Developing and Leading Emergency Management Volunteers - Eric Goossens

Running head: EMERGENCY VOLUNTEERS
Effective Methods for Developing and Leading Emergency
Management Volunteers in the United States
By
Eric A. Goossens
March 2015
A Capstone Project Submitted to the Faculty of
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Science in Emergency Management
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA
March 2015

Emergency Volunteers 2
Effective Methods for Developing and Leading Emergency
Management Volunteers in the United States
By
Eric A. Goossens
This Capstone Project was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s capstone advisor,
Professor Malcolm MacGregor, Department of Graduate and Continuing Education. It was
submitted to the faculty of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and was accepted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science.
_____________________________________
Eric A. Goossens
______________
Date
_____________________________________
Malcolm MacGregor
Capstone Advisor
______________
Date
_____________________________________
Tom Lennon
Capstone Coordinator
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Date
_____________________________________
Dr. James McDonald, CPE
Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education
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Date

Table of Contents
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................................................4
List of Tables .....................................................................................................................................6
ABSTRACT ..........................................................................................................................................7
CHAPTER 1 – PROBLEM STATEMENT...................................................................................................8
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................................12
CHAPTER 3 – ANALYSIS AND IMPLICATIONS .....................................................................................19
CHAPTER 4 – RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS ........................................................................................40
Appendices.......................................................................................................................................43
Appendix A – Disaster Operations Volunteer Coordinator Job Description...................................44
Appendix B – Emergency Management State Statutes ...................................................................50
Appendix C – Volunteer Organizations...........................................................................................55
References........................................................................................................................................86

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AED Automated External Defibrillator
CERT Community Emergency Response Team
COP Common Operating Picture
CPR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
DART Disaster Animal Response Team
DRC Disaster Response Coordinator
EMD Emergency Management Department
EMS Emergency Medical Services
EMT Emergency Medical Technician
EOP Emergency Operations Plan
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
HSEEP Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program
ICS Incident Command System
KSA Knowledge, Skill, and Ability
LEMC Local Emergency Management Coordinator
MOA Memorandum of Agreement
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
NGO Nongovernmental Organization
NIMS National Incident Management System
NVOAD National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

SATERN Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network
VIPS Volunteers in Police Service
VOAD Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
VPA Volunteer Protection Act of 1997
VPM Volunteer Program Manager
VRC Volunteer Reception Center

List of Tables
Table Number Description Page Number
Table 1 Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex 20
Table 2 Volunteer Program Manager 22
Table 3 Job Descriptions Written for Volunteer Work 23
Table 4 Citizen Corps Partner Programs 26
Table 5 Nongovernmental Organizations 29
Table 6 Volunteer Reception Center 32

ABSTRACT
AUTHOR Eric A. Goossens
TITLE Effective Methods for Developing and
Leading Emergency Management Volunteers
in the United States
INSTITUTION Massachusetts Maritime Academy
CAPSTONE ADVISOR Malcolm MacGregor
DEGREE Master of Science Emergency Management
YEAR 2015
Local, state, and federal budget constraints are affecting the ability of professionals to maintain
an all-hazards approach to emergency management. As natural, man-made, and technological
disasters grow in scale and frequency, professional emergency personnel will require more
support from volunteers to better prevent, mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from incidents.
Individuals and groups can create great value when trained and motivated properly. However,
EMDs must consider volunteer challenges. This capstone paper will review effective ways for
developing and leading emergency management volunteers in the United States. The following
questions are explored (a) How should jurisdictions evaluate liability? (b) How should EMDs
lead volunteers? (c) What motivates, attracts, and retains volunteers? (d) What organizations
provide affiliated emergency management volunteers? (e) How can EMDs mitigate spontaneous
volunteer challenges? and (f) How is technology changing the way volunteers interact with
disasters? Analysis includes (a) addressing liability issues (b) creating VPM roles and
responsibilities (c) writing a Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex (d)
comparing affiliated volunteer sources (e) creating VRCs (f) engaging the whole community,
and (g) reviewing volunteer and incident technology. Recommendations cover (a) liability
issues (b) VPM (c) volunteer procedures (d) affiliated volunteer organizations (e) VRC, and (f)
volunteer and incident technology.

CHAPTER 1 – PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Increased natural and man-made disasters combined with reduced emergency
management budgets are creating a greater reliance on emergency management volunteers. Like
the jurisdictions where disasters occur, volunteers vary in KSA. When managed well, volunteers
can reduce human suffering, limit property and environmental damage, and restore communities.
However, poor volunteer management can create a disaster within a disaster. Improvements to
volunteer management are necessary for national preparedness and resiliency.
NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION AND OUTLINE
This capstone paper will examine the benefits and challenges of using volunteers in
emergency management by focusing on several questions.
How should jurisdictions evaluate liability?
The EMD is responsible for the safety of all incident responders. Emergency managers
should not authorize volunteer assignments if the risks for injury or death are too great.
Therefore, before the EMD develops a volunteer program, state and local laws regarding legal
protections for volunteers must be considered. Mutual aid agreements should clearly state what
laws apply for individuals from other counties, states, and countries. Emergency personnel must
track volunteer hours to ensure accountability and allow for eligible reimbursement through state
and federal grants. If a lawsuit occurs, documentation on all response individuals may be
needed. The Compensation/Claims Unit in EMD Finance and Administration should track
financial records for injuries and fatalities.

How should EMDs lead volunteers?
While volunteers can complement emergency management personnel, the work culture of
the local jurisdiction will dictate which model works best. Some jurisdictions hire a VPM to
manage volunteers from within the EMD or through partner agencies. Others may assign
personnel to coordinate resources from outside agencies. NGOs, community groups, churches,
and local businesses may provide specific volunteer development and management needs. In
addition, EMDs should consider mutual aid with neighboring towns to reduce constraints on
emergency operations staff. Volunteer agency agreements and plans should be part of the
Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex of the EOP. Additionally, supporting
agencies should be involved in exercises to verify the EOP supports new developments.
Depending upon KSA, volunteers may be eligible to take on many assignments, because
individuals may have capabilities that are not represented by emergency management personnel.
However, the volunteers may not have the training necessary to fill all roles. Some exceptions
are collective bargaining roles and positions requiring certifications and licenses. If the quality
of a volunteer’s work is not acceptable, the EMD must enforce dismissal or reassignment
procedures. On the flip side, the jurisdiction must do its part and offer flexible work schedules to
volunteers in order to provide balance between employment, family, and community.
What motivates, attracts, and retains volunteers?
Sustaining a volunteer’s interest in emergency management efforts can be challenging.
Volunteers want to be involved in work that is personally worthwhile. In lieu of financial
incentives, recognizing participation is important to maintain a long-term relationship with a
volunteer. Emergency personnel and government officials can create stronger bonds with their
communities by respecting and valuing volunteers.

It takes a whole community to recover from disasters. A volunteer who is affiliated with
an NGO, government agency, or private business that has been trained with emergency
management skills can help relieve the burden on strained emergency resources. Long-term
preparation can be promoted as beneficial to the individual and to the local community as well as
using skills when disasters occur in other areas of the country or internationally.
What organizations provide affiliated emergency management volunteers?
Emergency management personnel should consider multiple partners. Citizens Corps
Partner Programs offer a variety of skills through CERT, Fire Corps, Medical Reserve Corps,
VIPS, USA on Watch, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. American Red
Cross, The Salvation Army, NVOAD, and VOAD are additional national and state based
organizations. Churches, private business, and civic groups may also be called upon for support.
How can EMDs mitigate spontaneous volunteer challenges?
Spontaneous volunteers who are not affiliated with any agency or emergency function
can present management challenges for the EMD. Individuals’ zeal and lack of emergency
management knowledge can make incidents worse as there is a clear difference between wanting
to help and actually being capable of doing so. Difficulties arise when volunteers act without
coordination from emergency management personnel or supporting agencies. However, these
issues can be mitigated during development of the EOP.
Large incidents may best be served by a VRC. VRCs can guide spontaneous volunteers
toward necessary tasks, as each volunteer must be assigned to an agency or emergency
management supervisor before being permitted to work at the incident scene. FEMA
recommends, “Spontaneous volunteers can then be screened by the Volunteer Coordinator and
given color-coded passes depending on whether they are assigned a skilled task or given

instructions and assigned a low-skill task” (FEMA, 2006, p. 5.4). Identification cards can ensure
only authorized individuals gain access to secure areas, such as crime scenes, hazardous material
spills, or buildings not evaluated for structural safety. VRCs provide security, accountability,
and safety training.
How is technology used for volunteer management?
Mobile applications and remote options provide opportunities for expanded situational
awareness. For example, people can access the Internet from distant locations and track incident
needs, manage donations, and direct emergency management personnel to rapidly changing
areas. Therefore, similar technology is essential to coordinating volunteer efforts.
RESEARCH QUESTION
What are the most effective ways for developing and leading emergency management volunteers
in the United States?

CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
Academic researchers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations provide a
wealth of information about emergency volunteers. Although new trends continue to emerge,
most sources advise jurisdictions implement flexible practices matching the local area’s culture.
Successfully creating structures to manage, develop, and sustain individuals and groups require
continuous planning and attention to challenging issues such as liability, unaffiliated volunteers,
and technology.
The current landscape is as follows:
 inconsistent state liability laws increase the EMD’s financial risks,
 NGOs generally do not receive the same protections as EMDs, and
 spontaneous volunteers usually do not receive any protections.
This is due to the fact that, as a Citizen Corps report acknowledged, the legal complexities of
volunteers and emergency situations need more research. The challenges are volunteer laws are
difficult to find, protection varies between states, NGOs are not well protected, volunteers often
have multiple affiliations, and spontaneous volunteers are unlikely to receive financial
compensation for injury and death. For example, considerations should cover civil obligations,
injury benefits, and penalties for breaching licensing and certification requirements. “The
federal Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (VPA) was enacted by Congress to promote
volunteerism by reducing individual volunteer’s concerns about civil responsibility. However,
the VPA and most state volunteer protection acts were not designed specifically for emergency
volunteers” (FEMA, 2012, p. 3). Law professor William Nicholson cites a gross oversight,
“Significantly, the Act does not exempt volunteers from liability for any harm caused while

driving a motor vehicle. This exclusion is significant, since, by some counts, half the claims
involving emergency response organizations involve vehicle accidents” (Nicholson, 2012, p.
133).
The reality of liability surrounding volunteers participating in emergency management
situations exists largely because spontaneous volunteers cannot be prevented. Joseph Jarret
warns, “Volunteers will most probably appear whether you encourage them or not and in larger
numbers than anticipated” (Jarret, 2013, para. 5). Arriving groups often do not understand
emergency management skills including situational assessments, incident management, and
chain of command. Lauren Fernandez, Joseph Barbera, and Johan van Dorp study spontaneous
volunteers and list one challenge as, “It can be challenging to integrate volunteers with little to
no experience and unknown mental and physical abilities into a response cadre of highly trained
professionals” (Fernandez, Barbera, & Van Dorp, 2006, p. 62). Although the potential benefits
of volunteers can be valuable, risks are associated with unmanaged personnel. Even so, Janette
Nagy, a contributing writer for Community Tool Box, notes that volunteers increase community
ownership and recommends appointing a volunteer coordinator or director.
NVOAD recognizes the value of volunteers and advises, “The successful integration of
citizen involvement in an emergency management setting is imperative to prepare for, respond
to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of disasters in our communities” (2008 National VOAD
Volunteer Management Committee, 2008, p. 3). Emergency management systems should
accommodate trained and supervised volunteers.
As EMD staff develops a plan to include volunteers for large incidents, they should be
cognizant of their bias towards volunteers. Researchers Tomoko Haraoka, Toshiyuki Ojima,
Chiyoe Murata, and Shinya Hayasaka find emergency manager perceptions about potential major

disasters can influence their willingness to work with volunteers. The authors analyzed
earthquake disasters and determined that, “leaders that had higher perceived severity of an
earthquake disaster in normal times conducted more collaborative activities with volunteers”
(Haraoka, Ojima, Murata, & Hayasaka, 2012, p. 3).
FEMA reviews best practices for integrating volunteers into all phases of disasters
through an independent study course. Topics encompass benefits and challenges of volunteers,
developing a volunteer program, working with voluntary agencies and community-based
organizations, legal issues, and volunteer stress. One contributor states, “When you have
completed your needs analysis, your next task is to develop a job description for each position
that you have identified. Because a job description may be used as a legal document, it should
be as complete as possible” (FEMA, 2006, p. 3.8). Nagy underscores the FEMA best practice
explaining, “Now that your organization has decided exactly why it wants volunteers, you may
want to write a formal job description” (Nagy, 2013, para. 22).
As part of the FEMA review of a whole community approach to emergency management,
several findings involve ways to improve volunteer relationships. Understanding the needs of
the local community is essential for success so adapting partnerships to incorporate volunteer
representatives may require expansion beyond traditional emergency communication methods.
One recommendation is, “Integrate the public and community institutions into the planning
process by hosting town hall meetings and by participating in non-emergency management
community meetings” (FEMA, 2011, p. 21). Additionally, FEMA recommends expanding
potential volunteer sources and functions. A few examples encompass disabled individuals
scanning communications and contacting agencies with updates, houses of worship translating

emergency information into languages served by their members, and EMDs being supplemented
by existing social service agencies during disasters.
Another manual for disaster planning gives an excellent review for assessing community
needs, making an action plan, tracking results, and educating the public. Flexibility is necessary
to adapt any plan to the jurisdiction’s needs. As mentioned by SCRA, “In general, be cautious
about or avoid the temptation to import programs or services that are not grounded in or
connected to local resources and that cannot be sustained beyond the tenure of outside
volunteers” (SCRA Task Force for Disaster, Community Readiness, and Recovery, 2010, p. 57).
EMDs dealing with outside agencies need to remember that all disasters are local.
Understanding volunteer motivation is important for attracting and maintaining interest.
Jurisdictions can increase volunteer participation by reducing challenges. Five areas are
important, according to volunteers at the Rena oil spill in New Zealand. These constitute work
commitments, child care, physical nature of work, time requirements, and distance from home.
Another motivation can be adapted for recruiting volunteers. Researchers Rebecca Sargisson,
Sonya Hunt, Patricia Hanlen, Kelly Smith, and Heather Hamerton note, “Our respondents were
less likely to agree that they would like to participate in non-disaster-relief voluntary work than
in disaster-relief work” (Sargisson, Hunt, Hanlen, Smith, & Hamerton, 2012, p. 215). Thus,
EMDs should establish urgency for preparedness projects between disasters.
Trained disaster volunteers can be found through several organizations, such as CERT.
Rural communities often are more self-reliant than urban and suburban areas, as these areas may
have larger infrastructure than rural areas. Alternatively, urban and suburban configurations can
focus the teams on supporting professional emergency responders. Courtney Flint and Joanne
Stevenson evaluate CERTs in Illinois and clarify, “The CERTs in Illinois play four distinct roles:

(a) emergency responders; (b) educators of the general public; (c) providing services to enhance
community well-being; and (d) strengthening communal ties and creating a sense of local
identity and independence” (Flint & Stevenson, 2010, p. 124). Jurisdiction staff can build
relationships with partner agencies to determine the best approaches for integrating skills.
The challenges of unaffiliated volunteers have been recognized since Hurricane Andrew
in 1992. A decade later actions were taken to address volunteer challenges. A resulting report,
sponsored by Points of Light, UPS, and FEMA developed the foundation for recommended
improvements that are still relevant in 2015. The document presents several key issues covering
each phase of the emergency management cycle. Recommendations are also offered for
organizations including NVOAD, FEMA, state and local emergency management, The Points of
Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, volunteer agencies, the private sector,
federal agencies, media, and associations and civic organizations. One key suggestion is,
“Include the activation and deployment of on-site volunteer resource managers early in the
disaster response plan” (Points of Light, 2002, p. 12). The mitigation issue focuses on
insufficient public awareness for appropriate disaster volunteering. Preparedness challenges
cover lack of national strategy and standards for unaffiliated volunteers, lack of national
guidance, and public confusion about appropriate roles for the emergency management cycle.
Response concerns comprise responsibility for onsite coordination, lack of information
management tracking systems, and risk management at incident locations. Recovery problems
focus on mobilizing sufficient volunteers.
Emergent online communities are expanding the availability and skills that volunteers
can contribute to disasters. Alisha Griswold, chair of the International Association of
Emergency Managers Emerging Technology Caucus, discusses programs that are receiving

support from unexpected sources, such as gamers. She discloses three primary components:
understanding the motivations of virtual volunteers, identifying social media platforms and
online communities most likely to influence organized response operations, and establishing a
monitoring or engagement program. According to Griswold, the mission of the Virtual Social
Media Working Group is, “To provide recommendations to the emergency preparedness and
response community on the safe and sustainable use of social media technologies” (Griswold,
2013, p. 18). A Virtual Operations Support Team can be used to support onsite responders. In
addition, FEMA indicates communications with online communities is an expected component
of crisis response operations.
Social media was used heavily during the 2011 East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
Brett Peary, Rajib Shaw, and Yukiko Takeuchi determine, “An important aspect of social media
use in disasters is its ability to be used inside and outside the disaster-affected areas” (Peary,
Shaw, & Takeuchi, 2012, p. 16). Twitter was used extensively in Japan and Facebook was used
outside of the country. Individuals updating Twitter noted if they needed immediate help or if
they were safe. Three challenges cited by respondents were misinformation, limited updates
from government, and needed infrastructure improvements.
A special consideration for volunteers is that they may react differently to emergency
situations than professional staff; therefore, the EMD should monitor volunteer stress levels.
Patricia Harman and Michael Pinto, members of the The American Society of Safety Engineers,
advise, “A debriefing session for volunteers with a professional experienced in trauma stress
disorder also can help them deal with the powerful emotions” (Harman & Pinto, 2007, p. 61).
Volunteer leaders need the ability to reassign or dismiss people who can no longer perform
functions. In a report Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans shared lessons learned from

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These storms demonstrate that cultural competency, long-term
volunteer needs, volunteer coordinator support groups, and volunteer referrals to other agencies
are areas that should be understood before major events. The writers interpret, “In large-scale
disasters, volunteer coordinators should start support groups where they can share their
frustrations, best practices, and inspirations. Group dinners, outings, and social events are all
venues for such discussions” (Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans, n.d., p. 34).
Development of volunteer programs should receive the same rigor as other functions
including job descriptions, chain of command, and EOP documentation. Liability coverage may
vary by location and is a serious consideration. Ideally, volunteers should be trained by partner
agencies or within the EMD. However, jurisdictions can implement VRCs to prepare for
spontaneous volunteers and also to address negative trauma responses. Technology continues to
expand volunteer opportunities and is likely the best vehicle to address many of the overarching
concerns and challenges cited above.

