Bivert Promoted to Area Disaster Program Manager
The Red Cross in nine Idaho counties, eastern Oregon and Montana promoted Jennifer Bivert to senior community disaster program manager, and she assumed her duties on January 4, 2025.
Bivert lives in Payette and started volunteering with the Red Cross as a teenager. She has experience in program management, community engagement, and volunteer leadership. She previously worked as a community disaster program manager for central Idaho and eastern Oregon. She has taken part or directed relief responses in many disasters all over the country.
Most recently she helped with the Red Cross disaster relief response in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene ravaged parts of the state from September 24th through September 27th in 2024.
She said they were on the ground asking people what they needed, and they responded to those needs. “What they needed were generators, wood splitters and camp stoves. So, we bought 500 generators, 10,000 camp stoves and many log splitters,” she said. And of course they provided people with heavy duty camping tents, sleeping bags and whatever else they needed.
Since the fires started in southern California recently, Bivert said that more than 400 American Red Cross workers are supporting Californians with food, shelter, emotional support, recovery planning and financial assistance. As of January 16th, over 750 evacuees woke up in Red Cross shelters. She said she wants people to know that Red Cross shelters are a safe place for everyone.
Red Cross case workers are helping shelter residents plan their next steps and connect them with other community resources. The top priority is housing, but they’re also helping people with transportation, health care, childcare and other needs she said.
We discussed the evacuation of Cuprum last summer during the Lava Fire, and most of the six households who had to evacuate had friends or family with which they could stay.
When I told her there was one resident who had nowhere to go and who asked me where the Red Cross was, and I couldn’t answer, she said that it used to be that the local sheriff, fire marshals, and emergency managers had a local Red Cross phone number they could call. But because it was possible that person was away or had their phone turned off, the Red Cross now advises everyone to call 1-800-Red-Cross (1 (800) 733-2767). Their main branch will then contact local Red Cross volunteers in the area where the person actually lives, and from which help will be dispatched locally.
She said that anyone who experiences a house fire should call the national number (1 (800) 733-2767) and that local volunteers would be on the scene quickly. She herself has four trucks packed with items people might need at her home in Payette, and she said similar trucks are parked throughout the other nine counties she covers in Idaho.
Regional Disaster Officer Scott O’Connell said, “Her leadership and dedication will undoubtedly enhance our mission to serve those in need.
Bivert said, “I am incredibly honored to accept this role with the American Red Cross of Idaho, Montana, and Eastern Oregon. This position reflects not only my dedication to serving our communities but also my commitment to fostering resilience in the face of disasters. I look forward to collaborating with our exceptional team and working alongside community partners to enhance our preparedness efforts and ensure that we can provide the support needed during critical times.”
