Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
Version 1: February 2013
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 3
I. Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 3
II. Purpose .................................................................................................................................... 3
III. Scope ...................................................................................................................................... 3
IV. Notes/Changes Log ................................................................................................................ 4
V. Definitions and Acronyms ....................................................................................................... 4
BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 5
VI. Planning Assumptions ............................................................................................................ 5
General Assumptions .............................................................................................................. 5
Volunteer Management Assumptions .................................................................................... 5
VII. Triggers and Surge Strategies ................................................................................................ 6
Indicators and Triggers ............................................................................................................ 6
Clinic Incident Command Team............................................................................................... 6
VIII. Surge Strategies.................................................................................................................... 7
Surge Strategies to Increase Patient Care ............................................................................... 7
Clinic Surge Staff Strategies Based on Facility Impact ............................................................ 8
CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS .............................................................................................................. 8
IX. General Volunteer Management ........................................................................................... 8
Initial Issues to Consider.......................................................................................................... 8
Supervision of Volunteers ....................................................................................................... 8
Tracking of Volunteers ............................................................................................................ 9
Orientation and Training of Volunteers .................................................................................. 9
Demobilization of Volunteers.................................................................................................. 9
X. Credentialed (DHV) Volunteers ............................................................................................. 10
Requesting of Credentialed Volunteers ................................................................................ 10
Qualifications and Credentialing ........................................................................................... 11
Legal Responsibilities and Liabilities ..................................................................................... 11
Orientation and Training ....................................................................................................... 11
Utilization Strategies ............................................................................................................. 11
Demobilization ...................................................................................................................... 11
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
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XI. Affiliated Volunteers............................................................................................................. 11
Requesting of Affiliated Volunteers ...................................................................................... 11
Qualifications and Credentialing ........................................................................................... 11
Legal Responsibilities and Liabilities ..................................................................................... 11
Utilization Strategies ............................................................................................................. 11
Demobilization ...................................................................................................................... 12
XII. Spontaneous Volunteer Management ................................................................................ 12
Qualifications and Credentialing ........................................................................................... 12
Legal Responsibilities and Liabilities ..................................................................................... 12
Utilization Strategies ............................................................................................................. 12
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
Version 1: February 2013
INTRODUCTION
I.
Executive Summary
This Disaster Volunteer Utilization Toolkit establishes recommended guidelines, procedures, and policies
for the effective utilization of volunteers across the whole disaster lifecycle at community clinics. Due to
the unique nature of various types of volunteers, the requesting, receiving, utilization, and
demobilization process is categorized into specific sections for credentialed, affiliated, and spontaneous
volunteers.
The toolkit does not address day to day use of volunteers in the clinic setting. Instead, the operational
concepts reflected in the plan focus on potential large-scale disasters that can generate unique
situations requiring novel responses when day-to-day resources are overwhelmed. Volunteer utilization
strategies are designed to facilitate response to natural disasters, human caused events, and
technological incidents. However, these concepts may be employed and practiced with preplanned
special events conducted by the clinic on a seasonal or annual basis. Normal clinic use of volunteers
should be considered and incorporated into the Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan as deemed
appropriate for your facility to establish a comprehensive plan for credentialed, affiliated, and
spontaneous volunteer management.
II.
Purpose
The purpose of the Los Angeles County Community Clinic Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan is to
provide a framework that strengthens the ability of Los Angeles County community clinics to rapidly and
effectively respond to emergencies through the coordination and utilization of credentialed, affiliated,
and spontaneous volunteers.
Recent natural and man-made catastrophic events have demonstrated the need for volunteer
healthcare professionals and lay volunteers to supplement and enhance response and recovery
capabilities during and after such events.
This plan aims to provide community clinics with resources regarding the use of volunteers, including
information outlining the process of requesting, receiving, training, credentialing, utilizing, and
demobilizing volunteers.
III.
Scope
This plan is applicable within the Los Angeles County Operational Area, and is intended to be applicable
to all hazards and scalable to the size and scope of an event. The plan covers the mobilization,
coordination, and demobilization of spontaneous, affiliated, and credentialed volunteers through local
Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) in community clinics.
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
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IV.
Notes/Changes Log
Change Number
V.
Date Entered
Posted By
Definitions and Acronyms
Volunteer
Credentialed Volunteer
Affiliated Volunteer
Spontaneous Volunteer
DSW (Disaster Service Worker)
DHV (Disaster Healthcare
Volunteer)
MHOAC (Medical and Health
Operational Area Coordinator)
SEMS (Standard Emergency
Management System)
NIMS (National Incident
Management System)
Someone who willingly provides his/her services without receiving
financial compensation.