CHAPTER 3 – ANALYSIS AND IMPLICATIONS
Addressing liability issues
As volunteer issues are complex and varied between states, jurisdictions should seek
advice from legal representatives. However, legal advisors often are unfamiliar with emergency
laws. Three concerns should be evaluated: civil liability, injury benefits, and penalties for
breaching licensing and certification requirements. It should be noted that mutual aid
agreements with other states could provide significant barriers related to licensing and
certification requirements. According to the Citizens Corps Volunteer Liability Guide, “These
requirements affect a wide variety of professions, but of particular relevance in the emergency
management context are healthcare professionals, architects, and engineers. The penalties for
violation can be substantial, including criminal misdemeanor and felony charges” (FEMA, 2012,
p. 12). Research is available through emergency management agencies, state statutes, and state
legislation. Appendix B lists emergency management statutes by state.
Creating VPM roles and responsibilities
VPMs, or alternatively titled Volunteer Program Coordinators and Disaster Operations
Volunteer Coordinators are roles created by many jurisdictions as confirmed in my original
research cited in Table 1 (Goossens, 2014, para. 3). Key skills incorporate integrating volunteers
into the EOP, creating partnerships with agencies, planning for spontaneous volunteers, tracking
volunteer hours, understanding obligations and liabilities, evaluating mutual aid procedures, and
organizing VRCs.

Table 1
Survey question: Do you have a Volunteer Program Manager in your Emergency Management
Department or in a partner agency?
Answer Choices: Responses:
Yes 76.92%
No 17.95%
Unknown 5.13%
A variety of organizational structures can be used for VPMs. Some EMDs appoint a full-
time individual, while others add volunteer responsibilities to one or more existing staff
members. A third approach is partnering with an employee at a partner agency, such as VOAD.
Full-time EMD personnel offer advantages of department knowledge and decision making
processes; however, if staff positions are paid then budgets may not permit new employees. Paid
VPMs may also prevent staffing other areas such as GIS or communications. Using existing
staff to address volunteer issues can reduce costs; but, one caveat is volunteer work may be a
lower priority than other tasks. Conflicts between competing tasks can occur during exercises as
well as incidents, because responsibilities that are spread between multiple individuals result in
coordination that can become difficult. While partner assignments may be cost-effective, limited
knowledge of EMD policies and procedures, NIMS, and ICS may prevent quality support.
Decision makers within a jurisdiction needs to analyze the approach that will work best for their
emergency management efforts.

EMDs should decide whether VPM job descriptions are required. Table 2 reviews
jurisdictions that write volunteer work descriptions (Goossens, 2014, para. 4). One hiring
decision is whether applicants need to have emergency management experience or if experience
managing volunteer programs is sufficient. New volunteer programs may benefit from
experienced managers and on the job training for emergency management could complement
existing skills. Another benefit of job descriptions is the enhanced liability protection from
wrongful termination lawsuits. Many jurisdictions explain work characteristics, qualifications,
essential functions, core competencies, management competencies, and technical competencies.
An example of such a job description, The Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service
Disaster Operations Volunteer Coordinator, is shown in Appendix A (Mississippi Commission
for Volunteer Service, n.d.). Work characteristics define where the position is located in the
EMD, what agency departments and policies direct the position, and if there are travel
requirements. Qualifications cover educational and experience levels. A common stipulation is
ICS 100, 200, 700, and 800. In addition, ICS 300 and ICS 400 certifications are often requested.
In order to broaden the potential VPM candidate pool, some agencies do not require ICS 300
until after employment commences. Essential functions that are specific to the VPM role are, as
The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, Maryland recommends, “plan for disaster
volunteers, create forms, checklists, and procedures, designate individual to supervise volunteers,
determine process by which volunteers will be selected, track hours for potential reimbursement
from state or FEMA, volunteer training and supervision, volunteer dismissal, volunteer
recognition, and consult with agencies before a disaster to discuss planning and issues related to
volunteer management” (The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, n.d., p. 40). VPM
responsibilities may also change based on the current emergency management phase. For

example, VPMs may spend more time during preparedness meeting with partner agencies and
focus more on volunteer assignments during response and recovery. Core competencies may
require integrity, accountability, and communication skills. Management competencies can
constitute delegation, strategy, finance, and administration. Technical competencies often cover
problem resolution, stakeholder relations, and understanding local, state, and federal emergency
management laws. Navigating interactions between complex organizations is also a useful
competency that should be considered critical in the hiring process. After EMDs decide if VPM
job descriptions are necessary, the volunteer program structure should be analyzed.
Table 2
Survey question: Are job descriptions written for volunteer work?
Yes 62.5%
No 30%
Unknown 7.5%
Writing a Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex
The need for a volunteer support annex is recognized by many published sources and
confirmed in my research as noted in Table 3 (Goossens, 2014, para. 2). However, annexes may
not be appropriate if an EOP has not been completed. The annex can operate as a general guide
or comprehensive document based on the strategy used to write the EOP. Some jurisdictions
cover affiliated volunteers, emergent volunteers, and donations management in one annex, while
other jurisdictions create separate annexes for each function.

Table 3
Survey question: Does your jurisdiction have a Volunteer and Donations Management Support
Annex to the Emergency Operations Plan?
Yes 70%
No 25%
Unknown 5%
Most often the annex explains:
 purpose; guidance for coordinating with volunteers responding to any type of
disaster and interacting with volunteer organizations.
 scope; covered entities may involve government agencies, NGOs, citizens, and
private organizations.
Mutual aid agreements should be noted and some agencies list agreements with local
towns or counties. Others may expand the scope to other intrastate regions or neighboring states.
Interstate relationships can be implemented via the Emergency Management Assistance
Compact.
The annex also establishes situations and policies that involve general overviews and
volunteer policies. Overviews describe potential hazards or reference the EOP policies that
describe requirements for incident management. Volunteers outside the affected area should be
directed towards approved community, state, or national NGOs. Expenses, procedures for

requesting volunteers, and references to policies not affected by the annex should be listed.
Depending on the type of incident, reimbursement may be possible through presidentially
declared disasters and state grants. All activities should be carefully tracked. Relationships
between local and national organizations need to be defined. For example, the local American
Red Cross chapter should fall under the guidelines of the national American Red Cross. Annex
policies and procedures do not supersede existing policies and procedures for responding
agencies.
Annexes include assumptions, concepts of operations, and responsibilities in similar
formats used by the EOP. In addition, Pierce County, Washington appends “citizen
preparedness” (Pierce County, 2010, p. 8). Annex appendices should provide more detailed
instructions.
As for cited assumptions, annexes should have a representative of potential
considerations such as:
 Effective volunteer integration can enhance healing processes for individuals and the
community.
 Regional collaboration may be required. Federal declarations may be enacted for
catastrophic events.
 State and federal disaster assistance will supplement but not substitute for local
incident response.
 Volunteer management requires coordination between all organizations.
 Unaffiliated volunteers may overwhelm response and recovery activities.
The concepts of operations in an annex would contain activation, volunteer management,
and volunteer reception centers. NIMS and ICS processes are the most commonly used unless

other frameworks have been adopted by the jurisdiction. The annex provides coordinated
response by agencies of the jurisdiction. Activation level needs to be described as county or
town depending on the state organizational structure, although most states operate at the county
level.
Activation is based on incident scale and may be full or partial. Each activation level
should be explained. An EOC Liaison can be delegated to coordinate support requirements.
Large numbers of spontaneous volunteers may require assistance from the next level of
government or partner organizations. One example is the Massachusetts Emergency
Management Agency has staff assigned to coordinate CERT Teams. These teams could then be
asked to direct individuals to predetermined staging areas. Activation procedures should account
for VRCs, volunteer staging areas, transportation, communications, radios, call centers,
personnel, security, office equipment, and supplies. Hard copies of all electronic forms need to
be available to prepare for system outages or connectivity issues.
Finally, an annex would also have responsibilities with the organizational structure
clearly delineated. Volunteer management is often located under the Logistics Section of ICS.
Roles for primary agencies, support agencies, and volunteers need to be defined. Each
government agency’s requirements and partner agency’s requirements should be explained.
MOAs or MOUs between the EMD and responding NGOs do not have to be entered in the
annex. However, general responsibility overviews are part of the annex. One illustration is
volunteers must accept coordination from the EMD. Sign in forms at VRC orientations can be
required to be approved for volunteer service.

