Integrating Community Organizations to Aid in Disaster Response and Recovery

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

Following two historic and devastating flash floods within two years, Howard County experienced an outpouring of support from local community groups, faith-based organizations, non-profits, and businesses. These non-governmental organizations independently provided response and recovery support and service to downtown Ellicott City, Maryland. Howard County was incredibly thankful for this voluntary support and, as a result, identified a future need to provide a structure for these voluntary organizations to coordinate efforts on a local level. Subsequently, the Howard County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) was developed in 2019 to provide our local organizations with a communication network to coordinate their voluntary efforts through coordination by the Howard County Office of Emergency Management. The Howard County COAD was implemented just in time to support unique community needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their existence and support has not only proven to be of utmost importance for local, community volunteer coordination and to drastically increase the reach of government and non-governmental services, but their activation during the pandemic has also been the first of its kind in the State of Maryland at the local level.