Unaffiliated Volunteers in Response and Recovery

Unaffiliated Volunteers

in Response and Recovery

Unaffiliated Volunteers

in Response and Recovery

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Acknowledgements

We owe our gratitude, admiration and a special salute to these Floridians who proved it can be done and must be done in

Florida:

Gloria Black, former Executive Director, Seminole Community Volunteer Program, Seminole County,

who managed the unaffiliated volunteers in Seminole County after the 1998 tornado

Donna Bryant, Supervisor of Elections, Osceola County

Eleanor Foerste, Extension Horticulture Agent, Osceola County

Susan Moore, Human Resources Assistant, Osceola County

Reba Morse, Safety Coordinator, Osceola County

who ran the volunteer reception center in Osceola County after the 1998 tornado

A sincere thank you to these professionals who provided facts and figures for this project:

Dick Hudson, Budget Department Director, Osceola County

Betty Newton, Senior Analyst, Fiscal Services Department, Seminole County

Kathy Townsley, Budget Analyst, Osceola County

Special thanks to these experts who have walked this path through earthquakes, fires and floods and who graciously offered

background information, encouragement and validation:

Margaret Melsh, Program Manager, The Volunteerism Project, Sonoma County, California

Mary Kenna, Director, Volunteer Center Services, FirstLINK, Fargo, North Dakota

The Volunteer Florida appreciates the work of the Points of Light Foundation and the contributors to the “Ready to Respond”

manuals, which served as models for some of the forms and methods described in this manual.

We appreciate the contribution of these emergency management and volunteer professionals who facilitated the develop-

ment of these ideas or reviewed and commented on this project:

Jackie Adams, for

mer Executive Dir

ector, Volunteer Sarasota!, Sarasota County

Adraine LaRoza, President, Florida Association of Volunteer Centers

Cindy Marshall, Executive Dir

ector

, Big Sun V

olunteer Center, Marion County

Matt Meyers, Director of Emergency Management, Osceola County

Ken Pineau, Dir

ector of Emer

gency Management, Collier County

Betty Tribble, Executive Director, United Way Volunteer Center, Hillsborough County

Volunteer Florida thanks the many Governor’s Hurricane Conference 2000 attendees who participated in our survey on

Florida’s use of unaffiliated disaster volunteers.

Special thanks to Loralee Wooten who served as an editor on the project.

This document is available upon request in Braille, audiotape, large print and computer disk.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

The Role of Volunteer Florida 3

What are Unaffiliated Volunteers and What Do We Do with Them? 4

Success Stories 5

Whether You Plan for Them or Not, They Will Come 6

Great Reasons for Writing Unaffiliated Volunteers into your CEMP 7

Economic

Logistical 8

Public Perception 9

Before a Disaster Occurs 10

Creating a Strong Local Network for Effectively Using Unaffiliated Volunteers 10

Developing Mutual Support 12

After the Disaster 13

Setting Up and Operating a Disaster Volunteer Reception Center 13

The Flow of Volunteers and Information Through the Volunteer Reception Center 15

Other Support Functions 16

Volunteer Reception Center Floor Plan 17

Assembling Volunteer Information for County Reimbursement 18

Documentation for Reimbursement and Risk Management 18

Placing a Value on Work Done by Volunteers 18

Appendix 19

Equipment Lists and Forms for Registering, Referring and Documenting the Work

of Unaffiliated Volunteers

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Introduction

As surely as disasters will happen, volunteers will come.

Many emergency managers admit to being unnerved by

the prospect of coping with convergent volunteers because

there are so many unknowns. How many will come and

when? Will any of them have the skills we really need?

What happens if somebody gets hurt? Where will they

stay? Who will feed them and how? How will they know

where to go and what to do? Who will manage them?

As Florida’s lead agency for Emergency Support Function

15 (ESF-15), Volunteers and Donations, Volunteer Florida

will provide straightforward answers to these questions

and some compelling reasons to include procedures for uti-

lizing this powerful resource in your Comprehensive

Emergency Management Plan (CEMP).

Whether you plan or not, they

will come

The Role of

Volunteer Florida

Volunteer Florida works closely

with the Florida Division of

Emergency Management to plan

for and ensure productive volun-

teer participation in disaster pre-

paredness, response, recovery

and mitigation. During the

response and recovery phases of

a disaster, Volunteer Florida coordinates the efforts of

Florida’s volunteer response organizations. Volunteer

Florida staff at the State EOC operate an 800 hotline and

issue press releases to regional and national media, pro-

viding the public with direct access to official information

about the volunteers and donations needed and not needed.

As your county ESF-15 lead organization establishes pro-

cedures for managing unaffiliated volunteers, or refines

your existing plan, V

olunteer Florida’

s Emer

gency

Management staff will be available to provide technical

assistance and insight into the process.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Volunteer Florida coordinates

volunteer response and

recovery efforts

What are Unaffiliated

Volunteers and What

Do We Do with Them?

Convergent, unaffiliated volunteers are those not associat-

ed with any recognized disaster response agency, but who

possess other training, skills and experience. They can

appear on the scene or call to offer assistance. No dis-

tinction is made here between the terms “convergent,”

“unaffiliated,” and “spontaneous” and they will be used

alternately throughout this booklet. Management of this

resource is a function of ESF-15, Volunteers and

Donations, but is distinctly separate from its coordination

of the traditional volunteer response organizations and

from its management of donated goods.

Because many unaffiliated volunteers lack formal disaster

training offered by the American Red Cross, The Salvation

Army and others, there is understandable reluctance

among emergency management professionals to consider

convergent volunteers as a resource to be counted on in

the event of a major disaster

. It is logical for the tradition

al volunteer response organizations, as well, to be wary of

well-intended but inexperienced volunteers whose efforts

have sometimes hindered rather than helped response and

recovery operations.

The key wor

ds in this dilemma are “major disaster.”

When a community experiences a disaster of such magni-

tude that the capacity of local response organizations is

sever

ely challenged, volunteers will r

espond. Media cov

erage of such events brings graphic images of the victims

and their damaged property into living rooms in neigh-

boring counties and states. Such coverage evokes view-

ers’ compassion for the victims and gratitude that their

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

“Unaffiliated” does not mean

unskilled!

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

own community has been spared. Hundreds or thousands

will feel compelled and energized to take action.

Success Stories

Two Florida counties have demonstrated that it is not only

possible but extremely cost-effective to harness this

resource, organizing and empowering it to effectively

serve communities struck by major disasters. When a rare

F-4 tornado ripped through Osceola, Orange and

Seminole Counties in late February, 1998, tearing apart

homes, businesses and lives, calls from people offering

assistance immediately began to pour in.

As Osceola County’s professional responders and trained,

affiliated volunteers rescued survivors and tried to protect

property from further damage, several county employees

began to set up a volunteer intake and dispatch center to

handle the spontaneous volunteers offering to help. Day

by day they designed new forms, implemented new pro-

cedures and organized the flow of convergent volunteers

to help with the cleanup. Increasing numbers of volunteers

showed up each day, as the surrounding communities real-

ized the extent of the damage. Unaffiliated volunteers reg-

istered during the next few weeks totaled over 3,100.

Hundreds more had helped during the first few days, but

wer

e never registered.

A review of Osceola’s volunteer database, set up after the

event, revealed that nearly 1,000 of these volunteers were

esidents of Osceola County

, over 1,700 were from else-

wher

e in Florida and nearly 400 wer

e fr

om out of state.

