Interpretation Team: Team Development

Step 1. Reach out to language clubs and local schools and colleges to recruit volunteers. In addition, identify the second languages most common in your community and reach out to cultural and advocacy organizations relevant to speakers of those languages.

Step 2. Identify a Team Lead.

Step 3. Have volunteers take FEMA IS-100 (An Introduction to the Incident Management System) and  IS-700 (An Introduction to the National Incident Management System).  

Step 4. Track the languages your team can interpret. Make sure there is a correspondence with the primary language second to English spoken in your community. In addition, be sure to recruit American Sign Language interpreters.

Step 5. Develop protocols for assisting at the Disaster Hubs and Community-Level Meeting Places.

Step 6. Perform background checks on volunteers and issue credentials.

Step 7. Assign volunteers to specific Disaster Hubs and Community-Level Meeting Places.

Step 8. Develop Standard Operating Procedures for the Interpretation Team.

Step 9. Provide annual exercises, get-togethers, and training for volunteers.