What is the Berkeley Disaster Team?
The Berkeley Disaster Team (BDT) is a volunteer, student-led organization that helps prepare UC Berkeley for disasters and aids in non-medical campus disaster response.
The BDT was founded in 2016 to develop emergency preparedness resources for students, by students. Since any large campus disaster will affect over 42,000 students and thousands of staff, faculty, and visitors, the BDT works to prepare and train the campus community in disaster preparedness and response, empowering people to help both themselves and others.
The BDT is sponsored by the OEM and the UCPD. BDT members are California Disaster Service Workers (DSW) and are written into the university’s emergency response procedures.
The BDT's mission:
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PREPARE the campus for disasters through presentations and outreach
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TRAIN students as disaster responders
- RESPOND to disasters at UC Berkeley when mobilized by the OEM
The BDT augments campus response by:
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Staffing the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and supporting ESF Operational Centers
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Managing resources and disaster logistics
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Supporting victims through psychological first-aid
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Organizing mass care (shelter setup and operations)
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Registering and supervising spontaneous (untrained) volunteers
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Distributing food, supplies, and information
Some of our partners:
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University Health Services (UHS)
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Residential and Student Service Programs (RSSP)
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Berkeley Medical Reserve Corps (BMRC)
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ASUC
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Rock Medicine
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City of Berkeley Office of Emergency Services (OES)