Comparing affiliated volunteer sources
Multiple governmental and NGO partner agencies are available. Citizens Corps agencies
embody CERT, Fire Corps, VIPS, Medical Reserve Corps, and the Corporation for National and
Community Service. Several Citizen Corps partners are used throughout the United States as
confirmed in my research in Table 4 (Goossens, 2014, para. 8). Large NGOs comprise
American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, HandsOn Network, DART, and Amateur Emergency
Radio Service. More detailed explanations about the mission and goals of the above mentioned
organizations follows.
Table 1
Survey question: Which of the following Citizens Corps Partner Programs does your
organization have partnerships?
Community Emergency Response Team 75%
Medical Reserve Corps 32.5%
VIPS 27.5%
Fire Corps 17.5%
Corp. for National and Community Service 10%
USA on Watch 5%
None 20%
CERT members should be involved during EMD exercises to understand where they can
help to alleviate strain on professional emergency services. Continued training enables members
to maintain effective disaster volunteering. FEMA supports over 2,200 CERT Programs in 28

states and Puerto Rico. Each CERT must be approved by appointed or elected officials. The
community-based approach allows citizens to be resilient. FEMA notes, “Through training
citizens can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways,
controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue
victims safely, and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective” (Federal
Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], n.d., para. 15).
There are 993 community-based Medical Reserve Corps units that prepare for and
respond to natural disasters and emergencies affecting public health. Members do not have to be
medical or public health professionals to join. A variety of functions directly relate to
emergency management. Medical Reserve Corps explains, “Examples of activities that MRC
volunteers participate in and support include: emergency preparedness and response trainings,
emergency sheltering, responder rehab, disaster medical support and disaster risk reduction”
(Medical Reserve Corps [MRC], n.d., para. 2). While many Medical Reserve Corps members
cannot replace professional staff such as EMTs, they can offer surge services and run
decontamination operations. The group can also partner with CERTs and other NGOs to relieve
EMDs.
Although VIPS members can supplement several law enforcement activities such as
traffic and crowd control, program expenses can be cost prohibitive. For example,
Massachusetts requires training equal to professional police officers. The personal expense and
time commitments may prevent volunteers from joining the organization. In addition, EMDs
may not be able to sponsor teams due to budget constraints. According to VIPS, “The VIPS
Program provides support and resources for agencies interested in developing or enhancing a

volunteer program and for citizens who wish to volunteer their time and skills with a community
law enforcement agency” (Volunteers in Police Service [VIPS], n.d., para. 1).
Fire Corps members provide a number of services to support local fire departments and
increase preparedness for communities. Several skills embrace, “Providing refreshments to first
responders during long incidents, teaching fire safety to children, installing smoke alarms in
areas homes, distributing disaster preparedness materials, and executing home safety checks”
(Fire Corps, para. 1). Another example is using the team to dig out fire hydrants during major
winter storms. This helps provides access for fire personnel and prevents damage from snow
plows.
USA on Watch is a group that can be supplementary during a public health crisis. This
group has been rebranded as the National Neighborhood Watch program. The mission is
described as, “The National Neighborhood Watch Program (formerly USAonWatch) is the portal
for training to assist law enforcement agencies and their communities, technical assistance,
resource documents, watch stories, networking, and assistance to the field” (National
Neighborhood Watch, n.d., para. 3).
The Corporation for National and Community Service lists its primary objective as,
“Through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, the Corporation for National and Community Service
helps communities across the nation prepare, respond, and recover from natural and man-made
disasters” (Corporation for National and Community Service, n.d., para. 1). AmeriCorps
members are assigned to a single location for one year. Their services are beneficial to response
and long-term recovery. These programs direct community groups, religious organizations, and
individual volunteers to complete projects supporting the EMD, NGOs, and citizens.

Each VOAD organizes NGOs focused on emergency management. These networks are
linked to NVOAD. The VOAD’s mission is, “serves as the forum where organizations share
knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle – preparation, response, recovery, and
mitigation – to help disaster survivors and their communities” (National Volunteer Organizations
Active in Disaster [NVOAD], n.d., para. 1).
According to the American Red Cross, “Each year the American Red Cross immediately
responds to about 70,000 natural and man-made disasters in the U.S” (American Red Cross, n.d.,
para. 1). The organization is chartered by United States Congress and provides multiple services
including Emergency Response Vehicles driving to disaster areas, sheltering, distributing relief
items, evaluating mental health needs, and dispensing meals and snacks. For large scale
incidents, the American Red Cross partners with other nonprofits, such as the Southern Baptists
Convention, to prepare hot meals for survivors. The American Red Cross is one of the most
used as verified by my research in Table 5 (Goossens, 2014, para. 9).
Table 2
Survey question: Which of the following nongovernmental organizations have partnered with
your organization?
American Red Cross 84.21%
Churches or Houses of Worship 57.89%
Community Groups 55.26%
Salvation Army 52.63%
HandsOn Network 5.26%
None 5.26%

The Salvation Army volunteer services cover food service, shelter, direct financial
assistance to individuals and families, donations management, emotional and spiritual care,
emergency communications through SATERN, disaster case management, and clean up and
reconstruction. The Salvation Army partners with local and state emergency management
agencies, FEMA, and NVOAD.
Hands on Network merged with The Points of Light Foundation on August 1, 2007.
HandsOn disasters notes its purpose as, “When disaster strikes, HandsOn Network Affiliate
Network Action Centers serve the critical role of organizing and leading volunteer response
efforts in communities around the world” (HandsOn Network, n.d., para. 1). 250 centers
annually engage 2,600,000 volunteers in a variety of projects.
DART handles evacuation management plan needs to accommodate animal rescue and
sheltering. Many pet owners will not leave their home if they cannot bring their animals. In
addition, American Red Cross shelters do not allow pets for safety reasons. Several cities
including Boston, Massachusetts, have purchased pet shelter trailers that are positioned next to
emergency shelters. Owners feel secure about their animals’ safety. A sense of normalcy can be
created by letting the owners walk and feed their pets. DART teams will also help to find pets
that may have been left behind. The Humane Society of the United States is one potential
partner. Animal cruelty prevention and close connections to law enforcement agencies help to
strengthen ties to the community.
Public service officials must approve using the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. The
organization explains, “The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) consists of licensed
amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment, with their local

ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes” (Amateur
Radio Emergency Service, n.d., para. 2). Written communication records are added to incident
management documentation.
Preparing for spontaneous volunteers by creating VRCs
EMDs may decide to use VRCs for large events. Three options exist: physical location,
online management, or directing unaffiliated volunteers directly to NGO partners. Physical
locations are ideal when numerous individuals want to help during response or recovery.
However, staffing concerns need to be addressed in advance of events. Locations, supplies, and
layouts are necessary. Multiple facilities may need to be considered to be close to incidents that
may occur in different areas of the jurisdiction. Internet VRCs offer the ability for advance
submission of skills and availability. Databases can be developed to support each phase of the
emergency management cycle. Sending people to NGOs can work effectively when close
relationships with the EMD exist. However, pre-screening advantages are limited without a
VRC run by the coordinating agency.
The VRC can be documented in an appendix to the Volunteer and Donations
Management Support Annex or as a separate annex for the EOP. The annex explains purpose,
scope, authorities, assumptions, implementation, concepts of operations, and responsibilities.
Chatham County, Georgia, analyzes concepts of operations for unaffiliated volunteers, planning
to receive, public perception, pre-disaster preparedness, post-disaster implementation, and
documentation for reimbursement and risk management (Chatham County, 2011). Several
jurisdictions have used VRCs throughout the United States as confirmed by my research in Table
6 (Goossens, 2014, para. 5).

