History
1989 Origin
The Santa Clara County Collaborating Agencies’ Disaster Relief Effort (CADRE) emerged from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. One of the primary goals of CADRE was to create a support system to better serve the many vulnerable populations in Santa Clara County and create a system to organize the different types of CBOs who may help with response and recovery in a disaster. CADRE formed an “umbrella” organization to identify and bring together these different groups. Once the groups were defined, each group designated a lead agency.
The CADRE Network was initially funded from the Northern California Disaster Preparedness Network with money donated to the American Red Cross from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. CADRE was able to hire staff to manage the network and its related projects with these funds. In the mid 1990’s, the Loma Prieta funds were no longer available, and CADRE existed primarily on the dedication and commitment of its member agencies.
2004 Revitalization
In the post 9/11 period during 2004, the Santa Clara County Emergency Managers’ Association decided to designate Homeland Security Grant Program project funds to serve the needs of vulnerable populations. These funds helped renew CADRE’s efforts and committed a limited amount of staff and consultant time to the CADRE Network under the leadership of the Volunteer Center Silicon Valley.
This emerging CADRE Network was activated for both the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuees who arrived in Santa Clara County and the Cold Weather emergency of 2007 (see Attachment 2: CADRE Katrina Executive Summary and Attachment 3: CADRE Cold Weather Alert). CADRE’s response in these two events helped to further support the re-emergence of the Network and define its operational abilities. In 2007, CADRE was awarded grant funding for 2008 to further develop its written operational protocols to support Santa Clara County response and recovery efforts.
2010 CADRE 3.0
CADRE 3.0 emerged in 2010, following the demise of the Volunteer Center Silicon Valley in 2009. Led by a partnership of American Red Cross Silicon Valley, United Way Silicon Valley and Swardenski Consulting, the efforts focused on stabilizing the CADRE Network, developing a three-year Strategic Plan to guide future program and planning efforts and continued education and training for CADRE member agencies.
2019 VOAD Designation & Non-Profit Incorporation
In October 2019, CADRE achieved a major organizational milestone by officially receiving its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit status. That same year, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors officially designated CADRE to lead as the county’s Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). This formal designation solidified CADRE’s pivotal role as the primary bridge connecting local government emergency operations with community-based, faith-based, and non-governmental disaster response efforts throughout Santa Clara County.
2020–2022 Crisis Response & Equitable Resilience
Shortly after incorporating, CADRE was called into action during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and severe regional wildfire activations. Acting as a critical coordination hub, CADRE facilitated cross-agency communication, supported vulnerable and non-English-speaking populations, and mobilized non-governmental organizations to address urgent community needs, including food security, shelter, and public health outreach. These activations highlighted the vital necessity of structured CBO coordination and reinforced CADRE’s mission to embed equity and accessibility into every phase of emergency management.
CADRE 4.0 & Community Support Networks (CSNs)
Today, CADRE is executing its CADRE 4.0 vision to build a sustainable, future-ready infrastructure for Santa Clara County. A cornerstone of this expansion is the establishment of 20 Community Support Networks (CSNs)—specialized sector groups spanning areas such as Access & Functional Needs, Food Support, Climate Resilience, Mass Care, Unhoused Support, and Mental Health.
By developing shared communication systems, establishing a dedicated Long-Term Recovery Committee, and expanding partnership training with local municipalities, CADRE 4.0 ensures that Santa Clara County’s community organizations no longer operate in isolation, but as a unified, resilient network equipped before, during, and long after disaster strikes.
