Volunteer responders are people from all walks of life who give their spare time to support emergency services, such as the police, fire & rescue service or coastguard when an emergency is happening.
By becoming a volunteer responder you will have a role directly supporting the emergency services, when they ask for additional support during an incident.
But I’m not a trained person – all voluntary organisations provide training to enable you to carry out a number of roles in a safe way. The training given is to a high standard and includes any necessary insurance, PPE equipment and identification cards.
My life is too busy, but I’d like to Get Involved – your availablity can vary, that’s no problem, as a volunteer responder you can give as much time as you are able to.
I’d like to just volunteer, but not be a volunteer responder – no problem at all, as a member of the team, we value everyone’s contribution. There are plenty of roles that are important once the immediate emergency is over. This could be using your experience and skills to support people with making insurance claims, or being there for people to talk to about how the incident has affected their life since it happened. The Kerslake Report into the Manchester Arena bombing incident covers many aspects about the impact the bombing had on the communities in Manchester.
So what do I gain?
- You can make a positive impact on your local community, making a real difference in people’s lives.
- Get skills for life, practical experience across technology, management of people, organisation skills and teamwork.
- A sense of community and belonging, working with people who share your values.
- Grow your social network
- Skills learnt through volunteering can be great for your c.v. and job opportunities
Sounds great? Excellent, follow this link for more information and
.Recovering from an emergency or major incident is something that anyone who wants to volunteer can take part in.
An emergency or major incident is likely to have caused significant damage and disruption to a community.
Recovery of a community after an incident could include
- Helping your community with practical aspects, such as clearing items from a a flood damaged home
- Offering space in your home to talk to neighbours about the incident
- Talk to your local Council, or utility supplier about what they will do to repair damage to lamposts, electrical supply etc
The nature of the emergency situation and the response will depend on the nature, scale and severity of the emergency itself.
Council representatives, voluntary organisations and community groups can play an important role assessing problems after the immediate emergency is over. This can include knowing who vulnerable people in their community are; who may require additional support.
As part of a communities recovery from an incident they can consider the Dorset Community Foundation who offer grants to communities all over Dorset, in addition to their other work.