(They included individuals and families, groups from 38

chur

ches, 10 schools and universities, 45 businesses and 35

other community or civic organizations.)

The county ar

ranged for buses to transpor

t volunteers to

the worksites to prevent congestion and to ensure the secu-

rity of the impacted neighborhoods and businesses. A list

of the volunteers being transported, showing the date and

time of the trip, accompanied each driver and helped

organizers to keep track of hundreds of people each day.

This documentation also corroborated records of volunteer

hours, as Budget Department personnel prepared the

county’s request for FEMA reimbursement.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Osceola County Emergency Management Director Matt

Meyers and Budget Department Director Dick Hudson

edit a major part of the county’s successful recovery to

the volunteers who responded and to the county employees

who, under tremendous pressure, devised a workable sys-

tem for managing them.

In Seminole County the Executive Director of the not-for-

profit Seminole Community Volunteer Program, set up a

reception center for volunteers under the awning of a vol-

unteer’s motor home. Located next to the county’s com-

mand center, this makeshift volunteer center processed

1,400 volunteers during the next two weeks. Agency staff

kept daily records of the volunteers at each site and how

many hours each worked. At the beginning of every shift,

volunteers signed in and received their assignments, along

with color-coded ID bracelets. When they signed out at the

end of the day, they turned in the bracelets and reported to

the staff the kinds of work they had performed that day.

The ID bracelets enabled Sheriff’s deputies, using a block

captain system, to enforce strict security measures.

Although Osceola and Seminole Counties managed to uti-

lize many of the convergent volunteers, local emergency

managers agree that volunteers could have been referred

more quickly and the documentation of their hours and

activities str

eamlined, had a plan been written ahead of

time for the management of these volunteers.

Whether you plan for them or not, they will

come

The good news is that, no matter who or how many “they”

tur

ns out to be, the procedure for managing unaffiliated

volunteers is the same. It’s straightforward, logical and

easy! It can be used in any size community, with the par-

ticipation of any combination of community r

esour

ces, for

any type of disaster, no matter how extensive the damage.

Though many are first-time disaster volunteers, unaffiliated

volunteers bring with them a wide range of skills and pro-

fessional training, often in short supply after a catastroph-

ic event. “Unaffiliated” doesn’t mean unskilled! Effectively

used, spontaneous volunteers can supplement your

response and recovery operations in many areas.

Through a short screening process, a volunteer coordina-

tor might learn that a spontaneous volunteer who listed

“accountant” as his occupation also has the skills and tools

needed to trim tr

ees or owns a boat that could be used for

search and rescue. Along with their skills, they bring

strength and energy, optimism for the future of the affected

community, and concern for those who are suffering, both

survivors and weary responders.

Communities benefit from increasing public awareness of

the need for everyone’s participation in disaster recovery.

Many government organizations and private corporations

encourage their employees’ community involvement by

fering paid or unpaid leave to those who par

ticipate in

disaster related activities.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Florida’s Employee Disaster Leave law allows state employ-

ees, with supervisor approval, 15 days of paid leave per

year to work in American Red Cr

oss disaster recovery

operations. Civic and fraternal organizations have

become valuable sources of dedicated disaster relief vol-

unteers. Colleges and universities encourage faculty and

student participation in disaster recovery as a means to

instill in their students a strong community ethic.

It will never be possible to predict exactly how many unaf-

filiated volunteers will show up, who they will be or what

skills they will bring. But it is possible to be prepared to

gain the maximum benefit from their contributions, and for

them to leave your community knowing that they have

eased the pain of a survivor, helped to protect or rebuild

someone’s property, and helped your community to recov-

er from the disaster.

Great Reasons for

Writing Unaffiliated

Volunteers into your

CEMP

For the following economic, logistical and psychological rea-

sons, plan now to effectively utilize the unaffiliated volunteers

who will respond if your community experiences a disaster.

Economic

After the tornado in Osceola County, the initial estimate for

professional cleanup alone was over $8 million. The actual

cost of cleanup was only about $1.4 million, largely due to the

tremendous efforts of unaffiliated volunteers. Volunteer partic-

ipation also shortened the estimated cleanup time from 90

days to about 55 days. The county’s total reimbursement from

FEMA is anticipated to be over $2 million. The documented

value of those volunteer hours covered $240,000 of Osceola’s

approximately $300,000 total match.

In Seminole County, the estimate for professional cleanup was

$1,525,000. The work contributed by spontaneous volun-

teers helped to bring the cleanup cost down to $660,000.

Because the Seminole Community Volunteer Program was

able to set up its disaster volunteer center almost immediately,

suf

ficient volunteer hours wer

e documented to cover the entir

$330,000 county match for the $2,242,199 FEMA r

eim

bursement.

The economic advantages alone are a substantial reason to

make this resource an integral part of your comprehensive

plan – but not the only r

eason.

Logistical

They will come, so planning ahead for spontaneous volun-

teers is to ever

yone’

s advantage. All of the traditional

esponse or

ganizations would, of course, prefer to operate

strictly with highly trained people who know and follow

their organization’s prescribed procedures. When

responding to a major event, however, even these sea-

soned responders sometimes find themselves shorthanded

and unable to meet the community’

s needs. When a

response organization needs additional volunteers, it

needs people with the skills necessary to help meet its com-

mitments to the community

. W

ithout an ef

fective scr

eening

and referral process in place, the convergence of volun-

teers without those skills can

hamper the organization’s response. The American Red

Cross, The Salvation Army and many others have awe-

some responsibilities in the wake of a major disaster.

Their work is hindered rather than helped, when, for lack

of planning, a community places on them the additional

burden of “doing something with” the spontaneous vol-

unteers.

Every community will find that it has one organization

whose non-disaster mission and position in the commu-

nity make it a logical organization to coordinate the

multi-agency utilization of spontaneous, unaffiliated vol-

unteers. It will not necessarily be the same agency or the

same kind of agency in every county.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

ounty

Initial Cleanup

Estimate

Cost/cleanup

w/Volunteers

Total County

Match

Match $ Covered

by Volunteers

Total

Reimbursement

Osceola

Seminole

$8M/90 days

$1,525,000

$ 1.4M/55 days

$ 660,000

$300,000

$330,000

$240,000

$330,000

>$2,000,000

$2,242,199

* A decrease in the scope of the work also contributed to this cost reduction.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Public Perception

Ther

e is a third compelling reason to include this resource

in your CEMP. Well managed convergent volunteers con-

tribute to a positive public perception of your response and

recovery effort. Professional responders and trained, affil-

iated volunteers must maintain a “big picture” perspective

and remain focused on their missions. Unaffiliated volun-

teers, on the other hand, often have more time to meet the

individual needs of survivors, to hold a hand or offer com-

fort and encouragement.

There are dozens of heart-warming stories from Central

Florida of spontaneous volunteers helping to ease the pain

of tornado survivors with their sacrifices of time, talent and

compassion. In most cases the volunteers were empow-

ered to serve by a dedicated professional responder. Such

was the case in an Osceola County neighborhood, where

volunteers searched through the rubble for anything that

might be of value to the victims.

