Primary Agency: American Red Cross Support Agencies: Marion County Emergency Management Agency, Marion County Purchasing Department, Marion County Sheriff s Office, City of Marion Police Department, City of Mullins Police Department, South Carolina Emergency Management Division, The Salvation Army I. GENERAL A. Purpose To provide for the management of goods and services donated as disaster relief to the citizens of Marion County. This includes the management of unmet needs, coordination of services provided by agencies and volunteers, and the shipment and storage of goods donated to disaster victims within Marion County. B. Authority 1. Marion County Ordinance No. 77-2-8A, February 8, 1977. 2. South Carolina Legislative Act No. 199, 1979. 3. South Carolina Legislative Act No. 223, 1967 as amended. 4. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended by Public Law 100-707 (The Stafford Act). C. Organization The American Red Cross is designated under this plan as the Donated Goods and Volunteer Services (DGVS) Coordinator. II. SITUATION Marion County is subject to disasters, both natural and manmade, that could result in major destruction and injury/death. Historically, those individuals not affected by an emergency or disaster are eager to render aid to disaster victims through donations and volunteer services. III. MISSION To provide for the management of goods and services donated as disaster relief to the citizens of Marion County. N-1
IV. EXECUTION A. Concept of Operations 1. The American Red Cross (ARC) will serve as the lead agency for coordinating the reception and distribution of donated goods and volunteer 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. Public information regarding needs assessment, distribution and reception sites, volunteers, and other information will be coordinated with the Marion County Public Information Officer (PIO). 4. Requests for needed goods will be channeled through the Marion County EOC to the State EOC. 5. When identified, unwanted goods should be refused. 6. Surplus donated goods will be otherwise disposed of in a manner consistent with the donor s apparent intent which may include donations to relief agencies at the local or State level. 7. All DGVS operations will be conducted in accordance with the Marion County Logistics Plan, as appropriate. B. Responsibilities 1. Preparedness / Mitigation a. The ARC will assist the Marion County Emergency Management Agency in carrying out DGVS activities in accordance with this annex. b. Maintain a list of volunteers that are available to assist in support of disaster operations. c. Coordinate warehouse storage space in accordance with the Marion County Logistics Plan. d. Identify, train, and assign personnel to maintain contact with and prepare to execute missions in support of this annex. e. Participate in training exercises, as appropriate. f. Coordinate distribution sites with the Director of Emergency Management. N-2
2. Response Marion County Emergency Operations Plan a. Notify and activate volunteer relief organizations upon notification that an emergency or disaster is impending or has occurred. b. Activate the DGVS system, as directed by the Director of Emergency Management. c. Coordinate with the EOC to identify potential staging areas and distribution locations. d. Coordinate the delivery of DGVS to victims while maintaining records of services provided, the location of operations, and requirements for support. e. Coordinate transportation requirements with the EOC. f. Coordinate the opening and staffing of distribution locations, as needed. g. Coordinate the opening and staffing of volunteer reception center (VRC) locations. h. Maintain accurate records of donated, stored, and distributed goods, along with any expenditures in support of DGVS operations. Provide this information to Resource Support Services for tracking and maintenance. 3. Recovery a. Continue to support DGVS operations, as required. b. Assess the requirements for continued DGVS for disaster victims. c. Provide recommendations to the Director of Emergency Management to determine appropriate distribution of remaining donated goods to County or State agencies and/or volunteer groups. d. Assess unmet needs and request assistance from available sources. e. Prepare for and conduct demobilization activities, as appropriate. V. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS A. Administration At a minimum, be prepared to give a summary of current status during the initial briefing. N-3
1. Initial Situation Report a. Status of mobilization of the Marion County Donated Goods and Volunteer Service. b. Available communications. c. Emergency tasks or operations that require immediate attention. d. Immediate support required from the EOC. 2. Special Reports Any significant changes of the status of the Marion County Donated Goods and Volunteer Service s capabilities should be immediately reported to the Marion County EOC. 3. After-Action Reports B. Logistics After-action reports will be submitted following the termination of the incident. All after-action reports will be submitted to the Director of Emergency Management as soon as possible. Donated Goods and Volunteer Services supplies, equipment, and resources will be those normally used by the responding agencies. Additional supplies, equipment, and resources will be requested through the Marion County EOC. VI. DIRECTION AND CONTROL Donated goods and volunteer services activities and operations will be controlled from the Marion County EOC located at 1305 North Main Street, Marion, South Carolina. VII. PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE The Donated Goods and Volunteer Services Coordinator is assigned responsibility under this plan for developing and maintaining this annex. This annex will be reviewed annually, and updated as necessary. N-4
VIII. NIMS INTEGRATION All personnel will be trained on the principles of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Furthermore, all personnel will integrate NIMS principles into all planning and response operations. IX. APPENDICES 1. Alert List N-5
APPENDIX 1 TO ANNEX N: DONATED GOOD AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES ALERT LIST The Donated Goods and Volunteer Services Alert List is maintained in the Marion County Emergency Operations Center. N-6