- About
- Summit County Community Organizations Active in Disaster
Summit County now has a coordinated disaster response network — built by local nonprofits, emergency responders, and the Summit Foundation, working from one shared plan instead of five separate ones. It's called the Community Organizations Active in Disaster network, or the COAD. Here's what it does, and how you can be part of it.
Prepare Respond Recover Thrive
Before you read on
If you need help right now, start with official alerts — not this page
The COAD works alongside Summit County's emergency notification system — it doesn't replace it. During an active emergency, always check these first.
What is a COAD?
One plan, instead of five improvised ones
A COAD brings together the organizations that already show up during a disaster — service agencies, faith communities, emergency responders, and philanthropy — and gives them one structure to work from, so help doesn't depend on who happens to answer the phone that day.
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Coordination | Cooperation | Communication | Collaboration |
| One shared plan across every member organization, set before a disaster — not during one. | Organizations complement each other's work instead of duplicating or competing for it. | Verified information reaches every community — including seasonal and Spanish-speaking residents. | From first response through long-term recovery, partners hand off to each other by design. |
Get Involved!
Three ways to be part of the network
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| Community members | Nonprofits & community organizations | Local funders & donors |
Register as a volunteer | Join the network | Give to the fund |
| Join the pre-registered volunteer pool the whole network draws from — trained and ready before a disaster, not during one. | Membership is open. Reach out and we'll connect you with the right team for your organization's work. | Support preparedness, not just recovery. Summit Foundation's Board governs how disaster fund resources are deployed. |
| Register to Volunteer | Contact us | Donate |
What it covers
Five areas of work, one network
Gets official alerts translated and out to everyone — including Spanish-speaking and seasonal residents — fast.
Pre-set donation sites and fund guidelines, so generosity reaches people instead of piling up unsorted.
A trained, ready volunteer pool other organizations can call on the moment they need extra hands.
Emergency shelter, feeding, and family reunification, led by the American Red Cross.
Help navigating housing, finances, and mental health in the weeks and months after — long after the cameras leave.
