Disaster Organization Volunteers

Both during and after a disaster, people naturally want to help and will flock from all over to assist their neighbors, friends, and even complete strangers. A good volunteer management plan should be in place to mobilize these unaffiliated/spontaneous volunteers. Good volunteer organization and coordination is done best at the local level. However, there are resources that can help you develop a plan and respond in times when local efforts and resources are exhausted.

The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS) can help emergency managers with their volunteer man­agement needs.

• ICVS is a state agency responsible for building an ethic of service in Iowa and helping organi­zations such as the Iowa Disaster Human Resource Council (IDHRC) promote their volunteer opportuni­ties.
• The commission is respon­sible for coordinating unaffiliated volunteers statewide during times of disaster by:
•  responding to requests for assistance by emergency man­agement officials
• directing pre-registered disaster volunteers to local volunteer reception centers
• The ICVS is member of the IDHRC, which identifies and addresses the unmet needs of Iowa’s citi­zens impacted by disaster events, and encourages organization and identification of volunteers before a disaster occurs.
• The IDHRC was developed and is administered by the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD).  For more information, visit http://www.iowahomelandsecurity.org/ProgramsIDHRC.html.

 
Additional resources ICVS can offer to local communities and county emergency managers include:

• Volunteer Solutions System.  ICVS will encourage unaffiliated, potential volunteers to go to the Vol­unteer Iowa Web Portal (Volunteer Solutions) to register or get instruc­tions on how to volunteer through an affiliated agency or volunteer recep­tion center.
• How is it used? To develop a disaster skills bank that coordinating agencies would be able to access after local efforts have been exhausted.
• Who will use it? County emergency managers with agency accounts on the system would post disaster trainings, projects, and time shifts and run reports for volunteers on the Web site and also be able to access a list of registered volunteers willing to volunteer in their county. Volunteers may submit their hours for an opportunity or an agency may log hours for them.
• What are the benefits?  It allows the volunteer and the agency to maintain accu­rate records for volunteer hours by volunteer, agency and opportunity. The benefit for local jurisdictions comes into play when it’s time to apply for federal disaster assis­tance under the Public Assistance (PA) Program.
• According to FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Policy 9525.2, applicants “will be credited for volun­teer labor, donated equipment, and donated materials used in the per­formance of eligible emergency work – Categories A and B.” While “the federal government is not required to credit the value of ‘in-kind’ contri­butions toward cost-share arrange­ments…FEMA has determined that the value of ‘in-kind’ contributions by third parties may be credited toward the calculation of the non-federal share for eligible emergency work following declared disasters.”
• Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) de­velopment and training. If requested, ICVS will assist local emergency managers in establishing a volunteer recep­tion center or aid local designated agencies responsible for establish­ing volunteer reception centers.
• The Governor will direct disaster volunteers to www.volunteeriowa.org for refer­rals to local volunteer reception centers or other posted volunteer opportunities.
• Local emergency managers or their designees will notify local media about volunteer needs and post those opportunities to the state system, or provide instruc­tions on where we should direct volunteers for that particular county.
• The commis­sion already funds and supports numerous local volunteer referral and support organizations that may be useful to you in times of disas­ter. You are encouraged to forge relationships where they do not already exist with entities such as volunteer centers, RSVP programs, college civic engagement offices or local AmeriCorps programs.
• These groups were major assets during the disasters of 2008 and could be very helpful to you in dealing with and utilizing spontaneous/unaffiliated volunteers. If/when you activate your VRC please notify the ICVS, so the staff can to be ready to assist you.
• Network of AmeriCorps programs and members. Through a coopera­tive agreement with FEMA, ICVS can deploy AmeriCorps resources to assist in times of disaster, upon request from local emergency managers. Ameri­Corps members can be utilized for as­sistance in disaster for many activities, from managing unaffiliated volunteers to assisting with an affiliated organiza­tion’s efforts.

For more information, contact Volunteer Iowa at icvs@iowa.gov or 1.800.308.5987