Volunteers boxed the items they recovered by address, to

be sorted later. They found rolls of undeveloped film, a

Navy uniform soaked with mud, a box of old service

medals and the last piece of a survivor’s marriage certifi-

cate. The other pieces had been found some distance

away and placed together like a jigsaw puzzle. A local

dry cleaner cleaned the uniform, children’s stuffed toys and

many other precious items for survivors at no charge. One

compassionate volunteer, an artist, used trays of water and

an ar

ray of paintbr

ushes to clean photos and personal

documents, dr

ying them in fr

ont of fans. Family Bibles and

a 1963 yearbook were dried one page at a time.

In a disaster the size of Hurricane Andrew it would have

been impossible for recovery workers to spend time in this

way. But when it is possible, such as after the Central

Florida tornado, it is the commitment, love and compassion

of spontaneous volunteers that makes it so.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Before a Disaster Occurs

Creating a Strong Local Network for Effectively

Using Unaffiliated Volunteers

Each Florida county is a unique environment with its own

assemblage of emergency management positions and per-

sonalities. Each jurisdiction also has its own distinct array of

non-governmental resources – traditional response agencies

and one-of-a-kind local organizations. From these

resources, several may stand out as having the capacity to

disaster and to develop a network of companies and not-for-

profits to provide for the basic needs of those volunteers.

The organization you engage to coordinate your county’s

use of unaffiliated volunteers will be referred to here as the

Coordinating Agency (CA).

In some counties a local volunteer center has served as the

coordinating agency. This model has worked because vol-

unteer centers have experience in referring volunteers

accor

ding to their skills, abilities and limitations. Many have

been trained on ef

fective pr

ocedur

es for r

egistering, refer-

ring and documenting unaffiliated disaster volunteers.

Many counties have a gover

nment volunteer coor

dinator

who recruits and places volunteers in county government

departments. These employees are also likely to be adept

at determining the skills and interests of spontaneous vol-

unteers. In the absence of a professional community vol-

unteer manager, a volunteer coordinator in a local not-for-

ofit or

ganization, such as the United Way, American

Cancer Society or Habitat for Humanity, may have the

required volunteer management and network-building

skills.

Each Florida county has a unique

combination of community

resources

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Regar

dless of what organization you engage to take on

this responsibility, familiarity of its people with the missions

and staffs of local not-for-profits and experience as a con-

vener and collaborator will be extremely valuable. It is

important for your ESF-15 Volunteers and Donations lead

agency to establish regular communication with your coor-

dinating agency to ensure mutual understanding of the

CA’s responsibilities and the procedures by which they will

be carried out. Those responsibilities include:

Appoint a Disaster Response Coordinator – The CA

will designate a staf

f member to serve as Disaster Response

Coordinator. The coordinator will regularly attend local

emergency management planning meetings and will affili-

ate the CA (if it’s not already a member) with the local

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD),

Interfaith or other local disaster coalition.

Educate local coalitions – The Disaster Response

Coordinator will educate the member organizations of

your VOAD or Interfaith regarding the CA’s role of refer-

ring spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers to them during

disaster recovery.

Build a community network – The Coordinator should

gather infor

mation from VOAD members about their antic-

ipated disaster volunteer needs. The Coordinator can then

begin to build a network of civic, frater

nal and other

groups, encouraging their members to affiliate with a local

disaster response organization and to become trained to

help them in disaster

. For example, members of a local

garden club who become affiliated with and trained by a

homeless shelter will be able to help immediately when

needed and will not become unaffiliated volunteers who

need to be r

egister

ed, r

eferred and trained after a disaster

occurs. The Coordinator can also pursue mutual assistance

plans with counterpar

ts in neighboring counties.

Develop a volunteer referral plan – The Coor

dinating

Agency’s Disaster Response Coordinator will develop a

disaster volunteer referral plan and gather the supplies

needed to open a volunteer reception center. The

Coordinator will participate with the ESF-15 lead agency

in finding several locations suitable for housing the recep-

tion center; will arrange sources and transportation of

needed equipment, including emergency communications;

and will recruit, train and orient volunteer staff to help

operate the reception center.

rrange to transport volunteers

-- For security

reasons, emergency management personnel will not allow

volunteers to drive their own vehicles into impacted areas.

The Coordinator should work with local ESF-15 personnel

to develop a plan to transport volunteers from the reception

center to the worksites. A school bus or city bus could be

designated to provide transportation during the busiest

times. Churches or charter companies might also donate

the use of their buses.

Develop a public information plan – In cooperation

with your ESF-15 lead agency, the CA will develop a pub-

lic information plan for letting potential spontaneous vol-

unteers know before a disaster occurs how to get involved

if ther

e is ever a need and, after a disaster, what help is

and is not needed. This plan may include writing press

eleases in advance, for quick editing and dissemination to

local and regional media, and securing a commitment

from the local phone company for a complimentary 800

number and additional lines to be installed at the volunteer

reception center.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Engage the business community – The CA can

engage local businesses in planning to donate goods and

ser

vices to future response and recovery efforts. A partic-

ular focus of the CA could be to secure contingency agree-

ments for shelter for spontaneous volunteers in local or

nearby hotels/motels, school dormitories, etc., and donat-

ed meals for the reception center staff.

Developing Mutual Support

Your Coordinating Agency will provide invaluable support

to the local emer

gency management community. It is

important to remember that your CA may operate with a

budget consisting primarily of restricted funds – funds allo-

cated or granted to the organization to be used for specif-

ic purposes. The agency will have a mission and specific

goals it must achieve in order to continue receiving that

funding. Your emergency management department can

help to ensure that the CA is able to invest sufficient time to

prepare for its new, official role in your CEMP by assisting

the agency to secure additional funding for this purpose.

A letter of support explaining the vital services your CA

provides to the community after a disaster will assist the

agency to garner the needed financial support from your

county gover

nment, community foundation, United W

ay or

other sources.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

After the Disaster

Setting Up and Operating a Disaster Volunteer

Reception Center

When a major disaster occurs, the large number of spon-

taneous, unaffiliated volunteers who converge to assist with

recovery can be overwhelming to an already stressed com-

munity. Hundreds or thousands of unaffiliated volunteers

cannot be easily handled within the normal office setting

and operating procedures of the Coordinating Agency.

Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) provides a place where

large numbers of volunteers can be efficiently processed

and referred to agencies needing their services. The

process described here provides an easy way to document

volunteers being registered, requests for volunteers, VRC

staff hours worked, and expenses incurred.

Set up to receive volunteers – Upon receiving

instructions from the ESF-15 lead agency, the CA will pre-

pare to process spontaneous volunteers in the agency’s

regular of

fice or will set up a volunteer reception center at

a site designated by the lead agency. The VRC Floor Plan

included in this section can be adapted to meet your needs

and physical setting. Ideally

, the r

eception center would be

set up under the supervision of the VRC Director. However,

after a disaster, there is no guarantee that the Director will

be the first to arrive. Paid staff and a few key volunteers

should be trained to set up the VRC, in case it becomes

necessar

The procedure is straightforward,

logical and easy

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Begin the registration process – The CA will begin

processing and referring volunteers as soon as possible

after the ar

rival of the first volunteers and the receipt of the

first requests for volunteer assistance from response organ-

izations. The process will include registering and quickly

interviewing volunteers to determine their skills, abilities

and limitations; referring each to a requesting agency with

the name of the supervisor to whom they should report;

providing identification tags or bracelets with the date and

agency or ESF to which the volunteer was referred; and

providing a basic safety briefing.

