Yavapai County COAD Members

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The Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council (AZSILC), federally mandated and funded by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is composed of Governor-appointed members, including widely diverse Arizonans with disabilities and advocates for the disabled from all over the state. AZSILC plays a crucial role in the development, monitoring, and revision of the State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) every three years, a plan enacted by the AZSILC administrative team in close cooperation with the five Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Arizona, with a significant focus on emergency preparedness. Standing out among volunteer organizations, AZSILC offers specialized training sessions that merge emergency management and preparedness with disability-focused insights and tools. The council fosters strong collaborative ties with emergency managers, public health officials, and various emergency response organizations to ensure the specific needs of the disability community are addressed during disasters. Meanwhile, proactive engagement with the disability community aims to bolster their emergency preparedness. Confronting the challenge of extending emergency preparedness education to people with disabilities, AZSILC employs an email list, leverages multiple social media platforms, and conducts tailored presentations both in-person and online, aiming to efficiently communicate crucial information to these vital community segments.

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Founded in 2006 with a mission to serve the Lord, the organization aims to offer hope, help, and healing to those affected by disasters. It provides a range of services and programs to the community, including shower and laundry facilities for personal care, mass feeding operations to ensure those affected by disasters are nourished, and specialized recovery assistance for both fire and flood incidents. Additionally, the organization supports cleanup and recovery efforts through chainsaw operations to remove debris and fallen trees, and it offers spiritual support through its Chaplain ministry, catering to the emotional and spiritual needs of individuals in times of crisis.

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The Knights of Columbus, founded in 1880 and established in this state around the time it joined the union, is committed to serving God, country, and community. Recognizing the need for organized emergency response, the Supreme Knight initiated an Emergency Response group about ten years ago, with the first Chairman appointed to lead the effort. The organization now boasts Statewide Emergency Response teams, with 136 councils each forming a team, ensuring coverage across the entire state. Distinctively, the Knights of Columbus comprises members from various professional backgrounds, including a significant number of law enforcement officers and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), providing a wide range of expertise. To further their goals, members actively participate in local Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD/COAD) and are involved in Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), facilitating collaboration with other community partners and agencies. 

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EEE was established in 2019 to address the critical need for organized evacuation and emergency transportation services for large animals during disasters. The organization specifically offers large animal evacuation services and technical rescue operations for animals that are incapacitated.

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Foursquare Chaplains are driven by the desire to support individuals facing disasters, aiming to alleviate emotional trauma. The organization specializes in Disaster Relief Chaplaincy, providing spiritual and emotional support to communities during crises.

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Operating for nearly five years, LASER focuses on providing a safe haven for equines and barn animals during emergency evacuations. The organization offers free sheltering services for these animals when their owners are forced to evacuate their homes due to emergencies. Unique in Yavapai County, LASER is the only service offering equine and barn animal sheltering during such times, with all volunteers trained specifically for shelter operations. LASER stands out through its collaboration with the Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management (YCOEM), ensuring that its volunteers are officially recognized and integrated into the county's emergency response efforts. Furthermore, LASER works closely with Animal Disaster Services and the Red Cross, forming a coordinated response network activated by YCOEM during emergency evacuations to provide comprehensive support and services.

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Manzanita Outreach, founded in 2011 by Verde Valley Christian Church members, initially supported earthquake-affected individuals in Haiti before shifting in 2017 to focus on local food security in the Verde Valley, Arizona. Recognizing gaps in the food assistance supply chain, the organization adopted a mobile strategy to reach underserved populations. Manzanita Outreach has become the largest food assistance provider in Yavapai County and one of the largest rural providers in the U.S., offering services like the Community Food Sharing Program, Local Agriculture Strengthening Initiative, Senior Food Program, MO Packs For Kids, and Children’s Literacy program, among others. Unique in its scale and mobile outreach method, Manzanita has extensive infrastructure to support its operations, including refrigerated trucks and storage facilities. The organization collaborates with over 200 partners, leveraging a vast volunteer network to conduct its programs and support other basic needs services. Manzanita Outreach serves as a crucial resource hub, particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when it expanded food sharing to rural Yavapai County. MOhelp.org further exemplifies its commitment, providing a comprehensive database of food assistance locations throughout the county.

