United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-09-18 monographic deposited born digital 89 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-823 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-823 P0b002ee1803a371e f:d08823 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-823 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-823 GAO-08-823 Charitable organizations Disaster planning Disaster recovery Disaster recovery plans Disaster relief aid Emergency management Emergency medical services Emergency preparedness Emergency response Emergency response personnel Emergency response procedures Federal agencies Federal aid to states Federal/state relations Funds management Grant monitoring Homeland security Hurricane Katrina Hurricanes Local governments Natural disasters Relief agencies Strategic planning Volunteer forces Volunteer services Agency missions Assessments Catastrophic Incident Supplement Emergency Support Function 6--Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing and Human Services Annex Other Written Product A84281

Voluntary organizations have traditionally played a major role in the nation's response to disasters, but the response to Hurricane Katrina raised concerns about their ability to handle large-scale disasters. This report examines (1) the roles of five voluntary organizations in providing mass care and other services, (2) the steps they have taken to improve service delivery, (3) their current capabilities for responding to mass care needs, and (4) the challenges they face in preparing for large-scale disasters. To address these questions, GAO reviewed the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, the Southern Baptist Convention, Catholic Charities USA, and United Way of America; interviewed officials from these organizations and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); reviewed data and laws; and visited four high-risk metro areas--Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-823/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-823.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-823/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-823.pdf GAO-08-823 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-823 Other Written Product GAO-08-823; Voluntary Organizations: FEMA Should More Fully Assess Organization's Mass Care Capabilities and Update the Red Cross Role in Catastrophic Events; Charitable organizations Disaster planning Disaster recovery Disaster recovery plans Disaster relief aid Emergency management Emergency medical services Emergency preparedness Emergency response Emergency response personnel Emergency response procedures Federal agencies Federal aid to states Federal/state relations Funds management Grant monitoring Homeland security Hurricane Katrina Hurricanes Local governments Natural disasters Relief agencies Strategic planning Volunteer forces Volunteer services Agency missions Assessments Catastrophic Incident Supplement Emergency Support Function 6--Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing and Human Services Annex Title 36 Section 300101-300111 36 U.S.C. 300101-300111 Public Law 107-296 Public Law 109-295