Table 3
Survey question: Has your organization used a volunteer reception center?
No 55%
Yes 40%
Unknown 5%
VRCs only cover unaffiliated volunteers. The primary annex purpose is to assign disaster
responsibilities to each capable person. EMDs note the benefits of volunteers and the potential
for overwhelming response by spontaneous individuals. Preparing for large-scale disasters
requires control, education, and practice. Voluntary organizations’ policies and procedures are
not superseded by the annex.
Responsible parties for annex management should be identified at local, state, and federal
levels. For example, in Massachusetts the VPM or other designated EMD member runs the local
level, a representative from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency coordinates
regional resources, and the FEMA Region I Voluntary Agency Liaison interacts with national
entities. EOC management will authorize the need for a VRC. The primary agency will
coordinate activities from activation through demobilization. In addition, partners are delegated
responsibility for carrying out tasks defined by the annex.
As for cited assumptions, annexes should have a representative of potential
considerations such as:
 Large numbers of individuals will want to help during disasters.

 Volunteer management requires coordinated efforts between government, NGOs,
and private organizations.
 Additional government employee duties may be required during emergencies.
 Experienced volunteer coordinators can effectively manage individuals.
 NGOs can quickly support active disasters.
 Communities can respond and heal quicker by using volunteers.
Concepts of operations: unaffiliated volunteers. Emergent volunteers will be managed
distinctly from affiliated volunteers. The same procedures are used regardless of how many
people offer help. Spontaneous volunteers may have specialized emergency abilities;
conversely, lack of disaster training may inhibit consideration for integration into emergency
response operations. A screening process is used to match skills to needed tasks.
Concepts of operations: planning to receive. It is possible to gain maximum benefit
from volunteer contributions and leave them with a sense of accomplishment. Effective planning
will reduce screening and referral processing time. VRCs should not open until all staff and
supplies are ready. Just in time training may be required for personnel that normally have other
responsibilities.
Concepts of operations: public perception. Well managed emergent volunteers
improve public awareness. Spontaneous volunteers have the ability to meet individual needs of
survivors such as communicating locations for available recovery supplies and connecting family
members, while allowing professional responders and affiliated volunteers to remain focused on
their missions.
Concepts of operations: pre-disaster preparedness. The DRC should attend local
emergency management planning meetings, affiliate with VOAD, educate local coalitions and

community networks, develop a volunteer referral program, enable volunteer transportation into
the incident location, coordinate public information strategies related to volunteers, and select
facility options for the VRC. Vacant stores or office buildings may be useful if utilities can be
activated easily. Government offices including employment centers may be reconfigured for
temporary use.
Concepts of operations: post-disaster implementation. VRC personnel organize the
facility, prepare to receive volunteers, interview applicants, and refer individuals to appropriate
agencies. Workflows entail Disaster Referral Forms, Release of Liability Forms, safety
briefings, and job trainings. Six stations are recommended to optimize efficiency. Orientation
and Registration explains the volunteer process and gathers applicant contact information.
Interview determines which agencies will manage the volunteers. Data Communication
coordinates with requesting agencies. Volunteer Identification creates wrist bands or ID badges.
Safety Training reviews required personal protective equipment. Job Training prepares
volunteers for service.
Concepts of operations: other functions. Several VRC processes do not directly deal
with volunteers. The VRC director should organize the phone bank team, data entry personnel,
supply areas, public information officer, runners, and staff break areas. Calls need to be
recorded and posted on the request board. Referrals process through the online database.
Responsibilities. The DRC should work closely with the VRC director and liaison with
the EOC. The VRC director creates efficient flows for volunteers and information, briefs and
assigns tasks to the VRC personnel, and monitors operations for needed changes.

Engaging the whole community
Increased public awareness can benefit all emergency management cycle phases. The
NIMS all-hazards focus is challenging limited local, state, and federal emergency management
budgets. Community support is critical to prepare for and recover from disasters. Traditional
emergency management communication may not effectively reach all jurisdiction residents and
visitors. FEMA emphasizes a whole community approach. Business continuity and continuity
of government can strengthen all organizations in a community. Local leaders can identify
issues that may not have been reviewed by the EOP.
Vulnerable populations may need flexible support systems. The EMD must create plans
for different audiences including low income, seniors, children, non-English speakers, minorities
and special needs such as mobility, emotional, health, hearing, and vision. Each group may
receive trusted information in different ways. Emergency communications should be provided
through phone, Internet, television, cable, community groups, houses of worship, businesses, and
government agencies.
Evaluating volunteer and incident technology
Technology is enhancing the ability to understand and respond to disasters. However,
several challenges exist for available technology and information. One concern is the ability of
EMD personnel to manage and adapt to new products. Strategies for implementation can be
discussed with employees, partner agencies, and vendors. Depending on available resources,
solutions can remain basic or expand to comprehensive integration with other jurisdiction
systems. The Virtual Social Media Working Group and DHS First Responders Group analyzed
applications of social media in public safety. Three reviewed areas cover, “Effective
communications, achieving and maintaining situational awareness, and analysis” (The Virtual

Social Media Working Group and DHS First Responders Group, 2014, p. 11). Several
technology sources were noted. The below product reviews will increase awareness but should
be studied further to ensure compatibility with the needs of the EMD.
Social media. Geofeedia provides social media monitoring within a user-specified
perimeter for a variety of platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. One example listed by the
organization is, “Improve disaster response with real-time, hyper-local social media monitoring
and analysis to assess crisis areas and coordinate responses anywhere in the world” (Geofeedia,
n.d., para. 5).
Twitter is a powerful social media tool. TweetDeck provides Twitter analysis of
communications relating to organizations and events. In addition, response agencies can validate
how their messages are being interpreted by the public. TweetDeck can enhance planning,
response, and recover by allowing users to, “Schedule Tweets to be posted in the future”
(Twitter, n.d., para. 8).
Hootsuite enhances social media communications across various Internet audiences.
Hootsuite discusses social lifecycle management, “From one dashboard you’ll schedule Tweets
and Facebook posts, monitor conversations, and more” (Hootsuite, n.d., para. 2).
The American Red Cross uses Radian6 to view social media content. Issue specific
information can be routed to departments. Salesforce sells the product and states, “Identify and
analyze conversations about your company, products, and competitors with the leading social
media monitoring and engagement tools” (Radian6, n.d., para. 1).
Humanity Road users analyze social media to provide situational awareness. Humanity
Road explains, “Volunteers route critical emergency aid information to those in need, connecting
official charity, aid organizations and nonprofits with those requiring assistance or aid”

(Humanity Road, n.d., para. 4). The NGO focuses on disaster preparedness, disaster response,
process improvement, and animals in disaster.
Individuals post information on Reddit and users vote on the popularity of the topic.
Although fact finding must be used to determine reliability of posts, emergencies can be reported
immediately. Reddit explains how the site works, “Redditors vote on which stories and
discussions are important. The hottest stories rise to the top, while cooler stories sink” (Reddit,
n.d., para. 1).
As public disaster communications become more complex, support for effective methods
is essential. Zemanta provides ads and links to promote messages. Zemanta explains, “Your
message should be integrated, entertaining, and informative. Content ads put your message
where it needs to be” (Zemanta, n.d., para. 1). Solutions comprise promoted recommendations,
in-text links to websites, and in-stream ads for news aggregation services.
Volunteer operations management. Response operations can be enhanced through
General Dynamic’s TIGR as explained, “The Tactical Ground Reporting or TIGR system, is a
web-based solution that empowers users to collect share, and analyze data using a Google®
Earth like interface backed by network distribution that is resilient to the tactical network
challenges” (General Dynamics, n.d., para. 1).
Waze provides a GPS enabled smart phone application that provides updates on current
traffic conditions. First responders and volunteers can determine best routes to travel to incident
locations.
Documents and information link together in maps, graphs, or networks on OpenCalais
Web Service. Calais explains, “You can use those maps to improve site navigation, provide
contextual syndication, tag and organize your content, create structured folksonomies, filter and

de-duplicate news feeds, or analyze content to see if it contains what you care about” (Calais,
n.d., para. 6).
Disaster Reporter maps incidents. FEMA explains, “The purpose of the FEMA Disaster
Reporter is to crowdsource and share disaster-related information for events occurring within the
United States, allowing citizens, first responders, emergency managers, community response &
recovery teams, and others to view and contribute information on a publicly accessible map”
(FEMA, n.d., para. 1).
Palantir offers disaster preparedness and crisis response products. The company notes
“Our products have been deployed to integrate massive volumes of data to support crisis
response operations on a moment’s notice” (Palantir, n.d., para. 2). The system identifies
vulnerabilities in supply chains and can be used to track employee and volunteer certifications.
IBM InfoSphere alleviates the difficulties managing extensive updates during disasters.
“IBM® InfoSphere® Streams is an advanced analytic platform that allows user-developed
applications to quickly ingest, analyze, and correlate information as it arrives from thousands of
real-time sources” (IBM, n.d., para. 1).
Coordinated observation infrastructure is used by Sensorweb to identify issues.
Sensorweb Research Laboratory states, “Our research work is largely motivated by the needs of
real-time and situation-aware information gathering from unattended environments and effective
information sharing over the Internet” (Sensorweb Research Laboratory, n.d., para. 3).
Volunteer roles. Citizens trained in CPR can register with PulsePoint to receive mobile
alerts when someone nearby has sudden cardiac arrest. Support can be given until the
professional first responders arrive. One important feature noted by PulsePoint is, “The

