Managing spontaneous volunteers

There are different types of volunteers with different capabilities and needs:

• Spontaneous volunteer: “Individual who is not affiliated with an existing incident

  Actions taken during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.

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  Person or group of people that has its own functions with responsibilities, authorities and relationships to achieve its objectives.
  Note 1 to entry: The concept of organization includes, but is not limited to, sole trader, company, corporation, firm, enterprise, authority, partnership, charity or institution, or part or combination thereof, whether incorporated or not, public or private.
  Note 2 to entry: For organizations with more than one operating unit, a single operating unit can be defined as an organization.

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  or voluntary Person or group of people that has its own functions with responsibilities, authorities and relationships to achieve its objectives. Note 1 to entry: The concept of organization includes, but is not limited to, sole trader, company, corporation, firm, enterprise, authority, partnership, charity or institution, or part or combination thereof, whether incorporated or not, public or private. Note 2 to entry: For organizations with more than one operating unit, a single operating unit can be defined as an organization.

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  but who, without extensive preplanning, offers support to the Actions taken during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.

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  to, and

  Decisions and actions aimed at restoring or improving livelihoods, health, as well as economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets, systems and activities, of a disaster-affected community or society, aligning with the principles of sustainable development, including build back better to avoid or reduce future disaster risk.

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  from, an incident”
• Affiliated volunteers: “These volunteers are attached to a recognised voluntary agency that have trained them for

  Situation where widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses have occurred which exceeded the ability of the affected organisation, community or society to respond and recover using its own resources.

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  response and has a mechanism in place to address their use in an

  Sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence or event requiring immediate action.
  Note 1 to entry: An emergency is usually a disruption or condition that can often be anticipated or prepared for, but seldom exactly foreseen.

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  ”
• “Digital volunteers”: providing support on social media The main challenges regard the registration, management and communication with unaffiliated volunteers during an incident or Situation where widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses have occurred which exceeded the ability of the affected organisation, community or society to respond and recover using its own resources.

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  (typically done onsite during the

  Unstable condition involving an impending abrupt or significant change that requires urgent attention and action to protect life, assets, property or the environment.
   

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  ) and the limited communication and team work among unaffiliated volunteers.

Activities designed to facilitate the learning and development of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and to improve the performance of specific tasks or roles.

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methods and procedures exist to coordinate and manage affiliated volunteers, but not for spontaneous volunteers (development of serious games ongoing).

References in the literature: this

Difference between the existing capabilities of responders and what was actually needed for effective and timely response.

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is widely recognised and well detailed in the literature.