Ohio Disaster Relief relies on volunteers, just like you. Thank you for your interest. Here are the details for new volunteers.
***Please read this entire page before you do anything else***
Who may train?
- Members and active attenders at an Ohio Southern Baptist church.
- College students from Cedarville University or any active participants of H2O at another university in Ohio.
- Visit the DR Qualifications page for more details.
Training for Disaster Relief has two major components. The first is the credential process, which is completed online using the resources on this webpage. The second component is 'unit training.' The preferred unit training method is at a scheduled unit training event or "in the field" with an active deployment. Online training and the credential process must be completed before unit training.
How online training works:
Register online and pay for your training
This includes selecting a training date. The fee covers online training, background check, and unit training. If you go on a deployment BEFORE the in-person training, you may complete the unit training in the field.
Training fees (As of January 1, 2023):
$45/person for new trainees
$30/person to recredential
$25/person for cross-train
Training fees are per person. We do not offer a discount for couples training together due to the cost of the training.
Complete all forms and paperwork
In about 15 minutes or so after you register for training, you will get an email with the link to fill out your required paperwork. You will fill out and sign these forms online. There is nothing to print out. Keep in mind you will submit a photo of yourself that can be used for your ID with the online paperwork. . It must be a "head shot" picture with a plain background. Just have someone take your picture with your phone. Pictures should be in .jpg format. Cell phones can be set to take pictures in a .jpg format.
Watch the online training videos and take the exam
The online training is broken into two modules: Module 1: DR101 “Involving Southern Baptist in Disaster Relief” and Module 2: Evangelism 101 “3 Circles”. DR101 has four videos with an average of 16 minutes per video. Evangelism 101 has a 4 minute intro video and 6 training videos of roughly 10 minutes each.
These courses will ONLY be offered online and are required BEFORE you do your unit training. The online training can be done anytime prior to unit training. Once you complete the online training videos you will take a short, online quiz covering the information you have learned. If you pass the quiz, (It's not really that hard) you will get an email with your certificate.
Complete unit training
After completing steps 1-3 above, you will receive your Ohio Disaster Relief ID card and yellow hat. You are now ready for the in-person unit training date selected in step 1 or to deploy and complete your unit training in the field.
IMPORTANT: To complete unit training in the field, you must contact John Heading, Ohio DR Director in advance via email so plans can be made for your deployment.