2022-046 Volunteer Opportunities During DisastersAugust 12, 2022 Report No. 2022-046
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Volunteer opportunities for the public and organizations during disasters.
BACKGROUND:
Volunteer management is an integral part of comprehensive emergency management programs.
Whether affiliated with an organization or spontaneous, volunteers have various skills and
resources that can be used during disasters. Volunteers registered with an organization may be
called upon in the event of an emergency while spontaneous volunteers may choose to be available
to serve shortly after a disaster. Spontaneous volunteers must be planned for, as well, to ensure
roles are available for them to fill, security concerns are mitigated, and volunteers and victims
remain safe.
DISCUSSION:
Three organizations currently support volunteerism during disasters within Denton County. City
of Denton residents can volunteer with:
• Denton County Volunteers Active During Disasters (DC VOAD)
• Denton County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Denton County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
During a disaster, the City can request these resources via emergency management.
Denton County VOAD
DC VOAD is a humanitarian association of independent volunteer organizations that may be active
in all phases of disaster: preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation. Its mission is to foster
efficient, streamlined service delivery to people affected by disaster while eliminating unnecessary
duplication of effort.
Local organizations seeking opportunities to volunteer are encouraged to become members of DC
VOAD. Monthly meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom.
Meeting: Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 840 4642 2730
Passcode: 7j4Fiv
DCVOAD Current Members
American Red Cross
City of Lewisville Emergency Management
City of Denton Emergency Management
Denton Baptist Association Disaster Relief
Denton Community Food Center
Denton County Community Relations
Denton County Friends of the Family
Denton County Emergency Management
August 12, 2022 Report No. 2022-046
First Baptist Church of Denton
First Refuge Ministries
Minuteman Disaster Response
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas
Our Daily Bread, Inc.
Salvation Army
Team Rubicon
University of North Texas
United Way of Denton County
Denton County CERT
The CERT program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may
impact their area. CERT also trains volunteers in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety,
light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster first aid. Information on joining CERT and
upcoming training can be found at www.dentoncountycert.org.
Denton County MRC
Denton County MRC is to assist the local community during a public health emergency or natural
disaster with health implications by providing a rapid, coordinated, and specific response. Both
medical and non-volunteers are accepted after completing an MRC orientation meeting. After
orientation, MRC volunteers have access to multiple upcoming training opportunities, found at
https://mrc.dentoncounty.gov/.
CONCLUSION:
Emergency Management will develop a Volunteer Management Plan Annex to the City of Denton
Emergency Management Plan. This annex will focus on using both affiliated and spontaneous
volunteers during a disaster. Volunteer management will become a function of the Emergency
Operations Center (EOC) Logistics Section. This effort is scheduled to be completed by November
2022.
An online volunteer registration portal will also be developed. This will be activated when needed
to manage spontaneous volunteers and determine what skillsets they can provide. The registration
portal is scheduled to be completed by October 2022.
The City will actively promote the Denton County VOAD, CERT, and MRC programs to Denton
residents and organizations via the City of Denton Emergency Management webpage and outreach
to faith-based and community groups. Recruiting volunteers to become part of a trained group will
benefit the City and County during a disaster.
STAFF CONTACT:
Bob Martinez
Emergency Management Program Coordinator
Robert.martinez@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-8836
REQUESTOR:
Council Member Davis
August 12, 2022 Report No. 2022-046
STAFF TIME TO COMPLETE REPORT:
3 hours
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS:
Fire Department