An individual with some sort of medical or clinical qualification that is
registered within the Disaster Healthcare Volunteer system
An individual that is attached to a recognized voluntary or nonprofit
organization and is trained for specific disaster response activities.
Their relationship with the organization precedes the immediate
disaster
An individual who comes forward following a disaster to assist in
response efforts, without pay or other consideration. Spontaneous
volunteers are not initially affiliated with a response or relief agency
or pre-registered with an accredited disaster council.
Any person registered with a disaster council or the Governor’s Office
of Emergency Services for the purpose of engaging in disaster service
pursuant to the California Emergency Services Act without pay or
other consideration.
Any individual with medical, health, mental health, and other
specialties that has been pre-registered in the DHV system. They have
had their qualifications verified and are registered as DSWs. During
emergencies, they are requested by and deployed to clinics and
hospitals that need additional medical staff.
Each Operational Area has a MHOAC who serves as a 24-hour, seven
days a week, single point of contact for disaster medical and health
operations.
The fundamental structure for the response phase of emergency
management
A structured framework used nationwide to coordinate emergency
preparedness and incident management among various federal, state,
and local agencies.
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
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CERT:
EOC:
FEMA:
ICS:
NVOAD:
VOAD:
VRC:
Community Emergency Response Teams
Emergency Operations Center
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Incident Command System
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
Volunteer Reception Center
BACKGROUND
VI.
Planning Assumptions
This Plan is based on the following assumptions:
General Assumptions
 Emergencies may result in:
o Casualties and fatalities
o Damage to public health and medical infrastructure, including hospitals, community
clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and other licensed Health Care Facilities and providers
o Exposure to hazardous materials or communicable/infectious disease agents
 SEMS will be used to manage emergencies in California.
 Emergencies involving the Public Health and Medical System will rely heavily on multi-agency
coordination.
 During a large-scale incident within the region, the response capabilities of individual
jurisdictions likely will be exceeded and resources from both within and outside of the region
will be required.
 Analysis of regional and statewide threat scenarios indicates that significant numbers of
individuals with medical or health needs will require assistance following a large-scale event.
 Hospital and clinic response will be greatly affected by patient surge.
 First responders, hospital and clinic employees, and other critical response personnel will be
personally affected by the disaster and might be unable to report to their posts for days because
of damaged transportation infrastructure or personal injury.
Volunteer Management Assumptions
 Volunteer coordination operations follow the principles of SEMS and NIMS.
 Volunteer coordination will require jurisdiction‐wide coordination among multiple government
and non‐governmental organizations. State or federal resources will be integrated into the
response process following SEMS.
Credentialed Volunteers
 Volunteers affiliated with and deployed by the Los Angeles County will be registered as Disaster
Service Workers (DSWs) before or at the time of the event.
 Consistent with the principles of SEMS/NIMS and the Incident Command System (ICS), once a
volunteer has been identified and deployed into a response incident, that volunteer comes
under the operational command of the managing agency until such time as the resource is
released from the incident response.
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Affiliated Volunteers
 State, tribal and local government agencies, the American Red Cross and other response
agencies and external programs actively recruit and train volunteers pre-disaster to carry out a
disaster role or function.
 Government affiliated volunteers will be integrated into the response structure consistent with
SEMS/NIMS and traditional response protocols.
 Clinics will coordinate with NGO affiliated volunteer programs using SEMS/NIMS.
Spontaneous Volunteers
 Most people who spontaneously decide to volunteer in response to a disaster will not know
where to go or how to become engaged.
 Following a disaster, spontaneous volunteers are likely to overwhelm the local jurisdiction and
government sites, such as city halls and fire departments, possibly resulting in spontaneous
community based organization assistance.
VII. Triggers and Surge Strategies
Indicators and Triggers
When any of the triggers listed below are reached at our clinic, we will activate the Incident
Management Team and utilize the surge strategies outlined in the following section, based on the
severity of the emergency.
□ 20% above average daily census
□ Staff loss/unavailability of 15-30%
□ Inability to transfer patients to hospitals
□ EMS/MAC notification of a system wide surge
□ Mayoral declaration of an emergency, or a federally declared disaster
Clinic Incident Command Team
The clinic’s Incident Command System (ICS) should be activated when any one of the above triggers is
met.
 See Appendix 5d for a blank ICS chart to fill in for your clinic
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
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VIII. Surge Strategies
Surge Strategies to Increase Patient Care
The diagram below illustrates possible surge strategies that can be implemented in clinic surge
situations. When there is an increase in the number of patients at the clinic, use the suggestions below
to increase the clinic’s patient care capabilities. Begin with the box on the left, and move to the middle
and right boxes as more patients come to the clinic.