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Founded in 1833, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international organization of lay Catholics dedicated to assisting the poor, the afflicted, and the marginalized. Established in the United States in 1845, the National Council supports local conferences and councils by offering resources, training, and spiritual guidance to its nearly 90,000 members across approximately 4,500 local entities throughout the nation. This society is not only an original member of the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (National VOAD) but also plays an integral role within the community through the Phoenix Diocesan Council with over 80 conferences and 5,000 members, which began in 1946, and Yavapai County conferences that started in 1989.

With a mission statement dedicated to building a more just world through compassionate service and fostering personal relationships with those in need, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul performs acts of charity and justice. Vincentians are distinguished by their deep commitment to service, seeing their work as a vocation that exemplifies the Gospel values and the call to live out their baptismal promises.

The Society's unique qualities are rooted in this vocational calling, which transcends typical volunteerism and is ingrained in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Through strategic partnerships with other social service agencies, houses of worship, food banks, and medical or dental clinics, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul extends its outreach, ensuring comprehensive support for neighbors in need across the community.

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Team Rubicon, operational in Arizona since 2012-2013 initially on the Navajo Nation for flood response, was founded to fill service gaps and enable veterans and first responders to continue serving. The organization has since expanded to include civilians and broadened its scope to include mitigation and humanitarian efforts. It offers disaster-related services like debris removal, chainsaw operations, heavy equipment operations, support to incident command systems and emergency operations, management of spontaneous volunteers, logistical support, fire and flood mitigation, and expedient home repairs. Non-disaster activities include service projects, collaborations with other NGOs/COAD members, and training in various certifications. Team Rubicon's ability to adapt to any scale of need, from assisting a single homeowner to aiding hundreds, sets it apart. A notable distinction is its recent MOU with FEMA, enhancing its capacity for disaster response through resource and information sharing. With a nationwide pool of background-checked volunteers, many certified in basic incident command systems, Team Rubicon ensures effective and scalable responses. Collaborations with community partners and agencies are fundamental to its operations, aiming to prevent effort duplication and efficiently address community needs.

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The organization provides backup communication solutions for various groups, including Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Fire services, government entities (like national forests), and volunteer organizations (such as the Red Cross and Animal Disaster Services), using ham radio frequencies and specialized infrastructure. It offers backup email services and limited direct Internet access, both through ham radio frequencies and an independent network. ARES/RACES is capable of ensuring local, regional, and national communication during emergencies, stepping in as a dependable communication channel when traditional public networks are unavailable or compromised.

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Founded in 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 events, the Yavapai County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is part of a national initiative designed to train volunteer medical professionals and community members in emergency response. The core mission of the MRC is to create and maintain a network of active and retired healthcare professionals, laypersons, and public health experts ready to provide necessary support during medical or public health emergencies. Distinguished from other local volunteer organizations, the MRC delivers a range of training sessions and offers non-emergency volunteering opportunities allowing for flexible involvement. Volunteers can decide the frequency and type of their participation, with training opportunities that include CPR, first aid, stop-the-bleed, psychological first aid, among others. Embedded within the Community Health Services of Yavapai County, the MRC works in close cooperation with the Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management and other key local entities, ensuring a coordinated and efficient response to disasters and contributing significantly to community preparedness and resilience.

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For over three decades, Yavapai Firewise has been committed to reducing wildfire risks in Yavapai County by fostering education and collaboration between neighborhoods and various agencies. The organization provides the community with information, training, education, and funding to enhance wildfire preparedness. Yavapai Firewise is distinctively recognized through endorsements by Yavapai County and the City of Prescott, underscoring its established role in wildfire risk reduction. It operates inclusively, with membership spanning all Firewise communities within Yavapai County, along with city, county, state, and federal wildfire management agencies. Monthly meetings feature presentations and updates on wildfire prevention and response efforts. Yavapai Firewise also plays a crucial role in administering grants and facilitating mitigation programs, bridging the gap between fire agencies and Firewise communities to enhance wildfire resilience.