Red Cross Team on Norfolk Island to Grow
06 April 2023
For the first time this year, the local Red Cross Emergency Services team is looking for new members. This is a great chance for people to train as frontline responders during an emergency or community disaster, and to learn more about the work of Red Cross nationally and internationally.
Red Cross Emergency Services Volunteers help in many different ways before, during and after a disaster. This includes running workshops or assisting households and businesses to be better prepared for emergencies, such as fires, major accidents, or weather events, using the Red Cross RediPlan tools. Other roles include assisting local emergency services with setting up and operating evacuation shelters; assisting people coming into evacuation centres to ensure they receive emotional or health support, as well as registering people through the national database to connect with loved ones; triaging people with special needs or those who are distressed in emergencies to reduce long-term trauma; and supporting people after a disaster event to help them recover well.
There are opportunities within the team to assist in different ways, for example, contributing to the community education workshops either as a presenter or helping organise the event; assisting with promoting local awareness of Red Cross and our fundraising activities; or helping with community engagement activities such as the Cyclone Preparedness Forum we ran last November. The Norfolk Island team has several exciting new activities planned for this year aimed at strengthening our community’s resilience, and we’d love to have new people come on board to help.
After completing their initial basic training program, volunteers attend monthly team meetings and participate in ongoing training workshops with a specific focus, such as Working with Children and Vulnerable People in Disasters, Preparing Your Community for Climate Change, Building Community Resilience to Emergencies, and Managing Collective Trauma in Communities. Our team meetings also focus on other activities we are planning to support the Norfolk Island community and build its preparedness for emergency events.
Training includes a short workshop outlining how emergency services work at local, state and national levels, followed by a 6-hour course in Basic Psychological First Aid (PFA). PFA skills are useful in many different contexts including coping better with everyday stressful events, and more specifically understanding how to help people through traumatic events. It is a well-established evidence-based model which is used internationally in disaster situations.
Key features we are looking for in our volunteers are:
- A passion to volunteer for a humanitarian organisation;
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team;
- Personal experience in managing stressful, emotional and/or adverse situations;
- Understanding of, and respect for, privacy, confidentiality and appropriate boundaries.
The first step to starting your journey as a Red Cross volunteer is to register online at https://volunteering.redcross.org.au/cw/en/job/499368/emergency-services-es-community-engagement-volunteer-norfolk-island. Closing date is 31st May 2023.
For more information about the local team or for help getting started call the Team Leader on 50506 or email redcrossnorfolkisland@gmail.com
, and to learn more about the work of Red Cross nationally and internationally.
Red Cross Emergency Services Volunteers help in many different ways before, during and after a disaster. This includes running workshops or assisting households and businesses to be better prepared for emergencies, such as fires, major accidents, or weather events, using the Red Cross RediPlan tools. Other roles include assisting local emergency services with setting up and operating evacuation shelters; assisting people coming into evacuation centres to ensure they receive emotional or health support, as well as registering people through the national database to connect with loved ones; triaging people with special needs or those who are distressed in emergencies to reduce long-term trauma; and supporting people after a disaster event to help them recover well.
There are opportunities within the team to assist in different ways, for example, contributing to the community education workshops either as a presenter or helping organise the event; assisting with promoting local awareness of Red Cross and our fundraising activities; or helping with community engagement activities such as the Cyclone Preparedness Forum we ran last November. The Norfolk Island team has several exciting new activities planned for this year aimed at strengthening our community’s resilience, and we’d love to have new people come on board to help.
After completing their initial basic training program, volunteers attend monthly team meetings and participate in ongoing training workshops with a specific focus, such as Working with Children and Vulnerable People in Disasters, Preparing Your Community for Climate Change, Building Community Resilience to Emergencies, and Managing Collective Trauma in Communities. Our team meetings also focus on other activities we are planning to support the Norfolk Island community and build its preparedness for emergency events.
Training includes a short workshop outlining how emergency services work at local, state and national levels, followed by a 6-hour course in Basic Psychological First Aid (PFA). PFA skills are useful in many different contexts including coping better with everyday stressful events, and more specifically understanding how to help people through traumatic events. It is a well-established evidence-based model which is used internationally in disaster situations.
Key features we are looking for in our volunteers are:
- A passion to volunteer for a humanitarian organisation;
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team;
- Personal experience in managing stressful, emotional and/or adverse situations;
- Understanding of, and respect for, privacy, confidentiality and appropriate boundaries.
The first step to starting your journey as a Red Cross volunteer is to register online at https://volunteering.redcross.org.au/cw/en/job/499368/emergency-services-es-community-engagement-volunteer-norfolk-island. Closing date is 31st May 2023.
For more information about the local team or for help getting started call the Team Leader on 50506 or email redcrossnorfolkisland@gmail.com