WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. – The Wayne County Community Organizations Active in Disaster is working to build a countywide network that can quickly respond when disasters occur.

The organization, known as COAD, has been developing its network since 2023 and recently activated its resources to help coordinate donations and volunteers following flooding in parts of Wayne County.

Dana Millenkopf, chairperson of the Wayne County COAD, said the organization focuses on connecting groups before a disaster happens, so they know how to work together when an emergency occurs.

 “It’s too late to exchange business cards at the disaster,” Mollenkopf said.

The COAD was formed at the request of Wayne County Emergency Management Agency and the mayor. It works alongside emergency management and is activated at the agency’s request.

Unlike emergency management, which handles a broader range of emergencies, the COAD focuses on coordinating community organizations, volunteers and resources during response and recovery.

The organization brings together churches, businesses, schools and government agencies. Mollenkopf said the goal is to identify what each organization can provide and what it is willing to do during a disaster.

“All disasters start locally and end locally,” he said.

The recent flooding has given the group an opportunity to put that coordination into practice. Volunteers have helped collect and move donated supplies to Central Christian Church in Cambridge City to distribute to affected communities.

Mollenkopf said the group also has worked with organizations bringing in donations and is looking at how to manage supplies if volume grows.

He pointed to a tornado response in Winchester as an example of why having a plan for donations is important. Supplies were initially taken to a school before being moved to a field house and then a Moose lodge as space became available.

“The mound of donations just kept getting bigger and bigger,” he said.

The COAD is also developing a Volunteer Reception Center, which would serve as a central location for processing people who want to help during a disaster.

Volunteers would register, provide information about their skills and interests, sign required forms and then be matched with organizations that need assistance.

Assignments could include helping a food pantry prepare and serve meals, working at a distribution center or providing additional help to an organization that has become overwhelmed.

The COAD is also working on training for volunteers. One potential training is psychological first aid, which would help volunteers recognize signs of stress in people affected by disaster and know how to connect them with additional support.

Mollenkopf said the organization wants to continue building connections throughout Wayne County so that key people, facilities and resources are identified before they are needed.

“We’re not asking people to make a commitment now,” he said. “We’re asking people to tell us if it was now, what would they be able to do knowing those circumstances could change at the time of the event.”

The goal is to have people prepared to step in when it’s needed.

The COAD is currently based out of Central United Methodist Church in Richmond. People interested in learning more about the Wayne County COAD or the volunteer reception center can call 765-962-8543 and request Mollenkopf’s contact information.