application also directs these citizen rescuers to the exact location of the closest publicly
accessible Automated External Defibrillator (AED)” (PulsePoint, n.d., para. 2).
Volunteers are asked to help identify items in photos using Tomnod. Applications for
disaster areas are ideal when pre-existing landmarks may be damaged or difficult to recognize by
responders. According to Tomnod, “The Tomnod mission is to utilize the power of
crowdsourcing to identify objects and items in satellite images” (Tomnod, n.d., para. 1).
Earthquake analysis can be enhanced by individuals reporting the effects on their
neighborhood via Did You Feel It? The United States Geological Survey states, “By filling out a
questionnaire, the public can help provide information about the extent of shaking and damage
for earthquakes in the U.S., and may provide specific details about how their area may respond
to future earthquakes” (United States Geological Survey [USGS], n.d., para. 2).
SeeClickFix allows users to report issues in their neighborhood such as downed trees or
malfunctioning street lights. SeeClickFix lists a valuable benefit, “This empowers citizens,
community groups, media organizations, and governments to take care of and improve their
neighborhoods” (SeeClickFix, n.d., para. 1). Collaboration with the Department of Public
Works, Police, Fire, and EMS can be enhanced during emergencies.

CHAPTER 4 – RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS
Effective volunteer management requires integration with EMD responsibilities. The
following recommendations will be explained (a) liability issues (b) VPM (c) volunteer
procedures (d) affiliated volunteer organizations (e) VRC, and (f) volunteer and incident
technology.
Liability issues
Legal counsel should be consulted for civil liability, injury benefits, and penalties for
breaching licensing and certification requirements. Counsel should be retained if for no other
reason than understanding local, state, and federal mandates require continuous review. Because
worker’s compensation and sovereign immunity may not to apply volunteers and unaffiliated
volunteers usually do not receive legal protections, thoughtful planning for volunteers and their
inherent liability need to be a priority, which would again be enhanced with legal counsel.
Appendix B lists emergency management state laws.
VPM
At least one person within the EMD or in a partner agency needs to maintain
responsibility for the emergency volunteer program. Large departments should hire a full-time
VPM. An alternative is to assign volunteer management roles to existing personnel. Work
descriptions for incident positions should be written to ensure clear goals are explained to
volunteers. The VPM needs to track volunteer hours and engage individuals to maintain interest
between incidents. Community awareness and preparation activities can help to expand
understanding beyond sporadic, large-scale disasters.

Volunteer procedures
The EOP should have a Volunteer and Donations Management Annex. Purpose, scope,
situations and policies, assumptions, concepts of operations, and responsibilities for emergency
management personnel and volunteers should be detailed. Partner contact information needs to
be updated at last annually and ideally quarterly. Plans for affiliated and spontaneous volunteers
must be covered.
Affiliated volunteer organizations
Trained disaster volunteers can be found at many governmental agencies and NGOs.
Building relationships with organizations in advance of events is critical to reducing strain on
emergency personnel and budgets. CERT programs can be developed to train emergency skills
to community members. Fire Corps, Medical Reserve Corps, VIPS, and National Neighborhood
Watch can complement professional responders. NVOAD and VOAD can coordinate multiple
NGOs. American Red Cross can be used for sheltering and mental health needs, while The
Salvation Army can focus on feeding survivors. In addition, HandsOn can provide help for
community projects and The Amateur Radio Emergency Service can expand emergency
communications at critical times.
VRC
VRCs are the best way to prepare for spontaneous volunteers. Locations, managers,
supplies, and activation procedures should be part of the Volunteer and Donations Management
Annex. Volunteer interviews, assignments to NGOs or EMD employees, and safety trainings
provide efficient access to incident requirements. Policies for denying and firing volunteers
should be clearly stated. One example of a denial policy is preventing individuals with physical
disabilities from working on debris removal assignments that require climbing stairs. Steve

McCurley advises, “It is especially important to have policies on probation, suspension, and
termination” (McCurley, 1993, para. 14). A potential violation includes drinking alcohol during
volunteer operations. Virtual VRCs are useful for volunteer screenings in advance of major
incidents.
Volunteer and incident technology
Internet and mobile phone applications continue to evolve. Integrating new tools for
managing and developing volunteers requires careful analysis to meet the needs and abilities of
the EMD. Partnering with different user groups can enable more effective disaster management.
Complexity can be overwhelming; therefore, technical advisors should be consulted.
Communications, volunteer tracking, and incident management are essential components. Paper
backups for all online forms need to be available in the event of power failures.
Conclusion
Each phase of the emergency management cycle can benefit from well-trained
volunteers. Volunteer development and leadership will continue to evolve. Key considerations
include organizational structure, liability, motivation, developing partnerships with local
agencies and organizations to assist, prepare for, and manage spontaneous volunteers, and
utilizing technology in a variety of ways to support all of the previously cited challenges and
opportunities.

Appendices

Appendix A – Disaster Operations Volunteer Coordinator
Job Description
MISSISSIPPI COMMISSION FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE
JOB DESCRIPTION
POSITION: Disaster Operations Volunteer Coordinator DEPARTMENT: Operations
Characteristics of Work
This is a state funded position with the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service (MCVS).
The incumbent is responsible for preparing MCVS resources to respond to a disaster as requested
through the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and as outlined in the Mississippi
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). The incumbent is responsible for
directing and overseeing any and all MCVS resources deployed in the event of a disaster. The
incumbent is responsible for coordinating with local, state, and national agencies, both voluntary
and government, to accomplish MCVS’s disaster goals. This position requires travel statewide
and out of state on an as-needed basis; a valid Mississippi Driver’s License is required.
Qualifications
This position requires a four-year degree in an emergency management, political science, or
communications-related field. A minimum of two years of experience in an emergency
management field is also required; experience in field supervision is preferred. Additionally, the
incumbent with knowledge of ICS 100, 200, 700, and 800, with ICS 300 certification is
preferred. The incumbent must be familiar with FEMA and NIMS regulations, policies, and
procedures, especially as they relate to volunteers and donations management. This position
requires proficiency in Microsoft Office, Excel, Power Point, and Access.
Essential Functions
1. Implement the MCVS Continuity of Operations Plan and coordinate disaster-related efforts of
MCVS during local response initiatives and statewide CEMP activation. Assist Emergency
Management Assistance Compact member states as requested by those states and as directed by
the Mississippi State EOC.
2. Coordinate training for volunteers and organizations in proper disaster response procedures
regarding volunteer and national service efforts in support of rapid repairs to transition survivors
back into homes as quickly as possible through the Volunteer Response Center (VRC) Model.

3. Track and report information on all volunteer response and disaster housing repair assistance
request, provided, and referred through VRCs.
4. In non-disaster times, dedicate oneself to disaster preparedness by building the capacity of
volunteers and voluntary organizations to effectively address disaster-related needs.
5. Regularly develop and disseminate resources to educate national partners and funders on the
disaster-focused volunteer programs in Mississippi and to educate volunteers and national
service members in disaster preparedness and response procedures.
6. Engage in grant-writing and strategic resource development to support disaster-related
volunteer support efforts of MCVS.
7. Serve in an official or unofficial leadership capacity on governing boards to advise and direct
the coordination of volunteers in Mississippi during a disaster and liaise between all voluntary
and government agencies with a disaster mission or focus and MCVS.
COMPETENCIES: The following competencies describe the performance expectations for a
successful employee in this position. Employees may be evaluated on these competencies as part
of their performance review. The example behaviors under each competency may be modified by
the agency as needed. Entry level employees may not be expected to possess the competencies at
time of hire, but should be able to successfully demonstrate the behaviors after a reasonable
period of time, usually 3-6 months.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
Integrity and Honesty – Demonstrates a sense of responsibility & commitment to the public
trust through statements & actions.
o Models and demonstrates high standards of integrity, trust, openness & respect for
others.
o Demonstrates integrity by honoring commitments and promises.
o Demonstrates integrity by maintaining necessary confidentiality.
Work Ethic – Is productive, diligent, conscientious, timely, and loyal.
o Conscientiously abides by the rules, regulations, and procedures governing work.
Service Orientation – Demonstrates a commitment to quality public service through
statements and actions.
o Seeks to understand and meets and/or exceeds the needs and expectations of clients.
o Treats clients with respect, responding to requests in a professional manner, even in
difficult circumstances.
o Provides accurate and timely service or re-negotiates term changes when needed.
o Develops positive relationships with customers.
Accountability – Accepts responsibility for actions and results.
o Is productive and carries fair share of the workload.
o Focuses on quality and expends the necessary time and effort to achieve goals.
o Demonstrates loyalty to the job and the agency and is a good steward of state assets.
o Steadfastly persists in overcoming obstacles and pushes self for results.

