The DART Member position is an employment opportunity requiring an application to be considered. Apply now to become a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) Member. Our HR department will review all applications and contact qualified applicants for a preliminary interview.

Top candidates may then be invited to attend a DART training. DART trainings are held both domestically and internationally multiple times a year and enrollment is as space allows. Upon successful completion of DART training, candidates will then be eligible to be added to the DART roster of qualified responders who may be called upon for deployment following a disaster.

NOTE: The recruiting, selection and training for DART positions takes place throughout the year. We will review your information and consider you for the next steps during our next applicant review cycle.

Working in a disaster setting requires you to adapt to uncomfortable surroundings and living conditions. Your privacy and level of comfort will be limited. In some cases, accommodations in the field could range from a tent to a mud hut or shared room without fan or air conditioning. Bathroom facilities are shared and often times basic. In other cases, DART members may have accommodations in a comfortable hotel, while the people affected by the disaster are struggling to survive. This disparity is often difficult for some responders.

Post-disaster conditions often result in electricity and internet access being limited, sometimes for extended periods of time. Choice of food is often poor. Weather conditions can be extreme (hot, dry, cold, rains, or desert conditions) and challenging for some individuals.

You should ask yourself if you are physically able and willing to sacrifice your physical comforts before applying to DART.

Your communication will typically be limited. Due to the disaster conditions, rural environments, and the high-paced nature of a DART, there will be limited access to telecommunications. The emergency telecommunication systems utilized during deployment may only be used for operations critical data and communications unless staff members have a personal need. You and your family members should be aware of this before you deploy.

No. DARTs are not volunteer opportunities. Due to the extreme and sometimes hazardous environments typically found hours after a major disaster and the need for skilled, humanitarian professionals, Samaritan’s Purse DART responders are short-term, contracted employees of the organization.

For volunteer opportunities with Samaritan’s Purse please visit: https://www.samaritanspurse.ca/employment#volunteer

Depending on the type of disaster, international location, and DART mandate, deployments will look different. A typical DART deployment lasts two to four weeks. A few common themes to expect are:

• Long work hours
• High stress and fast-paced environment
• The need for flexibility and a willingness to serve in any manner regardless of job “titles”
• A focused, goal-oriented, and strong team dynamic
• Organizational support and rapid response to needs on the ground
• A readiness to deploy teams to serve in the hardest-hit and many times hardest to reach areas

Our DART responders work in complex, international disaster contexts in extreme environments so an appropriate amount of international humanitarian relief work experience is highly recommended. DART members should also be able to contribute professional experience in the key area(s) in which they deploy.

Minimum qualifications for a DART member include:

• Professional experience in international context or disaster response management.
• Available on short notice for an immediate two to four week deployment.
• Willingness to work in unstable, insecure areas.
• Able to provide training and supervision to others.
• Flexible and able to manage stress.
• Sufficient travel, volunteer, or work experience in developing countries.

Yes. Samaritan’s Purse offers domestic and international training opportunities for DART applicants to gain a better understanding of Samaritan’s Purse international disaster response structure and develop practical skills to utilize in the field to boost success and add value to the DART.

Samaritan’s Purse has extensive experience in relief programming, specifically in the sectors of shelter; food; medical care; and water, sanitation, and hygiene. During the initial phase of disaster response, our DART focuses on conducting distributions of sector-specific nonfood items such as tarp, cooking kits, hygiene kits, blankets, and mosquito nets, depending on the context and community needs.

Our medical response has the capacity to function anywhere using small, mobile medical teams traveling to multiple communities and setting up a fully staffed and equipped emergency field hospital.

Additional programming can also include shelter reconstruction, water point rehabilitation, and community hygiene education.