish Receiving and Distribution Center(s) that will support this annex.
 
  Report to the Emergency Operations Center and serve with the Logistics Group until relieved.
 
  Receive a situational briefing and understand your assignment. Ask questions and receive answers during the briefing.
 
  Appoint a secondary or assistant Donations Manager (Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation).
 
  Establish donations Receiving and Distribution Center(s)
 
  Assign or appoint a Distribution Center manager (or as many managers as necessary for the number of distribution centers that will operate).
Note: Distribution Center managers should be familiar with stocking, classifying materials and methods of bulk material handling.
 
  Assign or appoint a Receiving Center manager (or as many managers as necessary for the number of receiving centers that will operate).
Note: Receiving Center managers should be familiar with stocking and classifying materials and methods of bulk material handling and shipping. Receiving Center managers are likely to deal with truck drivers as well as members of the public who may desire receipts for materials they are delivering.
 
  Coordinate with the Public Information Officer to release information:
   
Types and quantities of supplies or materials needed.
Location of Distribution Center(s).
Dates and times of Distribution Center operations.
What the Distribution Center has available for the public.
General public guidelines (rules) for the distribution of donated goods.
 
  Coordinate with the EOC Human Services Group for:
   
Additional resources such as manpower, equipment and additional locations.
Security and traffic control.
Locations for reception area(s) - (where donated goods will be received).
Transportation resources to transport donated goods to Distribution Centers.
 
  Ensure adequate staffing of Receiving and Distribution Center(s).
 
  Once receiving and distribution locations are established, establish and maintain communications.
 
  Ensure adequate safety guidelines are followed (OSHA) for use of equipment (i.e. forklifts).
 
  Ensure Receiving Center personnel are provided with adequate and appropriate safety equipment and receive appropriate training.
 
  Ensure Distribution Center personnel are provided with adequate and appropriate safety equipment and receive appropriate training.
 
  Prepare written reports to submit to the EOC Human Services Group as required or requested.
 
  Track personnel and equipment and keep appropriate logs.
 
  Perform other tasks as assigned.