About COAD 

When disaster strikes, lives, homes, communities, and businesses may be damaged or destroyed. Those affected often need substantial short-term help and long-term support to put their lives back together.

Community organizations, working in coordination with governmental first responders can provide vital assistance. Dodge County non-profits and faith-based organizations have come together to form Dodge County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD).

Dodge County COAD is an affiliation of independent voluntary agencies, groups, and businesses who provide planning, preparedness, response and recovery support for emergencies and disaster. COAD itself does not provide services to the community, but rather creates a framework to identify existing resources and allows all organizations to work in tandem. The collaborative impact ensures services are not being duplicated and improves the urgent delivery of said services to county residents

Our Purpose

• To recognize and network with key agencies and contacts throughout Dodge County in the field of disaster and emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
• To maintain good working relationships and open communication with government disaster and emergency response organizations.
• To maintain the autonomy of all collaborating agencies/groups without duplication of services.
• To commit to the idea that the best time to train, prepare, and become acquainted with one another is prior to the actual disaster or emergency response.
• To maintain an activation process, a command structure, and a resource identification database.
• To establish Dodge County COAD as visible and credible participants in the disaster / emergency response arena.
• To provide education, training and preparedness for members.
• Mitigation, education, and outreach to the entire community through means of exercising and education programs. 

Cooperation — We need each other—no single member organization has all of the answers for the challenges we may face. Members are treated as partners.

Communication — We maintain beneficial channels for correspondence, listen carefully to members, and deal openly with concerns. Sharing information among our member organizations about our resources, capacities, accomplishments, and commitments is essential.

Coordination — We commit ourselves to work together toward our goal of providing the best possible service to those affected by disaster. Through planning and preparation, we facilitate an enhanced response.

Collaboration — We dedicate ourselves to work together to achieve specific goals. We form partnerships before and during disaster response. 

The two definitions are very similar in purpose. The VOAD Acronym stands for Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and COAD stands for Community Organizations Active in Disaster.

Dodge County makes the designation of including Community not only to gain the interest of local "volunteer groups" but also gain interest and participation from businesses and faith based organizations.

You can learn more about VOAD at a national level by visiting the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster website.

Help your community today to be a part of something bigger tomorrow. Join your community partners and come together in times of disaster. Contact us and pre-register as a Volunteer and be someone your community, your neighbors, your friends can depend on.

The goal is to include everyone in Dodge County and its surrounding communities and to promote the initiative and to expand the range of opportunities available to the residents of your community. Citizen participation can include:

• Becoming better prepared and taking measures to reduce risk within their home, such as putting together a family emergency preparedness plan and kit, installing smoke detectors, or elevating electrical appliances above flood stage;
• Being part of a Neighborhood Watch Program or group;
• Becoming a volunteer firefighter or emergency medical technician;
• Volunteering their particular skills to help with community risk assessment; and
• Volunteering with community organizations already active in disaster preparedness and response.

Anyone interested in more information or joining the COAD network can contact Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Matthew Bartol.