Preparing to Help During Times of Disaster

For many of us at the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership, the tragic explosion and fire in San Bruno has been a difficult reminder of our own need to be prepared for any such calamity.  One role that many volunteer centers around the state play is that of an Emergency Volunteer Center. 

The center plays this role when activated by the Marin County Office of Emergency Services, and we have been working diligently to prepare our team to activate at any given time. Our responsibilities as an EVC include interviewing, screening, and referring "spontaneous" volunteers to opportunities throughout the community during times of disaster. Fortunately, the city of San Rafael's volunteer program, managed by Cory Bytof, also operates its own EVC to serve, train, rally and refer "spontaneous" volunteers to response teams or government agencies during times of disaster.  This is a great resource for the community of San Rafael, and if you live or work in San Rafael, you should know how to access it.

"Spontaneous" or unaffiliated volunteers are those people who want to help with disaster response and recovery but have no training or prior affiliation with a disaster response agency. Conversely, affiliated volunteers generally have previous disaster volunteer training and know where to report in the event of a disaster. 

To put this into historical context, after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, spontaneous volunteers came forward in droves; however, in many instances, they hindered the Red Cross operation in San Francisco because there was no plan to organize or utilize them.The EVC concept was developed shortly after the Loma Prieta earthquake in order to remedy this predicament.

The city of San Rafael operates an EVC to focus volunteering efforts within San Rafael.  If the need for spontaneous volunteers arises and the San Rafael EVC is activated, the volunteer should come in or call.  At the EVC volunteers can expect a staff member to explain the intake process including the latest disaster updates, swear the volunteer in as a disaster service worker, and provide the volunteer with intake forms to be completed.  The volunteer will then be interviewed to assess and determine the person's skills, availability, and/or specialized experience.  After completing the interview, the volunteer will be advised of available openings and referred to an agency or relief operation.

So how can you be prepared to volunteer in the event of a disaster?  Sign up here and register to help: the city of San Rafael EVC (http://www.sanrafaelvolunteers.org/EVC/index.html)

Julie Burk is the Volunteer Services Director at the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin, a San Rafael organization that promotes volunteerism, strengthens nonprofit organizations, and enhances community leadership in Marin County through a broad range of services and resources.  For more information or to get involved in San Rafael visitwww.volunteermarin.org