o Maintains necessary attention to detail to achieve high level performance.
o Deals effectively with pressure and recovers quickly from setbacks.
o Takes ownership of tasks, performance standards, and mistakes.
o Has knowledge of how to perform one’s job.
o Knows the organization’s mission and functions and how it fits into state government.
Self-Management Skills – Effectively manages emotions/impulses & maintains positive
attitude.
o Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity.
o Fosters commitment and team spirit in disaster situations.
o Works effectively and cooperatively with others to achieve goals.
o Treats all people with respect, courtesy, and consideration.
o Remains open to new ideas and approaches.
o Avoids conflicts of interest.
o Promotes cooperation and teamwork.
o Continuously evaluates and adapts; copes effectively with change.
o Allows self and others to make mistakes and learns from those mistakes.
o Valuesvolunteerism.
Interpersonal Skills – Shows understanding, courtesy, tact, empathy, and concern to
develop and maintain relationships.
o Demonstrates cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding.
o Identifies and seeks to solve problems and prevent or resolve conflict situations.
o Encourages others through positive reinforcement.
o Models appropriate behavior.
o Recognizes and develops potential in others; mentors and helps others translate vision
into action.
Communication Skills – Receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages
and expresses information to individuals or groups effectively.
o Expresses facts and ideas both verbally and in writing in a clear, convincing, and
organized manner, helping others translate vision into action.
o Takes into account the audience and nature of the information.
o Listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
o Receives cues such as body language in ways that are appropriate to listeners &
situations.
o Communicates ideas, suggestions and concerns as well as outcomes and progress
throughout the process of an activity.
o Communicates with co-workers; keeps them informed of activities, time lines, and
other information necessary for coordination of activities and to enable them to share
correct information to external stakeholders.
o Provides thorough and accurate information.

Self-Development – Adapts behavior or work methods in response to new information,
changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.
o Seeks efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills.
o Uses training, feedback, or other opportunities for self-learning and development.
o Develops and enhances skills to adapt to changing organizational needs.
MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES:
Emotional Maturity – Conducts oneself in a professional, consistent manner when
representing the organization.
o Exhibits the ability to work through challenges and create opportunities.
o Has the ability to work through adversity; holds self and others accountable for actions.
o Takes risks appropriate to one’s level of responsibility.
o Acts as a settling influence in a crisis.
o Emulates proven leaders.
Macro Oriented – Exercises good judgment; makes sound, well-informed decisions.
o Communicates organizational vision; understands effects of decisions on the
organization & on other organizations as well as how external factors impact the
organization.
o Acts as a change agent by initiating and supporting change within the agency.
o Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, and regulations to
specialized areas of expertise.
Working Through Others – Supports, motivates, and advocates for MCVS disaster
mission.
o Recognizes and appreciates diversity.
o Creates synergistic teams using strengths of all team members.
o Clearly and comfortably delegates work, trusting and empowering others to perform,
and sharing both responsibility and accountability.
o Knows and understands staff’s strengths and needs.
o Reinforces and rewards individual and/or team efforts and positive behaviors.
o Monitors workloads and provides feedback.
o Provides open and effective reciprocal communication.
o Effectively supervises FEMA Corps Teams and NCCC Response Teams, as needed.
o Is fair, yet firm with others.
Results Oriented – Plans effectively to achieve or exceedgoals, sets and meets deadlines.
o Identifies, analyzes, and solves problems.
o Develops or participates in the development of performance standards and outcomes,
knows what and how to measure, and provides effective feedback.
o Uses change management skills to bridge the gap between current and desired results.
o Pushes self and others for results.

DisasterResource Management – Acquires, effectively and efficiently administers, and
allocates resources: human, financial, material and informational.
o Demonstrates ability to plan, prioritize, and organize.
o Works to develop and implement strategic planning for the agency.
TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:
Political Savvy – The ability to evaluate characteristics of each situation and uses
appropriate tactics to achieve results.
o Knows and understands complex organizations.
o Achieves results when dealing with complex situations
o Anticipates difficulties and plans approach appropriately.
o Effectively interacts and interfaces with different organizations and individually
appropriately by varying styles as needed.
o Is creative and finds ways to accomplish goals.
o Builds positive relationships.
o Plans strategy, yet remains flexible.
o Articulates organizational mission, goals, and objectives in a manner that relates to
different audiences.
Problem Solving/Decision Making – The ability and willingness to work with people and
identify and solve problems in order to effectively and efficiently achieve goals of agency.
o Effectively recognizes and defines problems before seeking solutions.
o Seeks input on problem identification and solution from appropriate sources before
moving to a solution.
o Negotiates when necessary to resolve problems.
o Seeks to identify & resolve conflict situations, & effectively deals with issues & people.
o Effectively develops and utilizes teams to solve problems.
o Analyzes the effects of decisions on all stakeholders.
o Exhibits the ability to handle multiple issues and projects concurrently.
o Remains calm and rational under extended periods of highly stressful activities.
Stakeholder Relations – The ability and willingness to interact and communicate with
stakeholders.
o Listens to the needs of stakeholders & addresses the issues in a timely & positive
manner.
o Proactively provides stakeholders with proper information in an effort to promote the
work of the agency and to reduce the occurrence of problems.
o Articulates service programs and needs to the community.
o Builds alliances to meet goals through cooperative collaboration.
o Markets the vision and work of the MCVS to various stakeholders.
o Participates in the development and presentation of a strong public relations program
that delivers the message of MCVS to various stakeholders.
o Represents the agency in local, state, and national activities.

Technical Proficiency – The ability and willingness to exhibit competency in the technical
areas needed to perform the specific job.
o Reads, comprehends, interprets and implements the federal and state laws, the policies,
rules and regulations that govern the agency.
o Demonstrates proficiency in applicable technical areas based on the application of
acquired technical knowledge.
o Monitors compliance with policies and laws.
o Recognizes the need for continued professional and technical development.
o Participates in professional activities to enhance knowledge and skills.
(Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, n.d., p. 1)

Appendix B – Emergency Management State Statutes
State Emergency Statutes
Alabama State Emergency Management Act: Title 31, Military Affairs and Civil Defense, Chapter 9,
Emergency Management
Alaska State Emergency Management Act: Title 26, Military Affairs, Veterans and Disasters, Chapter
26.20, Homeland Security and Civil Defense; and Chapter 26.23, Alaska Disaster Act
Arizona State Emergency Management Act: Title 26, Military Affairs and Emergency Management, Chapter
2, Emergency Management
Arkansas State Emergency Management Act: Title 12, Law Enforcement, Emergency Management and
Military Affairs, Title 5, Emergency Management
California State Emergency Management Act: Government Code Title 2, Government of the State of
California, Division 1, General, Chapter 7, California Emergency Services Act
Colorado State Emergency Management Act: Title 24, Government–State, Article 32, Department of Local
Affairs, Parts 21–26
Connecticut State Emergency Management Act: Title 28, Civil Preparedness and Emergency Services, Chapter
517, Civil Preparedness, Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Delaware State Emergency Management Act: Title 20, Military and Civil Defense, Chapter 31, Emergency
Management
Florida State Emergency Management Act: Title XVII, Military Affairs and Related Matters, Chapter 252,
Georgia State Emergency Management Act: Title 38, Military, Emergency Management and Veterans
Affairs, Chapter 3, Emergency Management

Hawaii State Emergency Management Act: Title 10, Chapter 127, Disaster Relief; Chapter 128, Civil
Defense and Emergency Act; Chapter 128D, Environmental Response; and Chapter 128E,
Hazardous Materials
Idaho State Emergency Management Act: Title 46, Militia and Military Affairs, Chapter 10, State Disaster
Preparedness Act
Illinois State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 20, Executive Branch, Section 3305, Illinois
Emergency Management Agency Act
Indiana State Emergency Management Act: Title 10, Public Safety, Article 14, Emergency Management
Iowa State Emergency Management Act: Title 1, State Sovereignty and Management, Subtitle 12,
Emergency Control, Chapter 29C, Emergency Management and Security
Kansas State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 48, Militia, Defense and Public Safety, Article 9,
Emergency Preparedness for Disaster
Kentucky State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 48, Militia, Defense and Public Safety, Article 9,
Emergency Preparedness for Disaster
Louisiana State Emergency Management Act: Louisiana Revised Statutes, Chapter 6, §29:721, Louisiana
Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act; and Chapter 9, §29:760, Louisiana
Health Emergency Powers Act
Maine State Emergency Management Act: Title 37-B, Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management,
Chapter 13, Maine Emergency Management Agency
Maryland State Emergency Management Act: Public Safety, Title 14, Emergency Management
Massachusetts State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 639 of the Acts of 1950, Massachusetts Civil Defense
Act
Michigan State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 30, Civilian Defense, Act 390 of 1976, Emergency
Management Act