The Disaster Volunteer Registration and Referral forms and

the Request for Volunteers form provided in the Appendix,

were created for use with a PC network and a Microsoft

Access database, but are adaptable to other systems or to

manual use. The VRC procedures explained in the Job

Descriptions section were used and modified during three

successive disaster exercises conducted by volunteer cen-

ters.

The Disaster Volunteer Registration form is more detailed

than many forms currently in use for two reasons. First, it

can be used for both pre-registering local volunteers will-

ing to help in disaster and for registering spontaneous vol-

unteers post-event. Pre-registering people interested in dis-

aster r

elief helps to get prospective disaster volunteers affil-

iated with an appropriate agency before an event occurs,

and allows the volunteer center to recruit and train volun-

teers to help operate a volunteer reception center.

Second, if the VRC will be using a database capable of

matching the skills of volunteers to specific requests from

the community

, greater detail facilitates a better match and

provides contact options to help locate the needed volun-

teers later.

While detailed information on volunteers is very helpful,

the magnitude of a disaster might make gathering all of the

infor

mation requested on the form impossible; and the lim-

ited scope of some events, in which only sandbagging or

clean-up are needed, might make some information

unnecessary.

The Release of Liability Statement on the Disaster Volunteer

Registration Form should be reviewed by your county Risk

Management Department and any necessary changes

made prior to using the form. (This would also be a good

time to review the county’s plan to purchase insurance to

protect volunteers, the county and its residents during the

response and recovery phases.)

The CA will not conduct background checks on volunteers

or verify their credentials. Background checks, if required,

and verification of credentials are the responsibility of the

receiving organization.

Document all training, expenses and time donated. All

VRC staff should be made aware of the need to maintain

accurate documentation of their activities, including train-

ing provided to volunteers, expenses incurred through your

Coordinating Agency’s disaster relief efforts, and time and

skills donated by unaffiliated volunteers.

It is important for VRC staff to provide safety briefings and,

when appropriate, specific job training to all volunteers

and to keep complete and accurate records of all such

training. These r

ecor

ds will minimize the effects of any

possible legal action taken against the county or the coor

dinating agency, should a volunteer be injured or inadver-

tently cause damage to pr

operty or to others.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

To ensure that your Coordinating Agency is not left with

non-r

eimbursable expenses at the end of its disaster serv-

ice, it is imperative to establish an agr

eement in advance

between your local Department of Emergency

Management and the CA. The agreement should detail

what expenses will be reimbursed and what documenta-

tion is required to ensure prompt payment.

Procedures for documenting the hours and the type of work

done by each volunteer should be determined jointly by the

ESF-15 lead agency, the CA, and the county budget

department, to ensure the maintenance of all information

required to support a FEMA reimbursement application.

The Flow of Volunteers and Information

through the Volunteer Reception Center

The following station descriptions explain the VRC floor

plan that follows. Stations #1-6 labeled in bold font on the

Floor Plan and the solid arrows connecting them represent

the movement of volunteers through the registration and

referral process. For security, safety and risk management

reasons, all volunteers should complete the entire process.

Station #1 Registration / Orientation

At Station #1 gr

eeters give volunteers instr

uction sheets,

ask them to fill out registration forms and give them a brief

orientation to the registration process. If possible, this sta-

tion should be located outside or in a room adjacent to the

main r

egistration area, to minimize the commotion and

stress inside the Volunteer Reception Center.

Station #2 Interviews

As inter

viewers ar

e available, a Gr

eeter ushers in new vol

unteers. At the completion of the inter

view

, the

volunteer is given a referral form telling him where and to

whom he should report to volunteer. He then proceeds

to Station #3.

Station #3 Data Coordination

The volunteer presents his referral form to the Data

Coordinator, who records the referral. The Data

Coordinator communicates, as needed, with the requesting

agency so that, when the need has been met, the request

can be closed out. The volunteer takes his referral form to

Station #4.

Station #4 Volunteer Identification

Volunteer ID staff attach a wristband to each volunteer,

containing the volunteer’s name, the agency or site to

which the volunteer was referred and the date(s) on which

the volunteer expects to work. The volunteer proceeds to

Station #5.

Station #5 Safety Training

The Safety Trainer will document the attendance of each vol-

unteer and present a prepared safety briefing appropriate

to the specific disaster event. At the conclusion of the brief-

ing, the trainer will refer volunteers to Station #6 for specif-

ic job training or to the transpor

tation area for a ride to the

job site.

Station #6 Specific Job Training

Job training specific to each worksite or function can be

provided before volunteers depart for their work areas. If

possible, training should be given by someone with first-

hand knowledge of current operations at the site.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Other Support Functions

Other ar

eas shown on the Floor Plan house necessary staff

who do not deal in person with spontaneous volunteers:

Phone Bank

The critical funtion of the phone bank staff is to take calls

from individuals and groups wishing to volunteer and from

organizations needing volunteers. Each call is recorded

and posted on the request board or forwarded to the Data

Coordinator.

Data Entry

Data entry staff enter the Requests for Volunteers and the

Volunteer Registration Forms into the computer. When the

influx of volunteers subsides, staff can begin entering the

referrals recorded on the Request for Volunteers forms and

close out the completed requests. As needed by the inter-

viewers and the data coordination section, data entry staff

can print updated lists of the unfilled requests.

upply A

This area should be located in a room that can be secured

and should be accessed only by VRC staff.

ublic Inf

tion

The Public Information Officer is the only staff member to

make statements to the media about the center’s operation.

All infor

mation should be approved by the VRC Director

and coor

dinated with the local ESF-15 lead agency prior

to dissemination.

Runners

Runners are not shown on the VRC Floor Plan but are

integral to the smooth operation of the center. Any

station needing assistance raises a small flag to summon a

Runner. Runners post new requests for volunteers on the

request board, carry information from one station to another,

escort guests, and deliver supplies to the stations.

Staff Break Area

Though not shown on the VRC Floor Plan, a break area

should be established. Noise, frustration, the general

sense of urgency and the intensity at which the VRC staff

will be working will cause stress to build. Providing a quiet

room with low light and ensuring that staff take short

breaks whenever possible will help everyone to operate

efficiently and minimize the stress

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Assembling Volunteer

Information for County

Reimbursement

Documentation for Reimbursement and Risk

Management

Counties that kept accurate records of the hours and kinds

of disaster relief work done by volunteers have been

extremely successful in counting those contributions toward

their match for FEMA reimbursement. Developing a sys-

tem for recording and maintaining the needed information

is the crucial first step to success. All county personnel who

will be supervising volunteers should be trained on the

importance of thoroughly documenting the hours and

kinds of work done by volunteers.

Worksite supervisors should be instructed to:

1. Maintain a supply of volunteer sign-in sheets at each

volunteer worksite. (Use the sample provided in the

For

ms Appendix or develop one that meets your spe

cific needs.)

2. Conduct a safety briefing as each group of volunteers

arrives, regarding the specific hazards at the site. This

step is critical to preventing injuries and minimizing

the risks to the volunteers, the county, and the proper-

ty on which the volunteers will be working.

3. Have all volunteers read the statement at the top of the

sign-in sheet and sign in, recording their time of

rival and depar

tur

e each day

. (Review the state

ment with your Risk Management Department and

edit as necessary. Volunteers registered with the

Volunteer Reception Center will already have signed a

complete release of liability on their Disaster Volunteer

Registration Form, but should sign the sign-in sheet

each day, as well.)

