Noah's Wish

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If you are currently seeking help during a disaster or need to report a disaster that has already occurred or is still developing, contact us immediately on 916-939-9474.

OR for after hours, weekends or holidays please call
916-939-9468.

If you are not faced with an urgent situation also email us at info@noahswish.info

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 4288
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

P: (916) 939-9474
F: (916) 939-9479
E: info@noahswish.info

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Home » Volunteer Training » 2009 General Training Information

What Can I Expect?

Our two day training is packed with detailed, practical and field tested information for our volunteers.

Following are just some of the broader topics that will be discussed:

Foundation - Giving volunteers a solid foundation of knowledge about disaster relief work.

• Realities - Presenting the realities of what volunteers will most likely face at a disaster response site.
• Safety - Helping volunteers understand why safety is always the top priority.
• Skills - Providing training on specific skills sets needed to achieve a professional level of service during disaster deployments.
• Teamwork - Understanding why teamwork is vital to an organized and coordinated approach to disaster response.
• Values - Recognizing that people have differing values for animals.
• Please note: Training is designed to simulate the conditions that you may experience during a disaster deployment, therefore we require you to be self-sufficient for the entire training period. This means sleeping at the training location and bringing enough food and water to carry you through Saturday and Sunday.

What Can I Expect for 2009?

In addition to the items listed above, 2009, course material will include all new intake and sheltering procedures (introducing a totally new digital photography system), team building exercises and our all new Volunteer Snapshot, this is where our volunteers get 30 seconds to share their areas of expertise with the group. Here's your chance to tell all about what you do best, not necessarily in words, but by depicting these concepts on your own unique poster to be displayed on our "wall of fame" during the training.

Search & Rescue Training - 2008

One of the primary challenges of presenting disaster response training is the constant improvement of information available regarding the subject matter.  Each year, Noah's Wish updates its training curriculum with new and field tested course material. We encourage our trained volunteers to attend the revised session each year to maintain their skill level and to be in tune with new response strategies and procedures. Noah's Wish has moved to incorporate the Incident Command System (ICS) into our training materials. We recommend that trained volunteers attend the 2009 training session to make sure they are in compliance with ICS training requirements.

What to bring to training?

The intensive 2 day field training session is intended to simulate what it is like to respond to a disaster with us.  You need to be fairly self sufficient for two days and to be safe and comfortable while helping us to help others in a disaster setting.

Below is a short list of what we suggest to bring to training.  For those of you that camp, you may already have many of these items. Remember to bring enough of each of the items to last a full two days.

If you are a returning volunteer, make sure to bring your Noah's Wish In-field Training Manual so that you will be able to update the manual with new material during the session.

Safety googles and/or glasses are required items for the "Wet Lab" - make sure you bring a pair.

Clothing:
Blue Jeans or BDU Cargo pants blue or black

Royal Blue T shirts
Sweatshirt   royal blue
Outerwear dependant on the location, some areas maybe cold and damp
Rain gear,
Coats may be needed, depending on location and weather conditions - Note: You will be outside for some of the training exercises
Work Boots, rubber foot wear maybe appropriate if raining or very muddy
Undergarments - Note: heavy socks made of natural fibers work best
Sleepwear -  Sleeping rooms maybe not be overly warm and are often co-ed
Belt
Bandana

Personal Gear:
Sunglasses
Watch
Sleeping bag
Air mattress
Inflator for air mattress
Pillow
All in one or Leatherman tool
Protective heavy duty gloves
Whistle
Flashlight
Bug spray
Sun screen
Personal hygiene items
Personal medications including allergy, and headache medication - Note: prescription medications must be in original containers with current information on the labels
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
Baby wipes
Hand sanitizer
Deodorant
Towel and washcloth
Personal first aid kit
Camera
Hairbrush or comb
Chapstick

Paper for note taking

Food and Water:
Please bring enough drinking water for 2 days and be aware that there probably won't be access to a kitchen, refrigerator, microware or stove; so pack food with this in mind 
Meals 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner  (Non perishable items work best)
Optional -Ice chests - you will be responsible for supplying the ice
Bring eating utensils, camping or plastic cup and plate, napkins 
Coffee and Hot Water will be available.

Due to fire safety rules we don’t allow camp stoves or sterno type items for cooking

All locations have bathroom facilities, but few have showers, be prepared not to shower for the weekend. Remember, the training is also a simulation of a disaster response, sleeping quarters are like mass shelter areas for disaster victims and responders.

We have a "Zero Tolerance Policy":  No alcohol, illegal substances, or fire arms allowed at anytime. This policy applies to training, as well as, disaster deployments, either onsite or off for the duration of your activation.

To register for one of the 2009 Noah's Wish training sessions click here