What is Disaster Social Services (DSS)?
DSS are those services required to preserve the well being of people affected by an emergency or disaster. The goal is to reduce or avoid human suffering caused by the disaster. DSS will not tolerate discrimination based on nationality, gender, religion, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation.
What does DSS do?
DSS performs an integral part of Emergency Management by:
- Helping people to remain independent and self-sufficient;
- Helping people to meet their basic needs during a disaster;
- Reuniting families separated by disaster;
- Providing people with accurate and up-to-date information about the situation at hand;
- Helping people to re-establish themselves as quickly as possible after a disaster.
Who are DSS Initial Response Volunteers?
DSS works with people in a time of crisis. When disaster strikes and victims have their lives turned into chaos, there must be a safe haven with confident and efficient workers to help lower their levels of stress.
The quality of care and integrity of volunteers in this position is of utmost importance to the City of Grande Prairie Community Social Development and the Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau. As such, Initial Response Volunteers must be pre-screened in order to expedite the process of working directly with vulnerable populations.
DSS Initial Response Volunteers must:
- Complete a DSS Initial Response Volunteer Application Form (pdf).*
- Complete a DSS Oath of Confidentiality (MS Word).
- Provide a current Police Information Check (PIC) dated within six (6) months of submission to the Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau Association.
- Provide a current Child and Youth Information Management (CYIM) Check dated within six (6) months of submission to the Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau Association.
Applicants are encouraged to contact the Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau to obtain a letter to have their PIC and CYIM checks completed at no charge. The letter must be submitted to the RCMP prior to the check being completed to ensure that the volunteer is not charged a service fee.
All information provided by applicants to the Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau (GPVSB) will only be shared with the appropriate Community Social Development staff specifically assigned to the DSS branch. Within the GPVSB and the DSS, all information submitted will remain confidential.
For more information on this program, please review the Disaster Social Services Initial Response Volunteer Information Kit (pdf).
Please note: Disaster Social Services Initial Response Volunteers will only be contacted in the event of a City declared disaster.
*Please note that your version of Adobe may not support saving changes to this document. Please print your volunteer application and submit by mail, fax, scan-to-email, or in person to the GPVSB. Contact information is found below the menu on the left hand side of this page.