Minnesota State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 12, Emergency Management
Missouri State Emergency Management Act: Title V, Military Affairs and Police, Chapter 44, Civil Defense
Mississippi State Emergency Management Act: Title 33, Military Affairs, Chapter 15, Emergency Management
and Civil Defense
Montana State Emergency Management Act: Title 10, Military Affairs and Disaster and Emergency Services,
Chapter 3, Disaster and Emergency Services
Nebraska State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 81, State Departments, Sections 81-829.31–81-829.75,
Emergency Management Act
Nevada State Emergency Management Act: Title 36, Military Affairs and Civil Emergencies, Chapter 414,
New
Hampshire
State Emergency Management Act: Title 1, The State and its Government, Chapter 21-P,
Department of Safety, Sections 21-P:34–21-P:48, Division of Emergency Services,
Communications, and Management
New Jersey State Emergency Management Act: Appendix A:9-30, Civil Defense and Disaster Control Act; see
compilation of authorities at: http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/law_lawlist.html
New Mexico State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 12, Miscellaneous Public Affairs Matters, Article 10,
All Hazard Emergency Act; Article 10A, Public Health Emergency Response; Article 10B,
Interstate Mutual Aid; Article 10C, Volunteer Emergency Responder Job Protection; Article 12,
Hazardous Materials Response Act
New York State Emergency Management Act: Consolidated Laws EXC (Executive Code) Article 2-B, State
and Local Natural and Man-made Disaster Preparedness, § 29-b, Use of Civil Defense Forces in
Disasters (DEA); Unconsolidated Laws, DEA (Defense Emergency Act 1951), Chapter 784/51
North
Carolina
State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 166A, North Carolina Emergency Management Act
North Dakota State Emergency Management Act: Title 37, Military Services, Chapter 37-17.1, Emergency
Services
Ohio State Emergency Management Act: Title 55 (LV), Roads, Highways, Bridges, Chapter 5502,
Department of Public Safety, Sections 5502.21–5502.41

Oklahoma State Emergency Management Act: Title 63, Public Health and Safety, Sections 63-683.1–63-
683.24, Oklahoma Emergency Management Act
Oregon State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 401, Emergency Services and Communication
Pennsylvania State Emergency Management Act: Title 35, Health and Safety, Part V, Emergency Management
Services
Rhode Island State Emergency Management Act: Title 30, Military Affairs and Defense, Chapter 30-15,
South
Carolina
State Emergency Management Act: Title 25, Military, Civil Defense and Veterans’ Affairs, Chapter
1, Military Code, Article 4, South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division
South Dakota State Emergency Management Act: Title 33, Military Affairs, Chapter 15, Emergency Management
Tennessee State Emergency Management Act: Title 58, Military Affairs, Emergencies and Civil Defense,
Chapter 2, Disasters, Emergencies, and Civil Defense
Texas State Emergency Management Act: Government Code, Chapter 418, Emergency Management
Utah State Emergency Management Act: Title 53, Public Safety Code, Chapter 2, Emergency
Management
Vermont State Emergency Management Act: Title 20, Internal Security and Public Safety, Chapter 1, Civil
Defense Generally
Virginia State Emergency Management Act: Title 44, Military and Emergency Laws, Chapter 3.2, Emergency
Services and Disaster Law
Washington State Emergency Management Act: Title 38, Militia and Military Affairs, Chapter 38.52, Emergency
Management
Washington
D.C.
State Emergency Management Act: Division 1, Government of District, Title 7, Human Health Care
and Safety, Subtitle J, Public Safety, Chapter 22, Homeland Security; and Chapter 23, Public
Emergencies

West Virginia State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 15, Public Safety, Article 5, Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management
Wisconsin State Emergency Management Act: Chapter 166, Emergency Management
Wyoming State Emergency Management Act: Title 19, Defense Forces and Affairs, Chapter 13, Wyoming of
Office of Homeland Security
(FEMA, 2012, p. 67)

Appendix C – Volunteer Organizations
State/Territory Volunteer
Organization
Website
Alabama Amateur Radio
Emergency Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/alabama
Alabama American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Alabama Community Emergency
Response Team
http://www.citizencorps.fema.gov/cc/CertIndex.do?reportsForState&cert=
&state=AL
Alabama Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Alabama
Alabama HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Alabama Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Alabama National Neighborhood
Watch
http://nnw.org/find-a-watch-program
Alabama The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.152657
3943.1413932975
Alabama Voluntary
Organizations Active in
Disaster
https://alvoad.communityos.org/cms/
Alabama Volunteers in Police
Service
http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.pdf
Alaska Amateur Radio
Emergency Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/alaska
Alaska American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Alaska Community Emergency
Response Team
http://www.citizencorps.fema.gov/cc/CertIndex.do?reportsForState&cert=
&state=AK
Alaska Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Alaska

Alaska HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Alaska Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Alaska National Neighborhood
Watch
Alaska The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Alaska Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
http://www.akvoad.org/
Alaska Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
American
Samoa
Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
https://asvoad.communityos.org/cms/
Arizona Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/arizona
Arizona American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Arizona Community Emergency
Response Team
http://www.citizencorps.fema.gov/cc/CertIndex.do?reportsForState&
cert=&state=AZ
Arizona Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Arizona
Arizona HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Arizona Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Arizona National Neighborhood
Watch
Arizona The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Arizona Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
http://www.azvoad.org/
Arizona Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf

Arkansas Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/arkansas
Arkansas American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Arkansas Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=AR
Arkansas Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Arkansas
Arkansas HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Arkansas Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Arkansas National Neighborhood
Watch
Arkansas The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Arkansas Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
http://www.arvoad.org/
Arkansas Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
California Amateur Radio Emergency
Service - East Bay
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/east-bay
Service - Los Angeles
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/los-angeles
Service - Orange
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/orange
Service - Sacramento Valley
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/sacramento-valley
Service - San Diego
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/san-diego
Service - San Francisco
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/san-francisco
Service - San Joaquin
Valley
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/san-joaquin-valley

Service - Santa Barbara
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/santa-barbara
Service - Santa Clara Valley
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/santa-clara-valley
California American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
California Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=CA
California Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#California
California HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
California Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
California National Neighborhood
Watch
California The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
California Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
http://www.calvoad.org/
California Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
Colorado Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/colorado
Colorado American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Colorado Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=CO
Colorado Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Colorado
Colorado HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Colorado Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx

Colorado National Neighborhood
Watch
Colorado The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Colorado Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
https://covoad.communityos.org/cms/
Colorado Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
Connecticut Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/connecticut
Connecticut American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Connecticut Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=CT
Connecticut Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Connecticut
Connecticut HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Connecticut Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Connecticut National Neighborhood
Watch
Connecticut The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Connecticut Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
Chris.Baker@ctredcross.org
Connecticut Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
Delaware Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/delaware
Delaware American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Delaware Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=DE

Delaware Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Delaware
Delaware HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Delaware Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Delaware National Neighborhood
Watch
Delaware The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Delaware Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
pastorshane@atlanticbb.net
Delaware Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
Florida Amateur Radio Emergency
Service - Northern Florida
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/northern-florida
Service - Southern Florida
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/southern-florida
Service - West Central
Florida
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/west-central-florida
Florida American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Florida Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=FL
Florida Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Florida
Florida HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Florida Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Florida National Neighborhood
Watch
Florida The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975

Florida Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
http://flvoad.communityos.org/cms/
Florida Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
Georgia Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/georgia
Georgia American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Georgia Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=GA
Georgia Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Georgia
Georgia HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Georgia Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Georgia National Neighborhood
Watch
Georgia The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Georgia Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
https://gavoad.communityos.org/cms/
Georgia Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
Guam American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Guam Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=GU
Guam Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
https://guvoad.communityos.org/cms/
Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/georgia
Hawaii American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter

Hawaii Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=HI
Hawaii Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Hawaii
Hawaii HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Hawaii Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Hawaii National Neighborhood
Watch
Hawaii The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Hawaii Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
https://hivoad.communityos.org/cms/
Hawaii Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
Idaho Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/idaho
Idaho Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=ID
Idaho Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Idaho
Idaho HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Idaho Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Idaho National Neighborhood
Watch
Idaho The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Idaho Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
https://idvoad.communityos.org/cms/home
Idaho Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf

Illinois Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/illinois
Illinois American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Illinois Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=IL
Illinois Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Illinois
Illinois HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Illinois Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Illinois National Neighborhood
Watch
Illinois The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/volunteer?_ga=1.19332472.15
26573943.1413932975
Illinois Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster
megan.chamberlain@redcross.org
Illinois Volunteers in Police Service http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/VIPSDirectoryUS.
pdf
Indiana Amateur Radio Emergency
Service
http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/indiana
Indiana American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter
Indiana Community Emergency
Response Team
cert=&state=IN
Indiana Fire Corps http://www.firecorps.org/get-connected/connect-with-your-state-
advocate#Indiana
Indiana HandsOn Network http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/map
Indiana Medical Reserve Corps https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/StateCoordinators.aspx
Indiana National Neighborhood
Watch

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