Cancel elective
appointments
Process to extend normal
outpatient clinic hours
Rapid patient discharge
Reassign staff
Recall staff
Utilize staff from other clinic
sites
 Standing orders for licensed
nursing staff
 Standing orders for medical
assistants
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
Increase staff via requesting
and assigning credentialed
volunteers (DHV, DMAT,
Disaster Service Workers),
affiliated volunteers, and
spontaneous volunteers

Establish unlicensed
treatment areas (ex.
Outpatient surgery rooms,
parking lots, waiting rooms)

Establish temporary
treatment areas (ex. Tents)
Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
Version 1: February 2013
Clinic Surge Staff Strategies Based on Facility Impact
Below, you will see a sample row of the Service Surge Strategy Matrix. This sample service is “triage,” so,
during an emergency, they need to devote more resources to this service. They do this by increasing
staff (“I.S.”), extending hours (“E.H.”), and requesting volunteers (“R.V.”).
A blank Clinic Surge Staff Planning Matrix can be found in Appendix 7, and should be filled out prior to
an emergency event at the clinic. We recommend that clinics fill out two versions of this matrix; one for
sudden onset events, such as earthquakes, and one for slow onset events, like pandemics. Once you
have completed your matrices, insert them here for future reference. See page 12 of the Guidance
Document for more instructions on how to fill out your matrix.
Normal
Operations
SAMPLE
(TRIAGE)
Service
Strategy
Staff /
#s
Under Control
Service
Strategy
RN / 1
N.O.
I.S.
Staff / #s
MD / 1
RN / 2
MA / 2
Modified
Services
Service
Strategy
I.S.,
E.H.
Staff / #s
MD / 2
RN / 3
MA / 2
Limited
Services
Service
Strategy
R.V.,
E.H.
Staff / #s
MD / 2
RN / 3
MA / 3
Essential Services
Service
Strategy
R.V., I.S.
Staff / #s
MD / 2
RN / 4
MA / 4
CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
The concept of operations describes a strategy behind organizing the multiple volunteer management
functions into a system.
IX.
General Volunteer Management
Initial Issues to Consider
Consider whether or not the clinic can provide the following to its volunteers, or whether they need to
provide it for themselves:
□ Food and water
□ Lodging
□ Transportation to the clinic site
□ Other supplies, such as personal protective equipment
Supervision of Volunteers
Volunteer Coordinators should check on volunteers regularly throughout their service at the clinic. They
should make sure that volunteers are:
□ Meeting performance standards
□ Using supplies and equipment correctly
□ Have been taking regular breaks and have access to food and water
□ ____________________________
□ ____________________________
□ ____________________________
 See the Volunteer Coordinator Job Action Sheet in Appendix 5b for more information.
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
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Tracking of Volunteers
All volunteers should sign in upon arrival, and a volunteer coordinator should keep track of all volunteer
actions using a HICS 253 form (see Appendix 4a). A different HICS 253 form should be used for each
different kind of volunteer (one for credentialed, one for affiliated, one for spontaneous).
The following information for each volunteer should be tracked:
□ Mission/deployment (including incident name, location, etc)
□ Date(s) of service
□ Number of hours of volunteer service
□ Role assigned during deployment
□ Individual Performance Rating (ICS form 226)
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________
□ _________________________________
 Use the Disaster Volunteer Registration Form (Appendix 3f) and HICS 253 and 252 forms
(Appendix 4a and 4b) to properly and efficiently register and track your volunteers.
 Use ICS 226 form (Appendix 4c: Individual Performance Rating) to evaluate your volunteers.
Orientation and Training of Volunteers
Volunteers should be oriented to the organization and the disaster situation. Orientation should cover:
□ The agency’s disaster mission, key policies and procedures
□ Safety instructions, what to do in case of accident or injury, and relevant environmental factors
□ A tour of necessary facility sites
□ A written description of their role
□ __________________________________________________
□ __________________________________________________
 Read Appendix 3g: Disaster Volunteer Orientation Checklist for more instructions on how to
orient volunteers.
 See the “Orientation and Training” section under “Credentialed Volunteers” for more
information on training DHVs.
Demobilization of Volunteers
Volunteer deployment protocols will be communicated by the onsite Volunteer Coordinator or
designated representative. The Volunteer Coordinator will:
□ Ensure the volunteer’s assigned supervisor affirms their dismissal from assigned duties
□ Ensure volunteer has briefed any replacement staff, if appropriate, on all pertinent information
needed to perform the job and ensure smooth operations
□ Complete exit interview to educate volunteer on the possible physical and mental health
reactions to disasters, and inform them of resources available
 Use the “PsyStart Staff Self Triage System” form (in Appendix 3e) to assess the physical
and mental health of each volunteer
□ Complete tracking information for volunteer
 Confirm that Appendix 3f: Disaster Volunteer Registration Form is completed for each
volunteer
 The number of hours worked should be noted using Appendix 4a: HICS 253 or Appendix
4b: HICS 252
□ Complete Individual Performance Rating form for each volunteer
 See Appendix 4c: ICS 226 for this form
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
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□ The clinic may ask volunteer to participate in a debriefing so as to better understand the
volunteer experience. Clinics can use their own volunteer feedback form for this process.
