When disaster strikes, your church can be a beacon of hope. Communities across Florida need congregations that are trained, connected, and ready to respond in moments of crisis. Through Disaster Response Ministries, your church can be equipped to serve neighbors with compassion, practical help, and the love of Christ — whether the need is across the street or across the state.
​ Now is the time to prepare, train, and join the response network.

If you're interested in volunteering, please contact John Stiles Williams, Disaster Response Coordinator at [email protected].

How can I get involved with Disaster Response Ministry?

Become an Early Response Team (ERT) Volunteer.

What is an Early Response Team (ERT)?
While ERTs are not first responders, they fill a specific need in the early days after a disaster to clean damaged homes, remove debris, place tarps on homes, and otherwise prevent further damage, while providing a caring Christian presence.

How do I become an ERT-trained volunteer?

Available by request, our UMCOR-trained ERT trainers are volunteers who offer the beginning class and badge renewals in locations across Florida for 12-20 participants. We depend on congregations to host, schedule, and promote these trainings with us. Trainings are typically all day on a Saturday from around 8:30am-4:30pm for the ERT Basic Course, and ERT renewals are usually a half day. Training is most beneficial during hurricane "off season" in the winter. Please contact Tom Vencuss at [email protected] to have your church host an ERT Basic or Renewal class.

What credentials will I receive?

Trained ERT volunteers will receive an UMCOR badge that will identify them as individuals who have received appropriate training and approvals to assist communities in the early days after a major disaster. You must have your badge to enter a disaster site. In addition to attending the ERT training, you must pass a background check and score 70% or higher on the ERT basic class quiz to receive your badge.

Here is the deployment procedure for ERTs (Early Response Teams):

1. ERTs from within the affected Conference are deployed first (if available).
2. When additional ERTs are needed from outside that Conference they will request assistance from the Conferences in their Jurisdiction, contiguous conferences first and then outward.
3. Should additional teams become necessary from outside the affected Jurisdiction then notification will come from the Jurisdictional UMVIM coordinators (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission). 
4. This is coordinated through the Conference-Disaster Response Coordinators as we partner well for effective early response ministries.

DO NOT SELF DEPLOY. You will be contacted by the Conference directly or through their disaster response email list when it is time to deploy.
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