District Mental Health Program - 12 Important Tips for Disaster Relief Volunteers (Relief workers) Disaster Response Volunteers

12 Important Tips for Disaster Relief Volunteers (Relief workers) Disaster Response Volunteers Want to learn & work in a disaster affected community? One can become a disaster relief volunteers by becoming a trained as a disaster relief volunteer or an emergency response volunteer. By doing this, you are becoming a proactive member of your community and providing much-needed support to local emergency response agencies during times of need. One of the most unpredictable, and many times most devastating, things to happen to a country is a natural disaster. Regardless of a country’s economic or political standing, natural disasters can wreak havoc on a population causing an infinitely long recovery process. Each scenario is different, but these situations often call for volunteers with a variety of backgrounds to help physically and emotionally rebuild affected communities. Regardless of the particular skillset and background you bring to the table, there’s a good chance you have something to offer in volunteering abroad in an area affected by a natural disaster. Disaster response skills needed include first aid, psychological first aid, counselling services, helpline, fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. This is a volunteer opportunity for all interested residents. Volunteers augment the community’s response capability by performing roles that require less technical training, allowing professionals to focus on the more highly specialized roles. This means volunteers may respond in multiple venues and hold varied roles throughout a single response. Disasters can happen at any time and in any place, leaving little time to prepare in the moment. It is crucial that a community prepare for the most likely hazards and risks prior to a disaster. Along with emergency management, law enforcement, government organizations, disaster relief organizations, and many others, volunteers are a valuable part of a disaster response. Volunteers can augment a community’s ability to respond to disasters by providing additional response capacity through different skills and abilities. With a well-designed plan, you can ensure the most efficient, effective response and recovery by using all available resources, including volunteers.