Disaster Responder Assets Network
Disaster Responder Assets Network (DRAN) is comprised of men and women that have dedicated their lives to the service of others. Each of us comes from different backgrounds, bringing a depth and experience that when combined creates a force far greater than the sum of its parts.
Providing Crisis Support for Our Front Line Responders and Healthcare Professionals
Our Vision
We understand that the key to successfully handling any natural or manmade emergency is to take a holistic approach. First, people must be prepared before disaster strikes, predicting what’s likely to occur in a given location and taking thoughtful, proactive steps to prevent unnecessary damage and harm. Second, timely action and effective communication is essential during any incident, and its importance is magnified during large-scale events. Third, it is imperative for our community to collaborate and provide mutual support and resources after a disaster.
Our primary function is to serve as a “one-stop shop” for front line responders and healthcare professionals seeking information and communication when it’s most needed and hardest to acquire. Our vision is to achieve that by providing education to those that want to help, and resources and mental health support to those in need.
We believe the success of our mission is dependent on adhering to the following core values:
- Creating safer communities through education and collaboration
- Forging lasting relationships with our partners, sponsors and donors
- Maximizing teamwork through clear and open communication and leveraging our individual strengths for the greater good
- Upholding integrity by doing the right thing when nobody else is watching
The next major disaster is always just beyond the horizon. By working together, we can tackle them in a safer, more effective manner that preserves lives and property, all the while making our collective efforts more efficient. Please feel free to peruse our biographies below to learn more about the inspiration behind D-RAN.
Nataly Kuznetsov MS, CNS, RN, ACCNS-AG, CEN, TCRN, CCRN, CFRN (Nurse)
President and Founder, Board of Directors
After growing up in Russia and living in Israel, Nataly immigrated to the United States and came to appreciate the prospects of life in her new home. But those opportunities are only of value if one lives to take advantage of them. In 2005, Nataly was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident. Her lengthy recovery and the care she received along the way inspired her to do the same for others. Tying her experience to her compassionate nature, Nataly pursued nursing as a way to help people in their times of hardship. She graduated from Samuel Merritt University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in Nursing and obtained her Master’s in Critical Care & Trauma Nursing from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2012. She has also attained national accreditations from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and the Emergency Nurses Association.
Nataly has worked at several Bay Area hospitals, including Stanford Medical Center. She has experience as both a ground transport nurse and flight nurse. She has been involved in disaster response since 2010 and participated in disaster relief effort missions both nationally and internationally with UCSF, Stanford Medical Center, Air Medical Group Holdings, International Medical Corps, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and American Red Cross. Nataly lives in Napa, California, the epicenter of the evacuation zones during the Northern California firestorm of 2017. This episode gave her a unique dual perspective – both as a nurse working in the only operational intensive care unit in the county, and as a civilian at risk of losing her home. It also exposed to her the communications shortcomings within the existing disaster management construct. This became the genesis of the Disaster Responder Assets Network (DRAN). Nataly is excited to make emergency services more readily available, organized and managed to help those in need.
Sergeant Blaine Waters, Mesa Police Department
Trustee, Board of Directors
Blaine has worked for the Mesa Police Department for the last 15 years, and currently serves as a patrol sergeant. Blaine has worked patrol, the bike unit, hiring and recruitment and as a hostage negotiator. Blaine has been awarded the Department’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor, and currently serves as the Hostage Negotiation Team Leader.
Blaine has also represented the men and women of the Mesa Police Department by serving on the Mesa Police Association’s Board of Directors for six years. He currently is the Association’s Treasurer and has assisted with negotiations between the Association and the City on labor relations and benefits. Blaine enjoys the company of his three children, and wants to help provide resources to our front line responders.