The following pages contain five types of checklists for team members:
Personal items.
Optional items.
Personal health items and medical tips.
OFDA-provided items.
Information to be left with Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) headquarters in Washington (OFDA/W).
Team members should be as individually mobile as possible. Unless you are deploying as a member of a long-term DART, try to limit your personal belongings to what you can carry.
Personal health items (see "Personal Health Items and Medical Tips," below).Adequate amount of U.S. currency/traveler’s checks (check to see if you will be able to cash them) for length of assignment.Personal checks and major credit cards.First aid kit (a basic kit is provided in field packs and remote location kits).Food for 36 hours (high energy, low weight).Drinking water for 36 hours (2-3 liters).Four changes of clothing appropriate for the location, climate, time of year, and kind of assignment.Toiletries.Six extra passport photos.Flashlight with spare batteries.Alarm clock.Pocketknife.Earplugs.Business cards.
Camera with film and batteries.Pocket-sized binoculars.Electrical adapters for appliances.Pocket calculator.Travel-style cup or mug.Swapping items (pins, buttons, pencils, stickers, etc.).
Prescription medicine for expected length of stay.Medication for colds, allergies, diarrhea, athlete’s foot, menstrual cramps, hemorrhoids, constipation, and headaches.Nonsterile gloves (for your protection if you provide first aid to others).Sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher).Insect repellent.Antiseptic ointment.Lip balm.Vitamins.Small scissors.Tweezers.Soap.Small bottle or individual swabs of isopropyl alcohol.Water purification tablets or system.One packet of oral rehydration salts.Baseball cap or hat for sun and rain.Flip-flops.Extra pair of eyeglasses or contacts (be aware of dusty conditions at disaster sites).
Don’t take any toiletries or first aid kit items in glass bottles.
Field Operations Guide (FOG) for Disaster Assessment and Response.Personal first aid guide, available through the Operations Division. (A guide is not a substitute for First Aid training, which is regularly offered through OFDA’s Training Unit.)Position description and checklist pertaining to your assignment (see FOG Chapter IV).Embassy country clearance(s) for travel to the affected country.Short-term immunizations, boosters, and malaria pills needed at time of departure (contractors: check when negotiating contract).TA (make an extra copy), travel advance, and airline tickets if travel is under OFDA. Make sure TA covers your potential needs such as car rental, local ticket purchase, or excess baggage.OFDA Field Pack or Remote Location Kit (if needed). DART members will usually be issued one of these kits by the OFDA Logistics Officer, if requested. The contents of the kits are listed in Appendix B, "OFDA Stockpile Commodities and DART Support Equipment."Overseas workmen’s compensation and medical evacuation insurance. Compensation and insurance are provided only for contractors.Laptop computer.Communications equipment.Global Positioning System (GPS).