Home Fire Preparedness Campaign Background Checks and Youth Participation Disaster Cycle Services Job Tool DCS JT Prepare
September 2014
1
Change Log Date
Page(s)
Section
Change
DCS PRE JT Home Fire Preparedness Campaign – Background Checks and Youth Participation V.1.0_ 2014.09.22 Owner: Disaster Cycle Services 2 Author: Prepare Process
Table of Contents Purpose and Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Volunteer Type Definitions................................................................................................................................... 4 Home Fire Preparedness Campaign Volunteer Positions ............................................................................ 5 Requirements for Red Cross Volunteer Participation ................................................................................... 5 Engaging Youth Under 18................................................................................................................................... 5 Red Cross Youth Volunteers .............................................................................................................................. 6 Working with Youth Volunteers.......................................................................................................................... 7 Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................................................... 7
DCS PRE JT Home Fire Preparedness Campaign – Background Checks and Youth Participation V.1.0_ 2014.09.22 Owner: Disaster Cycle Services 3 Author: Prepare Process
Purpose and Overview In October 2014, American Red Cross and coalition partners will launch the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, a 5-year effort to reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries in the United States by 25%. The Red Cross and its partners will do this by establishing coalitions in communities all across America, bringing together local fire departments, houses of worship, businesses, schools, after-school groups, public health departments, social service agencies and others. Coalition members will be invited to support all elements of the campaign, which include pre-event canvassing, installation of home smoke alarms, completion of home-safety checklists and plans in at-risk neighborhoods, as well as contribution of supplies. Registered Red Cross volunteers, coalition members and community volunteers are encouraged to participate in the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign. Red Cross volunteers are to follow Red Cross policy and guidelines, including the instructions below. Coalition member organizations will have their own policies and guidelines regarding volunteer participation, and are invited to follow best practices from the Red Cross, as appropriate. This document is to provide instructions on background checks and youth participation. It will answer questions regarding volunteer involvement during the smoke installation rallies, home visits and services provided, as it relates to background checks and youth involvement.
Volunteer Type Definitions •
American Red Cross Volunteer: Individual active volunteers who are (1) registered in Volunteer Connection and (2) have a cleared Red Cross background check on file (ages 17 and under are exempt).
•
Coalition Member: Individuals from groups or organizations who are supporters and affiliates of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign locally or nationally.
•
Community Volunteers: Similar to Red Cross Event-Based Volunteers, these individuals or groups are neither registered Red Cross volunteers nor coalition members, but wish to support Home Fire Preparedness coalition volunteer activities.
DCS PRE JT Home Fire Preparedness Campaign – Background Checks and Youth Participation V.1.0_ 2014.09.22 Owner: Disaster Cycle Services 4 Author: Prepare Process
Home Fire Preparedness Campaign Volunteer Positions
Use the information in the table below to determine how to assign volunteers to Home Fire Preparedness Campaign positions. Represents that the position can be held by the volunteer type. Position*
Red Cross
Coalition Partner
Volunteer
Community Volunteer
Pre-event canvasser
Home Visit Teams (i.e. Smoke
Note: 16-17 year
Alarm Installer; Disaster
olds require parental
Safety Educator;
consent and adult
Documenter/Reporter
supervision
Program Lead
External Relations Lead
Smoke Alarm Installation
Volunteer Recruitment Lead
Neighborhood Captain
Rally Support Lead
*Local communities may add other positions, based on local needs and practices.
Requirements for Red Cross Volunteer Participation
Red Cross volunteers 18 years of age or older are required to register through Volunteer Connection and undergo and clear a background check.
Engaging Youth Under 18
Registered Red Cross youth volunteers are encouraged to participate and volunteer for the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign activities. As with other Red Cross volunteer opportunities, there is no minimum age at which a young person may volunteer; however, some volunteer positions have age restrictions or require parental or adult supervision.
DCS PRE JT Home Fire Preparedness Campaign – Background Checks and Youth Participation V.1.0_ 2014.09.22 Owner: Disaster Cycle Services 5 Author: Prepare Process
Red Cross Youth Volunteers Youth Category
Available Position
Registration in Volunteer Connection
Parental Consent Form Required
Parental or Legal Guardian Supervision Required
Youth Volunteers (16-17 years of age)
• Pre-event canvasser • Home visit teams (see chart above) Pre-event canvasser Pre-event canvasser
Yes
Yes
No; but does require adult supervision during Home Fire Preparedness Campaign activities.