4. At the end of each shift, turn in all volunteer sign-in

sheets to a designated supervisor, who will turn them

in to the county Budget Department.

Strict adherence to these procedures will minimize the effects

of any possible legal action taken against the Coordinating

Agency or the county, should a volunteer be injured or inad-

vertently cause damage to property or to others.

Placing a Value on Work Done by Volunteers

All work that is eligible for FEMA reinbursement if done by

county employees or contractors is also eligible when done

by volunteers. Matching credit for volunteer contributions

toward both direct and indirect costs will only be given by

FEMA, however

, if the county and its contractors have

established a rate for each type of work completed.

The rate applied to each type of volunteer work should be

the rate at which a county employee would be paid, includ

ing fringe benefits, for the same or similar work, or the cus

tomary rate for that work in the local labor market.

Refer to Code of Federal Regulation 44, Section 13.24 and

Section 206 Subpart H for additional information.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Appendix

Equipment Lists and Forms for

Registering, Referring and Documenting the

Work of Unaffiliated Volunteers

The for

ms provided can be photocopied or customized with permission from Volunteer Florida to meet local needs.

Some ar

e ar

ranged with multiple copies per page. The Disaster V

olunteer Registration and Request for V

olunteers

For

ms were designed for use with a Microsoft Access database.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Volunteer Reception Center

Supplies and Equipment

The following list of items should be included in the Coordinating Agency’s “Go Box.” The quantities listed here are the mini-

mum required to set up and operate the VRC for the first day. Depending on the magnitude of the event, the VRC Director

should arrange for the purchase of additional supplies. The equipment listed as optional has been found to be extremely use-

ful.

Disaster Coordinator’s “Go Box” Contents

Office Supplies

Dry erase markers (set of 4)

Dry eraser

Pens (box of 12)

1 Highlighter

Pencils (box of 12 sharpened)

2 Lined pads of paper

Copy paper, 1 ream

2 Sheets from a flip chart pad

3 x 5 Cards (pack of 100) and file box

12 File folders and labels

3 Hanging file folders and labels

Push pins (pack of 100)

1 Clipboard

Stapler, staples

Masking and clear tape

Staf

f name tags

Post-its:

3 packs of 3”x3”

1 Post-it fax pad

12 #10 envelopes

1 Medium size binder clip

Scissors

Pencil sharpener

Paper clips (box of 100)

200 Hospital ID bracelets

ID bracelet tool and markers (if required)

Forms:

Volunteer Instructions – 25 sheets (4/sheets)

Disaster Volunteer Registration – 100

Request for Volunteers – 50

Disaster Volunteer Referral – 50 (2 per page)

Employee & Volunteer sign-in/out – 10 each

Expenses Incurred – 10

Lists and Maps

VRC floor plan

City and county maps

Emergency phone list

VRC job descriptions

Equipment

Battery-operated radio and batteries

Battery-operated clock (optional)

Coffee urn, cups, coffee, creamer & sugar

Lar

ge ice chest

Disposable camera

Phone system (r

ollover with 8-10 lines, opt)

5 Free-standing sign posts (opt)

Printed signs

Date

Name

Coordinating Agency Employee Sign-in / Sign-out Record

(Yellow)

Out

Reg. Hrs

OT Hrs

otal HrsOut

VRC Volunteer Sign-in /Sign-out Record

Date

Name In Out In Out Reg.Hrs OT Hrs Total Hrs

olunteer Florida

(White)

Expenses Incurred by Coordinating Agency

Name of Event: ___________________________________VRC Opened? Yes ____ No ____

Save all receipts, place them in an envelope with this form and turn in to VRC Director.

Date Item Price Quantity Total Authorized by

olunteer Florida

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Signs for Volunteer Reception Center

(Need one each, unless otherwise specified)

Signs Where to Post

Volunteer Reception Center (2+ as needed) On street visible from either direction

Station #1 Registration Registration / orientation area

Enter Volunteer Entrance to VRC

Station #2 Interviews Interview Area visible from Volunteer Entry

Station #3 Data Coordination Data Coordination visible from Station #2

Station #4 Volunteer I.D. Volunteer ID area visible from Station #3

Station #5 Safety Briefing Safety Training visible from Station #4

Station #6 Job Training Job Training visible from Station #5

Exit Exit, visible from Stations #5 and #6

Transportation to Worksite (with arrows) Near Exit and outside, as needed

Staff Only (2+ as needed) Staff rest area, supply area, etc

Current Need

s Dry erase board in Interview area

Phone Bank Phone Bank area

Offers of Volunteer Help Top left of bulletin board in Phone Bank

Individuals Beneath “Offers of Volunteer Help” sign

Groups Beneath “Offers of Volunteer Help” sign

Other Resources Top right of bulletin board in Phone Bank

Public Information Officer Public Information Officer’s table

Note: All signs should be large enough to be seen from across a large room.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Job Descriptions

VRC Director

Your job is to oversee the operation of the Volunteer

Reception Center. You will:

• Clearly designate one entrance and one exit

• Set up the room for efficient flow of volunteers

and information

• Brief and assign tasks to staff and volunteers of

the center

• Monitor the operation and make changes when

necessary

•

You should meet and thank all volunteers who help in the

VRC and instruct them to sign in and out on the Volunteer

Sign-in / Sign-out Record daily.

Items needed:

• ID badge

• Tables and chairs (See sample room layout for

details)

• “Go Box” containing office supplies and forms to

stock your VRC for the first 2-3 days

• Items on the Supplies and Equipment list

Greeters

Ideally, you will be working with a partner, orienting vol-

unteers inside and outside the volunteer entrance. Y

our

job is to gr

eet people with a friendly and firm demeanor,

determine the purpose of their visit and direct them

accordingly.

• If they are there to volunteer, thank them

, give

them a “Volunteer Instructions” sheet and ask

them to fill out a r

egistration for

m. When the

for

m is completed, direct them to the next avail-

able interviewer at Station #2.

• If they are media personnel, direct them to the Public

Information Officer.

• If they are disaster survivors, refer them to the

appropriate organization.

• If they have food, clothing, etc., to donate, refer

them to the appropriate agency.

If there is a long wait, some volunteers may not

understand the reason and may become impatient.

Please thank ever

yone for volunteering, briefly explain the

process and ask everyone to be patient or to come back

later.

Items needed:

• ID badge

• Sign (Station #1 Registration)

• Table and chairs for volunteers to use while

filling out forms

• Supply of Volunteer Instructions handouts

• Supply of Disaster Volunteer Registration Forms

• Flag

Phone Bank Staff

ou will be handling two types of calls, those fr

om agen

cies requesting volunteers and those from people wanting

to volunteer. The information you record about each call

must be complete and in sufficient detail to facilitate

matching volunteers to the needs.

When you receive a call from an agency, fill out a Request

for Volunteers form while you are speaking with the

agency caller

. If ther

e is a computer available for enter

ing the needs into a database, Data Entr

y staff should

enter the need as soon as possible.

Next, call a runner by raising the flag at your station. Ask

the runner to post the volunteer request on the dry erase

board in view of the Interviewers (Station #2) and then to

give the Request for Volunteers form to the Data

Coordinator (Station #3).

When people call to volunteer, thank them and give them

the following registration options:

• If they choose to register on line, they will be

e-mailed or called to discuss possible assignments

and given further instructions. If the caller repre-

sents a group that wishes to volunteer together,

assure them that you do need their help and ask

them to be patient while you determine where

they can be of most help. It might take one day

or several to match them with a need, especially if

they are coming from out of town. Post the

caller’s inquiry on the board behind the Phone

Bank.

