Alaska Disaster Leadership Institute - April 15-18, 2016

Where:                    Birchwood Camp
                                     Chugiak, Alaska
What:                      Multi-day American Red Cross of Alaska training conference designed to
                                     increase leadership capacity for disaster response in the state.  
Attendees:            Red Cross volunteers, employees & partners.  
Registration:       Follow the link at the bottom of this page after reading through the
                                     registration information to register.  Out- of-town registration closes
                                     March 31, 2016.
Cost:                        $45 for overnighters and $25 for commuters.  
                                     Cost covers lodging, food, transportation to-and-from the airport or
                                     Anchorage Red Cross office, and all training (cost is the same for one
                                     class  or multiple classes).

Things to know about Basic Disaster Camp

The Alaska Disaster Leadership Institute is a multi-day American Red Cross of Alaska training conference.  We will be providing hundreds of hours of disaster training in topics from internal logistics and staff coordination to client services and mass care management for our volunteers as well as partner agencies and organizations.  The Institute is designed to increase the Alaska Region's leadership capacity for disaster response.
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Out of respect for our donor dollars, this event has been planned with an eye toward creating the most comprehensive training event possible for the least cost and the least environmental impact.  You will see this demonstrated by the facilities selected and the training methodologies.  By making those choices, more volunteers and employees can be trained on how to provide vital services. 

Birchwood Camp

​Birchwood Camp is a year-round camp and retreat center in Chugiak, nestled between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet, just 20 minutes north of Anchorage. The camp, which has been in operation since 1961, is owned by the Alaska United Methodist Conference and operated by an independent Board of Directors. The camp serves over 6000 people each year, with a large variety of religious, secular, educational and non-profit organizations using the camp. Guests enjoy scenic views, idyllic log cabins, beautiful Psalm lake, hiking trails, opportunities for outdoor recreation & team building, and much more on the 160 acre property. Guests are invited to step away from the everyday routine to relax, retreat, and learn at Birchwood Camp. The land includes 160 acres, part of which is a 30-acre lake. With 18 buildings, built mostly with volunteer labor, the camp is fully accessible and modernized for year round use. More information about the camp is available at www.birchwoodcamp.org.

Facility Notes

  • All guests have full use of the centrally-located bathroom and shower house. These are the only bathrooms on the site.
  • All guests have access to recreation areas, coordinated through the Camp Office.
  • WiFi is available in most camp buildings.
  • All cabins are fully winterized.
  • Wood for heating and outdoor fires is provided by the Camp.
  • Birchwood Camp staff strives to provide access for visitors with limited mobility via maintained gravel paths between buildings and gathering areas, ramps to buildings, and wide doors on many buildings. Persons who may need special accommodations should contact the Camp Director or can be indicated at registration.
  • Delicious and plentiful meal service is provided for groups using the Camp; allergies & dietary needs are accommodated for by our talented kitchen staff (please provide advance notice of special needs). Dietary needs can be indicated at registration.
  • Birchwood Camp is an alcohol-free facility.
  • All buildings at Birchwood Camp are smoke-free. If needed, please contact the Camp Office about a designated smoking area.
  • Birchwood Camp offers recycling bins around camp; guests are asked to please participate in our recycling program by using these bins for their recyclables!

What to bring

  • Your curiosity, flexibility, and sense of humor.  It's going to be a great weekend!
  • Linens: Sheets, blankets /sleeping bag, pillow, towel(s).
    Laptop, Tablet, or other PDF reader if you have one available (or reserve one in the reservation phase or print your materials and bring them with you.
  • Shower shoes, toiletries, and shampoo.
  • Classes and sleeping areas are in unconnected buildings. Because of this we recommend you bring cold weather clothing.
  • Bring shoes that are appropriate for walking on a trail.
  • If you participate in the challenge course, please dress warmly and prepare to be outdoors for up to two hours.

Going green

This will be a paperless event.  We will not be printing course materials – everything will be provided to you electronically before the event.  You will be asked in the registration process if you have a device (i.e. laptop, tablet, Kindle, etc.) you can bring with you; if not, a loaner will be provided to you at the event. If you want paper copies of your course materials, you will need to print those and bring them with you.

Transportation & Logistics

Out-of-town participants will be greeted at the airport and shuttled to Camp Birchwood by a Red Cross vehicle. There will be transportation available to-and-from the airport all weekend. You will be contacted after registration to discuss scheduling and travel options.

​Participants will be assigned a cabin (girls with girls, boys with boys) and receive their final course schedule after registration closes on March 31. At registration you will be asked about any dietary, sleeping, or physical access needs, which will be accommodated by the camp. Birchwood Camp also caters and will be providing three meals a day plus two snacks. And don’t worry, there will be plenty of coffee!  

​In-town participants who are commuting to Camp Birchwood are welcome to park at the facility. If you are commuting, then we encourage you to stay overnight at the camp as the courses start early and end late. It’s also a great opportunity to spend time with other volunteers and bond with colleagues. Three hot-cooked meals a day is an added incentive!
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Course offerings & Tracks

There are six course track offerings at the Alaska Disaster Leadership Institute: Health/Mental Health Track, Logistics Track, Service Delivery Track, Government Operations Track, Partner Track, and Chapter Leadership Track. Course tracks are like choosing a major in college: they are designed to train participants in a specialized disaster workforce activity throughout the weekend. Participants can enroll in the entire track or pick and choose (Not sure or can’t decide? Contact Volunteer Services Coordinator Linda Hokit at [email protected] for course track counseling.) When you are ready to register click the  button link to the right and you can start your registration.