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Youth Volunteers (13-15 years of age) Youth Volunteers (13 & Under)
•
Youth aged 16-17: Youth volunteers aged 16-17 years or older, including Red Cross Club members, must be registered in Volunteer Connection as stated in the Red Cross Volunteer Management Manual, Part 2: Volunteer Mangagment Policy, Standards and Procedures. Within the Volunteer Connection system, youth volunteers fill out an application, sign the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct and submit the Parental Consent with Media Release and the Confidential Information and Intellectual Property Agreement (CIIPA). For the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, youth 16-17 years old can participate in home visits but must be accompanied by at least one background-checked adult and undergo all registration and program training requirements for the position as stated in the Red Cross Volunteer Management Manual, Part 2: Volunteer Mangagment Policy, Standards and Procedures.
•
Youth aged 13-15: Youth volunteers aged 13 years or older, including Red Cross Club members, must be registered in Volunteer Connection as stated in the Red Cross Volunteer Management Manual, Part 2: Volunteer Mangagment Policy, Standards and Procedures. Within the Volunteer Connection system, youth volunteers fill out an application, sign the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct and submit the Parental Consent with Media Release and the Confidential Information and Intellectual Property Agreement (CIIPA). For the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, Red Cross youth volunteers under 16 years old require parental or legal guardian supervision and are allowed to participate in all activities not requiring entry to a home.
•
Youth under age 13: Red Cross youth volunteers under the age of 13 must complete a parental consent form and be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for supervision as stated in the Red Cross Volunteer Management Manual, Part 2: Volunteer Mangagment Policy, Standards and Procedures. It is up to the local unit to keep track of these volunteers and recognize them. Youth under the age of 13 may not be registered or tracked in the Volunteer Connection system. For the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, youth younger than 13 years of age require parental or legal guardian supervision and are allowed to participate in all activities not requiring entry to a home.
DCS PRE JT Home Fire Preparedness Campaign – Background Checks and Youth Participation V.1.0_ 2014.09.22 Owner: Disaster Cycle Services 6 Author: Prepare Process
Working with Youth Volunteers The following information provides the Red Cross guidelines for screening employees and volunteers working with Red Cross youth. Adult supervisors for Red Cross youth volunteers must be fully affiliated with the local Red Cross unit and have successfully completed all the requirements to be a registered, affiliated employee or volunteer, including the successful completion of a background check per Red Cross policy as stated in the Red Cross Volunteer Management Manual, Part 2: Volunteer Mangagment Policy, Standards and Procedures. Keep in mind, however, that no amount of screening will take the place of careful supervision of staff and volunteers working with young people. An adult and a youth should never be alone (outside of parent-and-child relationships). Supervisors should never assign one youth with one adult (except the youth’s parent or legal guardian) in a setting where they are alone. It is okay to assign one youth with several adults or several youth with one adult. The adult-to-youth ratio should be based on age and the activity. Consider the task, risks involved, age of the volunteers, etc. when determining the level of supervison needed for youth volunteers. Generally, the number of precautions should decrease as the age and maturity level of the youth volunteer increases.
Frequently Asked Questions Who is a Coalition Member? Coalition Members are not registered Red Cross volunteers and are not subject to Red Cross specific volunteer practices, guidelines or expectations. Members of these groups are not required to be registered in Volunteer Connection, thus they are not subject to Red Cross background check screenings. Consequently, they are not able to wear Red Cross identification, access funds or work directly with clients alone. Coalition members who have verified that their background check requirements meet or exceed Red Cross standards or who have agreements allowing them to wear Red Cross identification (or co-logoed identification) may do so.
Why become an official Red Cross Volunteer? More than 90 percent of the Red Cross work force is composed of volunteers. Every year, the Red Cross responds to about 70,000 disasters, collects approximately 5.7 million units of blood, teaches 6.5 million people lifesaving skills, reconnects nearly 1,000 families separated by war or disaster, and provides nearly 400,000 services to military members, their families and veterans. The Red Cross needs and values its generous volunteers who help fulfill its mission every day, 365 days a year. Registered, background checked volunteers who comply with training and work within program guidelines are entrusted to help carry out the Red Cross mission in their communities. They may wear Red Cross identification and clothing. Coalition members and community volunteers are invited to join the Red Cross.
DCS PRE JT Home Fire Preparedness Campaign – Background Checks and Youth Participation V.1.0_ 2014.09.22 Owner: Disaster Cycle Services 7 Author: Prepare Process
Can coalition members engage youth in Home Fire Preparedness activities? Coalition members are encouraged to recruit youth volunteers and families to participate and volunteer for the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign activities. Coalition member organizations set their own policies for the supervision of youth volunteers. Will each home visit team have at least one background checked individual? Yes, every home visit team needs to have a minimum of one background checked adult on the team.
DCS PRE JT Home Fire Preparedness Campaign – Background Checks and Youth Participation V.1.0_ 2014.09.22 Owner: Disaster Cycle Services 8 Author: Prepare Process
Home Fire Preparedness Campaign Background Checks and Youth Participation | Disaster Cycle Services Š 2014 The American National Red Cross