disaster response · curriculum series

"In a Day" Training Curriculum

A 5-course accelerated training system preparing Red Cross volunteers for disaster response readiness in a single day

Courses Designed

287+

Training Slides Created

5 Days

Immersive Format

24/7

Coverage Supported

Strategic Context

The American Red Cross's Reimagine Volunteers initiative challenged regions to rethink how quickly new volunteers could become deployment-ready. Traditional multi-week onboarding created bottlenecks during surge events when volunteer demand spiked. I designed the "In a Day" curriculum series as a direct answer: five focused, single-day immersive training programs covering the full disaster response lifecycle, from frontline response through shelter operations, damage assessment, supply distribution, and team leadership. Each course stands alone for role-specific certification, but together they form an interconnected system where skills build across the response chain. The result is a volunteer workforce that can go from sign-up to deployment-ready within days, not months.

From Design to Delivery

These courses aren't just designed, they're actively delivered. The training experience is informed by both training development expertise and real-world deployment experience responding to disasters across the country.

KATV: Red Cross trains disaster response volunteersThe Red Cross hosted a DAT in a Day training at the Little Rock chapter office, preparing volunteers to respond to home fires, flooding, and storms as frontline Disaster Action Team members. Watch on KATV →

Red Cross Sound the Alarm campaignVolunteers install free smoke alarms in at-risk neighborhoods as part of the Red Cross Sound the Alarm initiative to reduce home fire deaths. Watch on YouTube →

KARK: Red Cross sounds the alarm on fire safetyKARK covers the Red Cross fire safety outreach, highlighting volunteer-led efforts to educate communities and install smoke alarms in vulnerable homes. Watch on KARK →

Curriculum

Five focused training programs spanning the disaster response lifecycle, from frontline response through operational leadership.

Full Case Study

DAT Responder in a Day

49 training slides

Prepares frontline volunteers to respond to local disasters like house fires, flooding, and storms, with the skills to safely assess scenes, compassionately interview displaced families, document damage, and connect clients with immediate Red Cross recovery resources.

On-scene safety protocolsClient interviewingDamage assessmentRC Care intakeGo Kit preparation

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Duty Officer in a Day

87 training slides

Trains volunteer leaders to serve as the operational hub of disaster response: receiving notifications from the 1-800-RED-CROSS line, triaging events, dispatching teams, monitoring responder safety, and managing the full event lifecycle through RC Respond.

Event triage & dispatchRC Respond managementTeam coordinationSafety monitoringEscalation protocols

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Full Case Study

Shelter Associate in a Day

58 training slides

Equips volunteers to stand up and operate emergency shelters for displaced populations. Covers the full shelter lifecycle from facility selection and setup through client registration, dormitory and feeding management, ADA compliance, and coordinated closure. Includes CPR/AED and First Aid certification components aligned with Red Cross shelter staffing requirements.

Shelter setup & operationsClient registrationDormitory & feeding managementADA compliancePartner agency coordination

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Full Case Study

Damage Assessment in a Day

45 training slides

Trains volunteers in the systematic, FEMA-aligned property damage classification system used to determine Client Care Program eligibility. Covers door-to-door assessment protocols, the four-tier classification framework (Destroyed, Major, Minor, Affected), photographic documentation standards, and safety procedures for approaching compromised structures.

FEMA damage classificationsDoor-to-door protocolsDocumentation proceduresSafety during assessmentClient Care eligibility

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Full Case Study

Distribution of Emergency Supplies in a Day

48 training slides

Prepares volunteers for large-scale emergency supply distribution operations that activate when events exceed individual DAT response capacity. Covers comfort kit assembly, community distribution point setup, inventory management, client needs triage, and coordination with partner agencies like the Salvation Army and local emergency management.

Comfort kit assemblyDistribution point operationsInventory managementClient needs triagePartner agency coordination

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Shared Design Principles

Design decisions that apply across all five courses, creating a consistent learning experience throughout the curriculum.

Workflow-First Design

Every course is structured around the actual operational workflow volunteers will follow, not abstract concepts. Learners practice the same sequence of decisions they'll face in the field.

Single-Day Immersion

Each course compresses weeks of traditional training into one intensive day, using progressive skill building that moves from foundational concepts to hands-on application.

Clients First Philosophy

Red Cross guiding principles are reinforced in every course: Clients First, Get to Yes, Good Hello/Good Goodbye. Volunteers internalize these values through scenario practice, not just memorization.

Systems Integration

Training includes hands-on practice with the actual technology platforms (RC Respond, RC Care, Volunteer Connection) so volunteers arrive deployment-ready, not just concept-ready.

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