Emergency Volunteering for organisations and local government

Volunteers are vital in the journey from disaster to recovery. Volunteering Queensland is here to help at every step of the way.

About Emergency Volunteering

Recovery from a disaster is a long process. Agencies rely on long term support from volunteers who may perform various roles, ranging from basic clean-up to care, comfort and personal support to affected communities.

What is EV CREW?

Emergency Volunteering Community Response to Extreme Weather (EV CREW) is a Volunteering Queensland service that links people who want to volunteer, before and after disasters (i.e., spontaneous volunteers), with councils and community organisations who need helping hands in times of natural disaster.

Volunteering Queensland, through EV CREW, facilitates the placement of volunteers with the required skills, availability and locality into the areas of the community that need help the most.

Since our EV CREW service began in 2008, we’ve made over 46,000 volunteer referrals to over 200 disaster preparation or recovery programs.

The difference spontaneous volunteers can make to a disaster-affected family, community group or business is immeasurable – even months and years after an extreme weather event.

How the program works

• Make the request of Emergency volunteers and we will let you know if and when we can process your request. This depends on the coordination with the disaster management authorities in your Local Government Area (LGA).
• We will get in contact to define details of your request like: where volunteers should meet with their coordinator, shift times and dates, what volunteers need to bring, how to dress, any requirements, and additional considerations.
• We will invite Emergency Volunteers registered in the area where they are required by email. They will have access to all the information about the activity and choose if they want to participate, how- if there are multiple roles, and when- if there are multiple times and dates.
• You will receive a list of volunteers organised by shift or location, the day before the activity is programmed.

How can EV CREW help my organisation?

Spontaneous volunteers are a vital and significant part of our community. They provide valuable assistance at times of disasters as well as support preparedness and recovery activities.
Offers of assistance from people willing and able to assist at times of need can be challenging and easily overwhelm government and non-government organisations. However, when managed appropriately,
spontaneous volunteers can be a valuable and flexible resource to their community and those in need.

Volunteering Queensland through Emergency Volunteering CREW can help councils and organisations enhance their preparedness and capacity to manage spontaneous volunteers through:

• Recruitment and registration of offers to volunteer
• Matching volunteers with organisations
• Training and sector development
• Development of standard operating procedures
• Resilience building
• Information and advice

Volunteering Queensland EV CREW and Queensland’s disaster management agreements

Through EV CREW ; Volunteering Queensland, works alongside councils, agencies and volunteer involving organisations to provide coordinated disaster recovery volunteer teams when and wherever disaster strikes.

Under the existing Disaster Management Agreements for Queensland, EV CREW provides the primary avenue for the registration and referral of volunteers in a disaster management setting.