When a match (a mission) is found for that volun-

teer, e-mail or call them back and schedule a time

for them to come to the VRC to sign their on-line

registration form, pick up their referral form and

ID bracelet(s), and attend a safety briefing.

Make sure that the volunteer’s on-line registration

form is waiting with the Interviewers (Station #2)

on their arrival date.

• If they choose to register in person at the VRC,

they will be given instructions when they arrive.

ems needed:

• An ID Badge for each staff member

• Sign (Phone Bank)

• Two tables and four chairs

• Phones

• Supply of Request for V

olunteers for

• Pens, push pins or masking tape

• Flag

Runners

Your job is to carry information from one station to another

within the VRC. When a station needs you to pick up forms,

restock their supplies or escort a volunteer from one place to

another, they will signal you by raising the flag at their station.

Please watch carefully for this signal and respond promptly, in

order to keep the information and volunteers moving smooth-

ly through the registration and referral process. When you

are asked to post a Volunteer Request on the board, write

neatly and large enough so that the interviewers can see the

requests clearly. After posting the request on the board, give

the Request form to Data Coordination (Station #3).

Items needed:

• An ID Badge

• Dry erase marker & eraser

Data Entry

Your job is to enter the information from the Volunteer

Registration and Request for Volunteers forms into the database

so that the county has an accurate record of who participated

in the recovery effort, what kinds of work they performed and

when. The computer will assign a number to each

Registration and Request, which must also be hand-written

on the paper forms.

After the initial influx of volunteers has subsided, you may have

time to begin entering the r

efer

rals r

ecor

ded on the Request

forms and close out the completed Requests. As needed by

VRC staff, print updated lists of the unfilled Requests and ask a

Runner to distribute copies to Phone Bank staff, Data

Coordination, Interviewers and, if requested, the VRC Director.

Even if you are familiar with the software being used by the

VRC, please ask for a brief orientation befor

e beginning your

first shift. Accuracy is mor

e impor

tant than speed.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

The information you enter will be used to determine the

amount of money the county will receive from the Federal

Government as a result of the disaster.

If you have difficulty using the computer, please ask for

help immediately. Do not attempt to fix the problem

yourself.

Items needed:

• An ID Badge

• One table and two chairs

• Printer

• Pens

• Flag

• One or more computers (multiple computers

should be networked to provide all users access to infor-

mation on the status of volunteer requests and the avail-

ability of volunteers.)

Interviewers

Your job is to do a quick interview of the prospective vol-

unteer and refer him to a job at an agency appropriate

to his abilities and interests. Volunteer requests will be

posted on a board in front of you (behind the volunteers

being interviewed) and erased as they are filled. If the

center has a computer system, you might also receive a

printed list of the current needs.

Ask for the volunteer’s registration form. With the volun-

teer, verify its completeness and accuracy, and use it as a

guide fr

om which to inquire more about the volunteer’s

skills. At the conclusion of the interview, keep his regis-

tration form. When the volunteer accepts an assignment,

fill out a Referral form, give it to the volunteer and instruct

him to r

epor

t to Data Coor

dination (Station #3).

Before signaling the Greeter that you are ready for anoth-

er interview, take a minute to jot down in the “Notes” sec-

tion anything about the volunteer you feel is impor

tant,

that the volunteer did not include on his r

egistration for

(a special skill, an obvious physical limitation, etc.) If

your center decides to use the blind field labeled “Office

Use Only,” check the appropriate box. Place his regis-

tration form in the bin or file.

Appropriate use of the “Office Use Only” field should be deter-

mined by the VRC Director, possibly with input from the local

ESF-15 lead agency. It is intended to provide a

customizable “blind” field in which special information can

be noted about volunteers. If, for future referral of that vol-

unteer, it would be helpful to know his general level of ability

to work independently, boxes 1-5 could be coded: 1. Learns

quickly, able to supervise the activities of others; 2. Would

ork well independently…5. Needs close supervision. A

drawback to this kind of field is that interviewers may not be

able to judge the appropriate entry from only a short inter-

view. The advantage is that a volunteer with an obvious spe-

cial ability or limitation can be utilized to his full potential or

placed in a relatively low-risk, closely supervised environ-

ment.

Key points to remember are:

• Disaster registration differs from a “normal” volunteer

intake – there is less time to try to fit each volunteer into

an ideal assignment.

• Refer the volunteer on the spot if possible – it may be

impossible to contact him later

. If the volunteer has

special training or unusual skills that you think might

be needed soon, ask him to wait in the sitting ar

ea and

to check the volunteer request board for new requests

for their specialized skills.

• It is likely that some volunteers will exhibit the stress of

the disaster – an extra measur

e of patience and under

standing is needed.

• Be sure to watch for volunteers who would be effective

working in the Volunteer Reception Center.

• Y

ou may be called upon to train volunteers to assist

with the inter

viewing.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Items needed:

• An ID Badge for each interviewer

• Sign (Station #2 Interviews)

• Two tables and eight chairs that will allow four inter-

viewers to sit across from the four new volunteers they

are interviewing

• Supply of Referral forms

• Bin or file in which to keep the Volunteer Registration

Forms

• Pens

• Flag

Data Coordinator

Your job is to match the Referral forms to the Requests

and to close out the Requests when they have been filled

or are no longer needed. You may have to call an

agency contact to clarify the agency’s Request. When

you speak with an agency contact, record the information

on the Request form in the section called “Follow-up

Contacts with Requesting Agency.”

If a volunteer who has been interviewed but not referred

approaches your station, thank them for coming and ask

them to please wait in the sitting area in the center of the

room.

When a volunteer brings you his Refer

ral, enter his name

and the date of the referral on the Request form to which

he was referred. Place your initials on his Referral form.

If you have time, call the agency contact to let him know

who or how many volunteers have been r

efer

ed.

Confir

m with the agency contact whether you should con-

tinue referring volunteers or close out the request. When

the r

equest has been filled, raise your flag to call a r

un-

ner and ask him to remove that request from the board.

If your station has a computer, enter the date and reason

the r

equest was closed (completed, no longer needed,

etc.) at the bottom of the Request for

m. Place open

Requests in one bin and closed Requests in the other, in

either numerical order or alphabetically by agency.

Items needed:

• An ID Badge for each staff member

• Sign (Station #3 Data Coordination)

• Two tables and four chairs

• Two bins – one for open Requests and one

for closed out Requests

• Phone

• Pens

• Computer, if available, networked to the compu-

ters at the Phone Bank station

• Flag

Volunteer ID Staff

Ask if the volunteers have been referred to a volunteer

position yet. If they have not been referred, thank them

for coming and ask them to please wait in the sitting area

in the center of the room.

If they have been referred, clearly write the name of the

volunteer, the dates to be worked and the name of the

agency or ESF to which the volunteer was referred, as

shown on their Referral slip, on the white portion of an ID

wristband. Place the ID wristband securely on the volun-

teer’

s wrist.

Explain to the volunteers that the ID will be “good” only

for the date(s) written on the band. Authorities will not

per

mit them to enter any of the disaster r

ecover

y ar

eas on

any other day

, without a current ID wristband. If volun-

teers plan to work more than one day, you may write the

beginning and ending dates of their ser

vice. Thank them

for coming and direct them to Station #5 Safety Training.

