Volunteer Coordination in CDEM
Director’s Guideline for Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups [DGL 15/13]
The efforts and abilities of volunteers have the potential to significantly enhance the capabilities of CDEM organisations during readiness, response, and recovery.
Volunteer Coordination in CDEM provides a broad overview of volunteer coordination, with a particular focus on CDEM-trained volunteers (community members who are registered, screened and trained during readiness), and spontaneous volunteers (who emerge during response).
This guideline highlights the importance of:
- preparation – developing roles, processes and procedures during readiness to ensure that volunteers can contribute effectively and are supported during response and recovery
- community engagement – building relationships with communities during readiness, to:
- better understand what community members can offer as volunteers
- tap into existing groups and networks to promote CDEM awareness
- approach a diverse range of people to become CDEM-trained volunteers
- flexibility and collaboration – CDEM organisations need to pro-actively engage with spontaneous volunteers (individuals or groups) during response, by:
- sharing information, and
- providing support and resources (wherever necessary and/or feasible).
Note: This guideline replaces Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning [BPG 3/06].
Templates and checklists
These templates and checklists from the appendices of the Volunteer Coordination in CDEM Director's Guideline are provided in Word version so they can be amended and used by volunteer coordination personnel.
Equipment, tools and supplies checklist (.doc 30kb)
Health and safety fact sheet (.doc 29kb)
Response checklist (.doc 39kb)
Role description: Volunteer coordinator (.doc 34kb)
Volunteer briefing sheet (.doc 35kb)
Volunteer debriefing sheet (.doc 33kb)
Volunteer registration form (.doc 34kb)
Volunteer response procedure (.doc 35kb)
Volunteer task description (.doc 34kb)
Reference documents
These reference documents from the appendices of the Volunteer Coordination in CDEM Director's Guideline are provided in accessible PDF and Word versions so they can be used as stand-alone documents by CDEM personnel.