About Us

The Berkeley Disaster Team (BDT) is a volunteer, student-led organization that helps prepare UC Berkeley for disasters and aids in non-medical campus disaster response.

The BDT was founded in 2016 by UC Berkeley students after noticing the lack of emergency preparedness resources for students, by students. Since any large campus disaster will affect over 42,000 students and thousands of staff, faculty, and visitors, the BDT works to prepare and train the campus community in disaster preparedness and response, empowering people to help both themselves and others.

The BDT is sponsored by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the UCPD. BDT members are California Disaster Service Workers (DSW) and are written into the university’s emergency response procedures.

What Have We Done?

  • Staffed on-campus vaccine clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided emergency volunteers for UHS contact tracing efforts
  • Produced daily newsletters for the UC Office of the President detailing developments and news during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Distributed 1,000+ N-95 respirator masks to UC Berkeley students for hazardous Camp Fire wildfire smoke in Fall 2018
  • Staffed the campus operations center for the 2017 Free Speech protests
  • Trained 1500+ UC Berkeley students in Disaster Preparedness (Golden Bear Orientation 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019; International House; and more)
  • Provided Psychological First Aid (PFA) at the mass casualty incident drill held by Berkeley Medical Reserve Corps (BMRC)
  • Ran and coordinated logistics department for Rock Medicine at SF Pride Parade 2018 & 2019 & Outside Lands Music Festival 2018 & 2019