This section of the plan describes the function of managing goods and services that are donated, in the event of a major disaster, for relief of residents of Bertie County or for the collection of goods donated by the residents of Bertie County to be shipped to victims in other disaster areas.
 

1. Historically, persons not directly affected by a disaster are eager to render aid to disaster victims through donations of money, goods and services.
    
2. Lack of an organized system of management for the identification, receipt, organization and distribution of donated goods and services will result in confusion and loss of control of donated resources.
    
3. The timely release of information to the public regarding needs of victims and points of contact is essential to management of donated goods and services.
    
4. At the national level, several organizations have established telephone numbers for disaster relief inquires; these organizations include FEMA, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The State of North Carolina will also establish a telephone line when the situation dictates.
    
5. Suitable facilities, equipment and personnel are needed for the management of donated goods.
    
6. The coordination of the collection, packaging and shipment of goods to a disaster area is best accomplished at the county level.
    
7. The distribution of donated goods must be coordinated with the identification of unmet needs.
    

8. Donated goods are essential to recovery in most cases.
    

9. An organized effort is essential in managing the inevitable influx of donated goods, services and monies which will result from a widely publicized disaster.
    

10. Historically, churches, fire stations and EMS stations in Bertie County have served as collection points for donated goods.
     

11. Monetary donations, staple goods and those items specifically requested best serve the needs of victims.
     

12. No Food Bank is located in Bertie County.
     

13. As outlined in the State Emergency Operations Plan, the State will maintain a centralized management system for incoming offers of donated goods, monies and services. A central point of contact will be established by the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh during the disaster and a data base of donations offers will be maintained. The County Emergency Management Coordinator will assist the local donations committee in interfacing operations with the system.
     

14. Donated goods distribution should fill a genuine need, not compete with local merchants who are able to fill the public need through sales of goods.
     

15. Attempts at price gouging during disasters will not be tolerated by the Control Group or Bertie County Commissioners; the Sheriff will disrupt such attempts.

1. Suitable space and equipment will be available to receive, sort and store incoming donated goods and volunteer resources.
    
2. Adequate personnel for donated goods operations will be available.
    
3. Multiple local distribution sites will be able to be made convenient to the affected populations.
    
4. A central reception and distribution site will be established, by the state, away from the disaster area.
    
5. An aggressive public information effort will expedite the distribution of goods to disaster victims as well as limit an influx of unwanted goods.
    
6. Local transportation will be available to ship the donated goods to other disaster locations.
    
7. There will be a surplus of some donated goods that will require disposal.
    
8. Citizens and businesses in the County will elect to donate money and goods to disaster victims elsewhere and will seek guidance on methods of participation.
    
9. Some donors will seek to bypass the distribution system established by the County.
    
10. Charitable and religious organizations will offer their assistance in managing and operating distribution centers.
     

11. Unsolicited donations of goods can be expected.
     

12. Donations of non-useful and unwanted goods can be expected; these include loose, unsorted clothing, extremely perishable items and worn-out items.
     

13. People unaffected by the disaster will nevertheless seek to receive donated goods.

1. The goal in donations management is to establish an approach whereby goods and services, if they cannot be discouraged, will be directed to a central reception center away from the disaster area where they can be sorted and organized for distribution.
    
2. Prior agreements have been made with volunteer organizations to handle the receipt and distribution of donated goods, specifically the Bertie Council on Aging.
    
3. After a disaster, Emergency Management, along with local officials and private voluntary organizations, must assess as quickly as possible the needs of the impacted area, begin requests for the needed resources and notify the State Emergency Operations Center as appropriate.

1. A lead agency will be designated for the reception and distribution of donated goods and services. In Bertie County, the lead agency will be the Bertie Council on Aging.
    
2. The magnitude and severity of the disaster will dictate the amount of space and personnel required for the reception and distribution process.
    
3. The lead agency will coordinate with other relief agencies working on the disaster to ensure needs are met without duplication of efforts.
    
4. A central reception and sorting center for donated goods will be established by the County, as needed, and separate locations convenient to the affected area(s) of the County can be used as distribution centers.
    
5. Operational personnel will be provided by the Council on Aging, or as necessary, solicited from the Volunteer Coordinator's list of available personnel resources.
    
6. Public information regarding distribution and reception sites, needed goods, volunteers, and other pertinent matters will be coordinated with and by the County public information office.
    
7. Requests for needed goods and re-supply of needed goods will be channeled through the state EOC Common Function Donations Management and the state distribution center, when it has been established.
    

8. Donated goods will be locally received, sorted, inventoried and packaged in a manner suitable for distribution.
    

9. Surplus donated goods will be sold or otherwise disposed of in a manner consistent with the donor's apparent intent. Surplus cash donations will be remain in the care of the County Finance Officer for future disaster relief.
    

10. When identifiable, unwanted goods will be refused.
     

11. The Finance Officer will establish a mechanism and procedures for local receipt, security, disbursement, and tracking of cash donations for disaster relief.
     

12. Designated donations.
    • A designated donation is an offer of a donation made to and accepted by an organization or a specific donation requested by an organization.
    • Inquiries concerning donations for a specified organization will be referred to that organization. The organization accepting/receiving the donation will follow its own policies and procedures for handling the logistics involved.
    • Once an offered donation has been accepted, it is a designated donation and belongs to that agency.
    • Distribution of a designated donation will be accomplished by the receiving organization's procedures and under various other plans, such as mass feeding or sheltering.
       
13. Unsolicited / undesignated goods.
    • Unsolicited/undesignated goods are those donations which have arrived, but have not been requested by an agency.
    • Every effort will be made to designate every shipment to a specific agency.
    • As a last resort, shipments which are unsolicited and undesignated will be directed to the reception center.
    • Unsolicited donations that cannot be directly sent intact to a using organization from the reception center will be unloaded, sorted, classified and stored as a donation arrives.
       
14. Transportation
    • The transportation of goods from the donor to the receiving organization will be the responsibility of the donor. Exceptions to this will be on a case by case basis and only the most desperately needed items.
    • Transportation of donated goods from the reception center to the distributions points will be accomplished using local, state, or in some cases, federal resources.
       
15. Voluntary Services
    • Persons calling may wish to volunteer their personal time and services.
    • The phone bank operators, or others taking inquires from volunteers, will encourage individuals interested in volunteering services to affiliate with a recognized private voluntary organization or other organized group of their choice.
    • The local Emergency Management office and local officials will identify potentially needed volunteers who have specific technical skills.
    • Public-Sector volunteers will be registered through the Donations Management lead agency and will be called upon by agencies seeking particular skills.
    • The American Red Cross will coordinate the housing and feeding of public volunteers.
       
16. Collection and Shipment of Donated Goods to other Counties/States/Localities

    • An attempt will be made to identify the needs of the intended destination prior to collection of goods.

    • A systematic method will be established for collection of the donated goods to be shipped.

    • Goods will be sorted and packaged in accordance with the following objectives:

      • Timely and undamaged arrival at the destination
      • Proper identification of contents
      • Minimal need for repackaging/sorting
      • Ease of loading and ease of unloading at the destination
      • Elimination of inappropriate/unwanted goods
         

    • The departure and arrival of a shipment of donated goods from Bertie will be coordinated with the receiving destination.

    • When appropriate, shipments of donated goods will be coordinated with the Area or State office of the Division of Emergency Management.

1. Bertie Council on Aging
2. American Red Cross Emergency Services Director
3. Bertie County Emergency Management

Attachment 1
Donations Management Preparedness/Response Checklist