Disaster Services International

Our disaster response/relief program is different than any other organization that currently exists. Most relief organizations are just that, a relief organization. Disaster Service International is a program of Southern Search & Rescue, Inc. which is an international search and rescue (emergency response) organization. Unlike a lot of organizations that setup to assist the victims of a disaster, part of our teams are the actual rescuers that bring the victims to these organizations. Therefore we are working from finding and saving the victims to moving them into relief assistance and to other organizations as we move them out of the danger area.

We know of no other organization is the world that operated like this. All known relief organizations do just that, they take in and process the victims once they are recovered or removed from the disaster zone and deal only with their relief needs. We are able to get the process started earlier and and help ensure that they get the help that they need.

Another difference in our organization is that 90% to 95% of all donations received for disaster efforts goes to that program. We know of only a handful of organizations that put this much of the funds back into the program itself. We strive to keep the amount above the 95% mark, but refuse to let it go under the 90% mark. The national average (which is the minimum require by law) is 65% of the donated funds go back into the program they were intended for. We have never and will never allow our numbers to reach such a low level. We maintain the policy that we are here to help and the more we have the more we can.