Was sind die effektivsten Strategien für das Management von Freiwilligen während eines Notfalleinsatzes?

In our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented a robust volunteer management strategy. A centralized coordination center facilitated recruitment, training, and deployment. Volunteers were matched to specific roles, ensuring efficiency. Clear communication and supervision were maintained for effective guidance. Safety was a top priority, with the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and adherence to safety protocols. A feedback system allowed volunteers to report issues and suggestions for improvement. Volunteer recognition was integral, boosting morale through certificates and acknowledgments. Flexible scheduling accommodated volunteers' commitments.

We conduct pre recruitment interviews to see if the organisation and the volunteer meets each other's desires and needs, this is also a time to discuss the code of conduct and our SOPs and the expected response and training commitment. This helps prevent those who may not be truelly commited but also helps with being transparent of expectations.

It can be problematic utilising volunteers, what if they get sick or injured? Whose responsibility are they? Do you need them to sign a waiver, have proof or insurance. It is complicated, and how do you manage all of that plus respond to the actual disaster. You probably don’t have time to properly vett them or cover all of that whilst trying to organise a response. It is complex.

I totally agree. This would have been my input. 1. Having a very precise understanding of the mission. 2. Know the limitations of your volunteers. 3. Setting realistic expectations for them.

1. Clear communication: 2. training: 3. volunteer screening: 4. volunteer coordination: 5. recognition and appreciation: 6. safety measures

While training and orientation is key to success for any role in an emergency, one thing to consider is to do pre-planning and assign volunteers to roles you know they can be successful in. This takes time in advance by the leadership but will pay dividends in the end. Even with proper training in emergencies, some people are not built for certain roles. Find out where they are strong and train and orientate to those skills.

Nothing prepares a person for the challenges they'll face in the aftermath of a major disaster. Perhaps the best approach is to get them engaged in a "smaller" event before getting them in a major one. Emergency response is not for everyone. You either accept and adjust to what you face and continue with the work, or decide not to do it any more; or at least not to engage in the field portion of it. Emergency response requires flexibility and creativity within specific parameters and policies. Once these are explained and understood, training should focus on getting a mission completed with very little of what was there before available.

In my experiences working with volunteers, a small printed flip book with bullet point instructions (or checklists) helps keep the responsibilities and data at their fingertips. The tabs for each section help volunteers quickly be able to disseminate the correct information in a consistent and reliable manner. Plus these handy resources are great for adding FAQs and emergency contact information.

The key to managing volunteers during any emergency response rests with community leaders' preparation for such events, which obviously relates to the procurement of all tools and equipment for such projected needs and hands-on training of all the emergency personnel in the use of such. However, one area that remains severely neglected within most communities is the reliance on retired emergency professionals (law enforcement, EMT/EMS, fire department personnel, nurses, HLS, FEMA, FBI, etc.) who live within that community. These are people who should be readily available and require little update training to prepare them for a role during any critical incident; people who are largely ignored in critical incidents.

We say Semper Paratus and strive for this by a combination of highly effective individual training and capacity building and by intentionally driving solutions both to known and future emergency situations We can approach “always prepared” this way

This is a great universal observation. Volunteers are a broad category that ranges from the "Cajun Navy" and "Project Ushahidi" to individuals who just show up to help. The former examples self-organize while the latter may need even basic instruction. But all require communication and coordination - just as the paid forces do. Taking that a step further, there can be tremendous value in public communication, which can aid further in cooperation, teamwork, self-help, and mutual aid.

Flexibility is key. Engaging spontaneous first responders is challenging. After the Indonesian tsunami we had the German Navy engaged with field sanitation and potable water generation and distribution. We were provided a large (800 ton) Hong Kong ferry to take basic supplies, mental health teams, and cooking utensils to coastal communities as part of our mosquito population management activities. The mosquito control part was the mission. The others were incidental.

Morale is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. Making sure each volunteer has what they need personally, and the tools to do their job. Talking to them each day or at least making your presence known, let’s the volunteers know they are being taken care of and not taken for granted.

Probably one of the most effective way to employ volunteers is to enlist or commission them in a State Defense Force type of organization before the emergency. About half the states have some such force, and they usually fall under the authority of the adjutant general of the state and are integrated into the state's emergency management system. It works really well with medical people who want to serve their state but do not want the liability for federal service that membership in the National Guard has. During Covid, Tennessee was able to commission medical personnel in their State Defense Force in the morning and move them to crisis points that afternoon, where they could work with full state authority.

The largest water evacuation in history occurred on 9/11/2001, greater than Dunkirk. 500,000 individuals evacuated Manhattan island from Ground Zero - in one day! This was not the result of careful planning or foresight. Innovation, heroism, improvisation and caring prevailed. In our planning and preparedness we must be imaginative and courageous. Worse case scenarios make a difference. Black Swans do exist.

When I lead the Goucher College CERT team, we successfully grew the team into the largest of its kind on the east coast. We found that using an online survey to collect information about when most team members were available, and building our training schedule around that, increased our participation by 100%. A common misstep with young volunteer organizations is trying to set your volunteers around a schedule, vs the opposite- setting your schedule around the volunteers.

Volunteers generally fall into two types: those that are part of an existing volunteer organisation; and those the ‘volunteer’ to help ‘on the day’. The former organisation should provide standards for training, equipment, insurance, and support to their volunteers. If the volunteers cannot meet the agreed standards, they should not be used in response and if not prepared to undergo the training, they should not be accepted by the organisation. If the organisation is run well and clearly trains, values and deploys to community valued responses, appropriately trained ‘vollies’ it will attract those it needs - competent, trainable volunteers. Don’t forget: volunteers can offer wider experience, new skills and a really positive attitude.

A hybrid volunteer leadership structure combines elements of both traditional hierarchical leadership and collaborative decision-making in order to effectively engage volunteers and leverage their skills and ideas. Hybrid volunteer leadership structure combines the strengths of both top-down leadership and collaborative decision-making. It empowers volunteers, encourages active participation, and fosters a sense of ownership and shared responsibility. This approach can lead to increased volunteer engagement, creativity, and overall effectiveness in achieving the organization's goals.

Spontaneous volunteers have to be incorporated somehow. I/we work with a lot of governmental sponsored volunteers who perform amazing tasks. Their abilities are known, they are vetted, and they are covered in the event of injury. The difficulty lies with the non-affiliated volunteer. I have found success in aligning these people with various NGOs or other area civic groups to incorporate them all the while not having them directly under my control. The worst thing to do, based on experience, is to turn them away and tell them we don’t need their help.