Research reveals unexpected heroes of natural disaster response: 'Every study ... has revealed'

When it comes to disaster response, most of us think of first responders as firefighters, police, EMTs, soldiers, and medics. But the very first responders, in the truest sense of the word, are the people in the immediate vicinity when a disaster takes place — and studies show that they form a critical part of disaster relief.

Nice News explained the vital, yet often overlooked, role that these civilian responders play in the immediate wake of a disaster. They used the example of the Los Angeles fires in January, detailing how celebrities and everyday people went out of their way to assist their neighbors.

For example, several people helped clear the streets to allow ambulances through; others helped their elderly neighbors evacuate; others volunteered their trailers to evacuate horses or braved the blazes to rescue injured wildlife. Businesses opened their doors to allow displaced residents to shower and charge their phones.

Without this immediate, tangible assistance, it's almost guaranteed that many more people would have been injured or even killed.

And beyond the L.A. fires, Nice News explained, over 60 years' worth of research from the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center has proved the importance — and the ubiquity — of local assistance during emergencies.

"Every study of a large-scale disaster conducted by the Disaster Research Center has revealed some level of emergent, informal helping behavior," they shared.

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Research published in the journal Environment & Urbanization found that in crises when each minute matters, it is the people already on the scene — friends, family, and neighbors — who are most likely to save lives. From digging would-be victims out of debris to evacuating survivors from potentially dangerous zones, these people are the first line of defense even before the first responders.

Local volunteers also provide critical assistance in the weeks following any disaster, even if their contributions aren't officially logged and measured. Nice News referenced a range of disasters where volunteers contributed hundreds of thousands of hours of help, from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing to the Kobe earthquake in Japan, the September 11 attacks in New York, the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, and more.

And as the dust settles — literally — there is often a need for skilled volunteers, which is why Nice News encouraged anyone in the vicinity of a disaster to look for ways to contribute in the months and even years afterward. For example, as the city recovers from the L.A. wildfires, many residents will need help navigating insurance claims, correctly filling out FEMA paperwork, rebuilding temporary and new homes, looking for new jobs, and more.

If you don't live near a disaster but would like to help contribute to recovery efforts, donating money to reputable volunteer and disaster relief organizations is an excellent way to lend a hand.