I love to volunteer. I am part of two different organizations I volunteer for and both organizations are community minded. The one I am most active in is Central Oklahoma REACT (Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams). Many people don’t realize what is involved in being a REACT member. They don’t know all the extensive training and classes we go to in order to be a part of this team.
This organization isn’t a free-for-all…and not just anybody can join. You must be honest, have integrity and have an unquestionable character. The reason those are so important is because we work very closely with emergency management and many law enforcement agencies. That’s one reason why we will not allow anyone on the team that has been convicted of a felony. Even if that felony happened 40 years ago, it is still not acceptable to our team. All of our team members have to go through an OSBI background check and we have to provide a copy of our Motor Vehicle Record to prove that we are legal to drive. Any kind of traffic infraction is gone over with a fine-tooth comb. We are very picky on who we allow to be a part of our team.
Once the OSBI background check is clear and the MVR is acceptable, that member pays dues of $42.00, which covers dues to REACT International, insurance and our REACT ID’s. They are also required to purchase a black REACT polo shirt, to be worn at our different events. All in all, it is about a $100.00 investment to join the team. When they first start out on the team, they are interviewed by the Board of Directors. If that goes well, they are put on probation status for six months. That way, the Board can watch them and see if they are a fit for the team or not and it gives them a chance to decide if REACT is right for them. After three months on the team, they go through another interview with the Board of Directors.
During their probationary period they are required to take several of the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) courses online. These are a requirement through REACT International. They must complete ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-700 and ICS-800. They must take each test and pass. Once they pass their tests, they will be awarded a “certificate of Completion” from FEMA. Also during the six months probationary period, they are required to get CPR/First Aid Certified. Once their six month probationary period is over, they go through an extensive interview with the Executive Board of Directors, to make sure they have completed everything in a timely manner. Once the Board gives its approval, they are officially a REACT member.
During the year, there are many opportunities to attend training classes. There is training on traffic control, flagging, crowd control, search and rescue, motorist assists, storm spotting and other training. The Central Oklahoma REACT Team 6023 has a set of by-laws and SOP’s (standard operating procedures) that we use to operate with. These by-laws and SOP’s are followed very closely. There are protocols that we must follow, depending on the situation. We are governed by a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer….and five Board members, including a Chairman of the Board.
As you can very well see, we are volunteers doing professional work. We go through many hours of constant training and we stay in touch via email, text messaging, facebook and two-way radios (operating on a repeater system). We are always looking for volunteers who want to be a part of our team. If you are looking for excitement, adventure and want to help your community, REACT is for you.
www.centralokreact.org
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