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Items needed:

• An ID Badge

• Two tables and four chairs

• Sign (Station #4 Volunteer I.D. Tags)

• Supply of volunteer ID wristbands

• Markers

• Scissors

• Flag

Safety Trainers

Your job is to brief all new volunteers on what to expect

at their job sites, how to be safe while volunteering and

how to take good care of themselves after their experi-

ence. When a small group has gathered, thank the vol

unteers for offering to help. Pass around a clipboard with

an attendance sheet and check to be sure that all partic-

ipants have signed it.

Read the entire Safety Training sheet slowly, emphasizing

the importance of following supervisors’ instructions at

the work site. Encourage everyone to attend a debrief-

ing, if available, at the end of their shift. Ask if there are

any questions. If a question arises to which you do not

know the answer, raise your flag and ask a runner to

summon the VRC Director or other VRC staff to answer

the question.

Some volunteers will be required to take additional train-

ing for their particular work. Direct those volunteers to

wher

e that training is pr

ovided. When your briefing is

concluded, explain wher

e the volunteers should meet the

transportation to their worksites, if transportation is pro-

vided.

File the attendance sheet for each class in a folder and

turn them in to the VRC Director daily

. If the content of

your safety briefing changes (new material is added or

safety instructions change), staple a copy of the new safe-

ty training script to the attendance sheet of the first class

in which the new script was used. Maintenance of these

records is important to help protect the Coordinating

Agency and local disaster officials from liability, should a

volunteer be injured on the job.

Items needed:

• An ID Badge

• Sign (Station #5 Safety Training)

• Clipboard with attendance sheets

• Pen

• A supply of Safety Training handouts

• Stapler

• 10 or more chairs, preferably in a semi-circle so par-

ticipants can all see one another

•

List of additional training required by specific

worksites,

training locations and instructors

• Flag

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Safety Training for Volunteers

(Presenter: Edit this training for the specific incident)

1. If you will be working outside, dress for the weather. Boots may be helpful, as debris on the ground can be sharp

and dangerous.

2. Bring work gloves, sunscreen, hat and any appropriate tools you have. You will be responsible for your tools.

3. Water may be available at your work site, but you are encouraged to bring a personal water container. It is important

to drink lots of water while you work.

4. If death/injuries have occurred in the area where you are working, there will be bacteria. When you take

a break, wash thoroughly.

5. When you arrive at your worksite, you will be warned if there is a possibility of encountering victims.

Follow the instructions given to you at your job site.

6. The work you will be doing may cause you stress, anxiety, fear or other strong emotions. You are provid- ing

a valuable service by volunteering today. Please understand that, by helping, we will not be able to undo the effects

of this event. We are each just one person. All we can do is help in our own small ways to assist victims into the

recovery process. If you care for one lost animal, find one child’s lost favorite toy, or hold the hand of one wheel-

chair bound senior in a shelter, you will have eased a little of the pain.

Do not feel guilty because you are not able to fix ever

ything. Just work your shift, then go home to rest and eat well.

Both will help to relieve the stress.

Be sure to attend any debriefing that may be conducted at the end of your

shift.

7. Older children can help with the disaster recovery work in some areas, but parents must sign a release of liabili-

ty form for each child under the age of 18. It is recommended that children remain in school, if it is open.

Older children can participate with parents on weekends.

8. Y

ou will be cover

ed by insurance pr

ovided by the county in which you will be working. If you should sustain an

injury, you must pay for any treatment required and then submit a claim form and be reimbursed by the insurance

company

9. Follow carefully any instructions given to you at your job site.

lease attend any debriefing activity provided at your worksite after your shift.

olunteer Florida

Name Date Name Date

Request #____________ Today’s Date: _____________ Start Date: _____________ End Date:

Title of Volunteer Position: ____________________________________________________________

Agency Name: ___________________________________ Agency Contact: ________

Agency Address: _______________________________________ Phone:_____________ Ext: _________

Duties: __________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Volunteers must be physically able to: _______________________________________________________

Number Needed: ________________ Days/Hrs Needed: _____________________________________

For this position, volunteers must be at least ______________________________ years of age.

Request for Volunteers

(Complete one form for each job description.)

Job Skill# Description Job Skill# Description

Follow-up Contacts with Requesting Agency / Clarification of Need

Volunteers referred

Request closed on ___ /___ /___ Completed ____ No placements possible ____ No longer needed ____

Date Comments

Skills Needed (if computerized, select from skills listed on Disaster Volunteer Registration Form)

ame

e Name Date

Volunteer Instructions

1. Reception Area: Please fill out a registration form and pro-

ceed as directed to an Interviewer at Station #2.

2. Interview Area: Interviewer will take your form, talk with you

about your skills and refer you to an agency needing your help.

Next take your Referral form to the Data Coordinator (Station

#3).

3. Data Coordination Area: Coordinator will record and initial

your Referral form and, if possible, notify the agency to expect

you. Take your Referral form to the ID area (Station #4).

4. Identification Area: You will receive an ID bracelet that will

allow you to enter restricted areas during the day(s) written on

ID. Proceed to Safety Briefing area (Station #5).

5. Safety Briefing Area: You will be given special instructions

about safety, security & transportation.You may be directed to

Station #6 for additional job training.

6. Specific Job Training: Some jobs will require extra orientation

or training that will be provided by the agency to which you are

referred.

Thank you

for Volunteering!

Volunteer Instructions

1. Reception Area: Please fill out a registration form and pro-

ceed as directed to an Interviewer at Station #2.

2. Interview Area: Interviewer will take your form, talk with you

about your skills and refer you to an agency needing your help.

Next take your Referral form to the Data Coordinator (Station

#3).

ta C

dina

tion Area:

Coor

dinator will r

ecor

d and initial

your Referral form and, if possible, notify the agency to expect

you. Take your Referral form to the ID area (Station #4).

4. Identification Area: You will receive an ID bracelet that will

allow you to enter restricted areas during the day(s) written on

ID. Pr

oceed to Safety Briefing ar

ea (Station #5).

5. Safety Briefing Area: You will be given special instructions

about safety

, security & transpor

tation.Y

ou may be dir

ected to

Station #6 for additional job training.

6. Specific Job Training: Some jobs will require extra orientation

or training that will be provided by the agency to which you are

referred.

Thank you

for Volunteering!

Volunteer Instructions

1. Reception Area: Please fill out a registration form and pro-

ceed as directed to an Interviewer at Station #2.

2. Interview Area: Interviewer will take your form, talk with you

about your skills and refer you to an agency needing your help.

Next take your Referral form to the Data Coordinator (Station

#3).

3. Data Coordination Area: Coordinator will record and initial

your Referral form and, if possible, notify the agency to expect

you. Take your Referral form to the ID area (Station #4).

4. Identification Area: You will receive an ID bracelet that will

allow you to enter restricted areas during the day(s) written on

ID. Proceed to Safety Briefing area (Station #5).

5. Safety Briefing Area: You will be given special instructions

about safety, security & transportation.You may be directed to

Station #6 for additional job training.

6. Specific Job Training: Some jobs will require extra orientation

or training that will be provided by the agency to which you are

referred.

Thank you

for Volunteering!

Volunteer Instructions

1. Reception Area: Please fill out a registration form and pro-

ceed as directed to an Interviewer at Station #2.

