Churches, ARC, Volunteer Neighborhood Network

The brief, local American Red Cross plan involves a concept of operations to develop neighborhood support networks with local fire departments and churches during a pandemic. The concept offers support to community members by assuring that the fire department provides resources and information to churches, which then monitor specific neighborhoods and roads to identify and assist at-risk populations. State and local health departments could use this concept to keep people out of hospitals as an alternate care site or community disease mitigation strategy. Rural areas in which churches and fire departments can account for the needs of a geographically dispersed population may be particularly well served by this plan.