As Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) launches the largest operational commitment to date in support of flood recovery operations, it is asking Defence businesses to volunteer the time of their highly capable and skilled workforces to help with the Command and Control of such a large operation.
DRA has committed to deploying a veteran-led volunteer workforce to south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales in response to the unprecedented recent flooding.
DRA unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders and other volunteers to rapidly deploy emergency response teams in Australia and around the world. DRA is a not-for-profit organisation offering veterans a chance to continue their service by helping and empowering those afflicted by disasters.
Due to the sheer size of this disaster and the number of affected communities in both States, DRA has had to widen its search for skilled volunteers who can help lead and manage the vast operations, as well as other key support tasks.
CEO Geoff Evans stated it was critical that they have the right experience in their emergency response teams, so they have taken the innovative step of enabling businesses to volunteer the time of their staff as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.
‘Traditionally, it has been difficult for businesses to actively participate in recovery operations, with many feeling limited to donating money or giving their staff time off if they wished to volunteer. They said they felt they could do more but didn’t know how.’
‘Now with the launch of the DRA Industry Volunteer Portal, businesses can contribute as an organisation and help us tap into the highly skilled people that make up their workforces, to get people back into their homes faster and restore the overall cohesion of the local community.’
DRA is working with veteran-owned industry engagement platform BenchOn who has donated the Industry Volunteer Portal to support DRA in achieving their mission.
BenchOn CEO Tim Walmsley said this was a natural partnership given DRA’s support to veterans and the Defence community.
‘Defence Industry has a wealth of experience in both managing military operations, through the employment of veterans, but also managing large scale programs commercially, with many moving parts.’
‘We are asking Defence Primes, MSPs and SMEs to jump onto the Industry Volunteer Portal and provide whatever support they can, as DRA releases more and more volunteer requests.’
‘Let’s mobilise Defence Industry and show Australia what we can do to make their lives better when we are aligned and focused on the task.’
Over the next couple of weeks, DRA requires veterans that have command and control experience to help lead the central operations team. As recovery operations ramp up, anyone that has military or emergency services experience will be invaluable to the response teams.
‘Although 80% of our organisation are veterans, you do not have to be a veteran to join. If you value service, we can train you if required.’ Geoff said.
Working alongside locals, DRA’s skilled veteran volunteers will provide hands-on help including mould treatment, debris removal, rubbish removal, clearing key access points and general clean-up.
There is no cost to participate in the portal and registering your company only takes 5 mins. Current BenchOn users can simply link their account to DRA by signing in with their current login details.
‘Our scope of works is limited only by the ingenuity of the teams on the ground,’ Geoff said. ‘They are pretty phenomenal at this type of work.
‘The natural disasters don’t end when the first responders leave, or an emergency declaration expires; for families who have spent months – and sometimes years – living in make-shift homes our work continues.
‘When we work together in operations like these, we can improve a homeowner’s ability to bounce back and restore the overall cohesion of the local community. We do this by mobilising one of Australia’s most valuable resources: Australian veterans. Events like the floods in Queensland and New South Wales demonstrate that they are needed more than ever.’
Interested businesses can register to support DRA at dra.benchon.com.