About

The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services program began in Canada in 1917 when two ships collided in Halifax Harbour, known as the Halifax Explosion. The explosion and subsequent tsunami-like wave killed more than 1600 people and injured thousands more. The Salvation Army dispatched personnel from across the country and Newfoundland to assist with relief efforts, providing food, clothing, and emotional and spiritual care. “We do not know how we would have gotten along without them, wrote R.T. MacIlreith, Chairman of the Relief Committee.

Today, The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) has grown into an international network involving thousands of trained personnel worldwide,

including many volunteers. Salvation Army EDS personnel respond to incidents of various sizes and scopes. In following with its holistic ministry, the Army provides supports that meet the immediate, as well as long-term, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of disaster survivors and responders.

The frequency and impact of hazards is on the rise worldwide. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, forest fires, tornadoes, ice storms and severe storms are happening more often than ever before. The Red Shield continues to be a symbol of hope and compassion; of immediate aid, psychosocial and spiritual support to individuals and families whose lives have been disrupted or shattered by forces beyond their control.