2. Interview Area: Interviewer will take your form, talk with you

about your skills and refer you to an agency needing your help.

Next take your Referral form to the Data Coordinator (Station

#3).

ta C

dina

tion Area:

Coor

dinator will r

ecor

d and initial

your Referral form and, if possible, notify the agency to expect

you. Take your Referral form to the ID area (Station #4).

4. Identification Area: You will receive an ID bracelet that will

allow you to enter restricted areas during the day(s) written on

ID. Pr

oceed to Safety Briefing ar

ea (Station #5).

5. Safety Briefing Area: You will be given special instructions

about safety

, security & transpor

tation.Y

ou may be dir

ected to

Station #6 for additional job training.

6. Specific Job Training: Some jobs will require extra orientation

or training that will be provided by the agency to which you are

referred.

Thank you

for Volunteering!

Office Use Only

1 2 3 4 5

Disaster Volunteer Registration Form

(Please print clearly. submit at Volunteer Reception Center or fax to ___________________.)

MEDICAL

____ 110 Doctor Specialty:

__________________

____ 120 Nurse Specialty:

__________________

____ 130 Emerg. medical cert.

____ 140 Mental health counseling

____ 150 Veterinarian

____ 160 Veterinary technician

COMMUNICATIONS.

____ 210 CB or ham operator

____ 220 Hotline Operator

____ 230 Own a cell phone

#___________________

____ 240 Own a skyphone

#___________________

____ 250 Public relations

____ 260 Web page design

____ 270 Public Speaker

Language other than English:

____ 261 French

____ 262 German

____ 263 Italian

____ 264 Spanish

____ 265 Ukrainian

____ 266 ___________________

____ 267 ___________________

____ 268 ___________________

____ 269 ___________________

OFFICE SUPPORT

____ 310 Clerical - filing, copying

____ 320 Data entry Software:

_______________________

____ 330 Phone receptionist

SERVICE

____ 410 Food

____ 415 Elderly/disabled asst.

____ 420 Child care

____ 425 Spiritual counseling

____ 430 Social work

____ 435 Search and rescue

____ 440 Auto repair/towing

____ 445 Traffic control

____ 450 Crime watch

____ 455 Animal r

escue

____ 460 Animal care

____ 465 Runner

STRUCTUR

____ 510 Damage assessment

____ 520 Metal construction

____ 530 Wood construction

____ 540 Block constr

uction

Cer

t.#_______________

____ 550 Plumbing

Cert.#_______________

____ 560 Electrical

Cert.#_______________

____ 570 Roofing

Cert.#_______________

TRANSPORTATION

____ 610 Car

____ 615 Station wagon/mini van

____ 620 Maxi-van, capacity_____

____ 625 ATV

____ 630 Own off-road veh/4wd

____ 635 Own truck, description:

______________________

____ 640 Own boat, capacity ____

Type:__________________

____ 650 Commercial driver

Class & license #:________

____ 660 Camper/RV

, capacity

& type: _______________

_______________________

LABOR

____ 710 Loading/shipping

____ 720 Sor

ting/packing

____ 730 Clean-up

____ 740 Operate equipment

ypes: _________________

_______________________

_____ 750 Experience supervising others

EQUIPMENT

____ 810 Backhoe

____ 820 Chainsaw

____ 830 Generator

____ 840 Other:

SKILLS: Please check all that apply.

Mr. ____Mrs.____ Ms.____ Name______________________________ Birth Date_____________ Day Phone

EmailAddress______________________________________________________________________ Eve Phone_______________

Home Address__________________________________________________City______________ State_____ Zip_____________

Emergency Contact________________________________Relationship_________________ Emergency Phone ______________

Occupation____________________________________Employer

Business Address_________________________________________ City_____________________ State_____ Zip

Are you a year-round Florida resident? _____ Yes _____No Months you are available_____________________________

If you have any health limitations, please explain _______________________________________________________________

I am willing to volunteer in: ____ this county ____ a neighboring county ____anywhere in Fla ____anywhere in the U.S.

Are you currently affiliated with a disaster relief agency? ____ Yes ____No

If yes, name of agency: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Special skills and/or vocational/disaster training: _______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I, for myself and my heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, her

eby release, indemnify, and hold harmless the Coordinating

Agency

, local governments, State of Florida, the organizers, sponsors and supervisors of all disaster preparedness, response and

recovery activities

(check with local Risk Management and Emergency Management Departments regarding who should be

included) from all liability for any and all risk of damage or bodily injury or death that may occur to me (including any injury

caused by negligence), in connection with any volunteer disaster effort in which I participate. I likewise hold harmless from lia-

bility any person transporting me to or from any disaster relief activity. In addition, disaster relief officials have permission to

utilize any photographs or videos taken of me for publicity or training purposes. I will abide by all safety instructions and infor-

mation provided to me during disaster relief efforts.

Further, I expressly agree that this release, waiver, and indemnity agreement is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permit-

ted by the State of Florida, and that if any portion thereof is held invalid, it is agreed that the balance shall, notwithstanding,

continue in full legal force and effect.

I have no known physical or mental condition that would impair my capability to participate fully, as intended or expected of me.

I have carefully read the foregoing release and indemnification and understand the contents thereof and sign this release as my

own free act.

Signature______________________________________Date__________________

Guardian, if under 18___________________________Date__________________

Volunteer’s credentials were recorded as presented. Verification of credentials is the responsibility of the receiving agency or ESF.

This volunteer was referred to the following ESFs or agencies:

Date Need# ESF or Agency Contact Name Contact’

s Phone#

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Return this completed form to: (Coordinating Agency name and address)

Notes:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Disaster Volunteer Registration Form (side 2)

Release of Liability

Disaster Volunteer Referral

Name of V

olunteer___________________________________________________ Date__________________________

Referred to (agency/ESF)____________________________________________________ Need#_________________

Agency contact name_______________________________________________Phone ____________________________

Address of Agency/Site ______________________________________________________________________________

Directions to Site_____________________________________________________________________________________

Title/description of volunteer assignment ________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Days & hours needed by agency_______________________________________________________________________

Note: Verification of volunteer’s credentials is the

responsibility of the agency receiving the volunteer.

Disaster Volunteer Referral

Name of Volunteer ___________________________________________________ Date ______________________

Refer

ed to (agency/ESF) ___________________________________________________Need#_________________

Agency contact name_______________________________________________Phone__________________________

Address of Agency/Site ___________________________________________________________________________

Directions to Site__________________________________________________________________________________

Title/description of volunteer assignment _____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Days & hours needed by agency____________________________________________________________________

Note: Verification of volunteer’s credentials is the

esp

onsibility of the agency receiving the volunteer.

VRC Staff Initials:

Interview Data Coord. Safety Brief

VRC Staff Initials:

Interview Data Coord. Safety Brief

Site_____________________________________________________Date ___________________

Site Supervisor___________________________________________Phone__________________

Please read before signing:

I have received safety instructions for working at this site and agree to follow

the safety procedures and the directions of the site supervisor.

Sign your name, times in & out, and the type of work you did today (For example, cleanup, repair, sorting)

Work Site Sign-In/Sign-Out Record

_______________________________________County

Volunteer’s Name Time In

Time

Time In

Time Total Type of

Out Out Hours Work

UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS IN RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Notes:

Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in par

t, without the written consent of V

olunteer Florida.

401 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32301

Telephone: 850-921-5172 (voice/tty)