On January 10, 49 B.C.E., General Julius Caesar entered Roman territory by crossing the Rubicon, a stream in what is now Northern Italy. In crossing the Rubicon, Caesar began a civil war that signaled the end of the Roman Republic.
That may seem like a dated reference for an emergency management column. However, when Caesar crossed that river, it was considered “the point of no return.” This inspired the name of a new group of volunteers who, in January 2010, crossed the Artibonite Rivier from the Dominican Republic into Haiti as volunteers to respond to the catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake. They were military veterans and medical personnel, bearing little more than skill and experience and the will to employ them in the face of tremendous need. Eventually, they became Team Rubicon.
In this and many future columns I plan to highlight the many contributors to the whole community approach before, during, and after disasters. Emergency management does not have the luxury to be a spectator sport. It is about real people, in dire circumstances, in need of the entire community working together. Team Rubicon is an essential member of this community.
Today, Team Rubicon has expanded to over 175,000 volunteers, in every U.S. state and territory and dozens of countries around the world, serving global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. They have launched more that 1,200 operations, domestically and internationally. Their primary mission is three-tiered, including Disaster Services, Rebuild Services, and International Services.
Let’s break that down a bit. Numbers equate to people being helped. Numbers matter. In 2023 alone, Team Rubicon served 28,000+ people, 260 communities, and deployed 5,700+ volunteers. Think about that. One volunteer helping one survivor in one community can be lifesaving. This contribution, in one year alone, is monumental.
What kind of work do they do? Incident management. Site surveys. Disaster mapping. Debris management. Hazard mitigation. Expedient home repair. Emergency medicine. Demolition. Actually, if I listed everything this would become its own magazine and not just a column.
Long term recovery? Consider Hurricane Harvey – 140 homes rebuilt. Think about Hurricane Irma – 38 homes repaired, and two new homes built. Reflect on Hurricane Maria – 500 roofs completed, and three homes rebuilt. Each of these numbers has a story and a family behind them.
International impact? Niger, Malawi, Panama, Columbia, and Morrocco. Tomorrow, somewhere else. One of the measurements of reputation management is global impact. Team Rubicon is doing that with medical help, equipment, supplies, and training.
Team Rubicon also prioritizes vulnerable communities. These are the people who need help the most. They leverage an array of data to ensure they are reaching these at-risk communities. Team Rubicon believes that every person should have an equal chance to both recover and volunteer.
Everyone is part of the whole community. And Team Rubicon is an essential member. To learn more about Team Rubicon and to volunteer, visit Home – Team Rubicon (teamrubiconusa.org).
Dan Stoneking is the Owner and Principal of Stoneking Strategic Communications , the Author of Cultivate Your Garden: Crisis Communications from 30,000 Feet to Three Feet , the Founder and Vice President of the Emergency Management External Affairs Association , and an Adjunct Professor for Public Speaking at West Chester University.