(CENTREVILLE) - A new organization has been established to help St. Joseph County residents in the event of a disaster.
The St. Joseph County United Way took the lead in establishing the County's first Community Organizations Active in Disaster or COAD. United Way Executive Director Kelly Hostetler says the formation of this group is a direct result of the March 6 tornado. she says it came out of a plan to be organized for any future incidents in St. Joseph County.
COAD will bring together nonprofit organizations, businesses, faith-based groups, government agencies, civic organizations and community volunteers to create a unified network of resources and support for residents throughout St. Joseph County.
COAD will operate under the County's Emergency Operations Plan which is under the Volunteer And Donation umbrella. When there is an emergency, St. Joseph County Emergency Management will call for the team to be activated. Hostetler will then make the decision based on influencers and participants from St. Joseph County Emergency Manager Josh Shook.
Shook says he is glad this isn't falling back on his shoulders and will bring in people to help with their specialized training and skills.
Shooks says this idea has been on his mind since he transferred to his home county of St. Joseph County from Indiana bringing his experience with him. Shook says one of the pieces that was talked about during the planning process is there are a lot of pieces that come together for the response phase of an incident, but COAD really wants to focus on the long term recovery piece.
As part of this exciting new chapter, St. Joseph County United Way has appointed Matt Overholt to lead the development and coordination through its newly established Volunteer Center.
Organizations, businesses and individuals interested in learning more about COAD, or becoming a participating partner can contact either Hostetler, Shook or Overholt.