About DARCI
DARCI - (Disaster Aware and Ready Communities Initiative) is a community-centered disaster management platform built to strengthen preparedness, streamline response, and support long-term recovery in every corner of America. Developed from real disaster experience, DARCI brings citizens, nonprofits, emergency managers, and local leaders together in one connected system—giving communities the tools they need to stay informed, stay organized, and recover more efficiently.
With features for individuals, Partners, and Centers, DARCI simplifies the complex work of disaster coordination. Residents can protect vital information and access trusted support, Partners can share verified updates and manage their services, and Centers can oversee community-wide activity with real-time situational awareness.
At its core, DARCI is about empowering communities to take charge of their own readiness and recovery. By combining modern technology with proven disaster practices, DARCI helps communities become safer, stronger, and better prepared for whatever comes next.
Our Story
DARCI was born from the chaos, heartbreak, and hard lessons of real disasters. In the aftermath of the December 2021 tornado that devastated communities across Western Kentucky, local leaders, nonprofits, and volunteers were overwhelmed—not because they lacked heart, but because they lacked tools. Information was scattered, communication was difficult, and communities struggled to connect people with the help they desperately needed.
Through that experience, one thing became clear: communities deserve a better way.
What began as a simple effort to bring order to overwhelming circumstances grew into a vision for something bigger—a connected system that empowers local leaders, strengthens coordination, and gives every resident a clearer path to safety and recovery. Over time, that vision developed into DARCI: the Disaster Aware and Ready Communities Initiative.
Built with guidance from those who lived through disaster recovery firsthand, DARCI reflects the real needs of citizens, nonprofits, emergency managers, and long-term recovery groups. It combines practical wisdom with modern technology to create a platform designed by communities, for communities.
Today, DARCI continues to grow, helping communities across the country become more prepared, more resilient, and more connected—so that no community has to face disaster alone.
Meet the Team (Placeholder)
Ryan Drane
Wilfredo Gumaru
Chris Dockins
Dylan Lohman
Meet Darci, Our Trusted Friend
Darci’s story begins with her mother, a labrador who survived the EF-4 tornado that devastated Mayfield, Kentucky, in December 2021. In the days that followed, amidst the rubble and chaos, her mother gave birth to a litter of puppies. On a drive through the destroyed town, one of the founding members of the Disaster Readiness Center of West Kentucky stopped at the local shelter and adopted a pup he named Darci.
Darci quickly became more than just a pet — she became a symbol of resilience, survival, and hope. Her story helped inspire the creation of the Disaster Aware and Ready Communities Initiative (DARCI), which now helps communities prepare for disasters, respond effectively, and recover stronger.
Darci’s story is one of survival, hope, and new beginnings after disaster.
Just like her, the DARCI program is your trusted friend. Here for you and your community, helping you prepare, respond, and recover stronger together.