□ All post-deployment records must be properly collected and stored according to local guidance
□ Depending on arrangements made at the time of deployment, the receiving clinic should
arrange for transportation of volunteer back to point of departure, or request transportation
from sending organization
X.
Credentialed (DHV) Volunteers
Requesting of Credentialed Volunteers
Fill out the “Resource Request Medical and Health” form (Appendix 2b) and the supplementary
“Disaster Healthcare Volunteer Personnel Request Form” (Appendix 2c) to request DHVs. These forms
should be submitted to one of the following contacts (listed in order of preference):
 ReddiNet (for clinics with access)
 Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services Agency:
o Email: laemsadutyofficer@dhs.lacounty.gov
o Fax: Medical Alert Center (562) 906-4300; DOC (562) 944-5248
o Phone: Medical Alert Center (866)-940-4401
 The Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC)
o Email: disaster@ccalac.org
o Fax: (213) 250-2525
o Phone: (213) 201-6500
 Everbridge
 CWIRS Radio: for County Comprehensive Centers
 HAM Radio (Frequency List available by request)
This diagram illustrates the steps involved with requesting, transporting, receiving, training, utilizing, and
mobilizing DHVs. The steps outlined in the “REQUESTING Operational Area” column on the far left includes the
steps that clinics are responsible for.
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
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Qualifications and Credentialing
All DHVs have been credentialed prior to deployment.
Legal Responsibilities and Liabilities
All DHVs have been sworn in as Disaster Service Workers, and therefore come with liability coverage
through the county.
 For more information, see page 18 of the Guidance Document and Appendix 6a: Disaster Service
Worker Registration FAQs.
Orientation and Training
The onboarding process for DHVs should include shadowing and/or mentoring for 1-2 hours, a tour
showing volunteers storage and resource locations, reporting structures, and other important places.
Utilization Strategies
Fill out the matrix provided in Appendix 7, and described on page 12 of the Guidance Document, to
determine how you will utilize your requested DHVs during an emergency.
Demobilization
□ Inform the Department of Health Services Department Operations Center (DHS DOC) of the
demobilization of each DHV, and ensure that the following forms are sent to the DHS DOC:
 PsySTART Staff Self-Triage System form (Found in Appendix 3e)
 ICS 226 Form (Individual Performance Rating) (Found in Appendix 4c)
XI.
Affiliated Volunteers
Requesting of Affiliated Volunteers
To request affiliated volunteers from an outside agency, fill out the “Affiliated Volunteer Request Form”
in Appendix 2d and send the form to the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC):
 Email: disaster@ccalac.org
 Fax: (213) 250-2525
 Phone: (213) 201-6500
Qualifications and Credentialing
The credentialing of affiliated volunteers may vary depending on the affiliate organization in question,
so specific qualifications desired or required for certain tasks should be denoted on the Volunteer
Request Form.
Legal Responsibilities and Liabilities
Affiliate volunteers might not be sworn in as DSWs and therefore may or may not be covered by the
county for liability purposes. Clinics receiving non-DSW volunteers should include the signing of a
Liability Release Form in their onboarding process.
Utilization Strategies
The clinic will employ the following utilization strategies for affiliated volunteers:
 Crowd control
 Non-medical service control
 Clean-up
 Safety and building inspections
 Data entry and clerical support
 Animal care
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Disaster Volunteer Utilization Plan: Planning Template
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




Interpreting
Construction
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Demobilization
□ Notify the home (i.e., sending) organization of the demobilization of the affiliated volunteer.
□ All volunteer forms, including Disaster Volunteer Registration Form, ICS 226 (Individual
Performance Review) and HICS 252 or 253 forms, should be sent to the sending organization.
XII. Spontaneous Volunteer Management
Qualifications and Credentialing
Clinics should assume that spontaneous volunteers have no formal qualifications.
The Volunteer Coordinator should:
□ Ask each volunteer fill out a Volunteer Application (Appendix 3c) upon arrival, which includes
their contact information, availability, occupation and skills, and more.
□ Interview all potential volunteers (see Appendix 3b: Disaster Volunteer Interview Record)
Legal Responsibilities and Liabilities
It should be assumed that spontaneous volunteers come with no liability coverage, and should go
through the clinic’s standard volunteer onboarding process.
Utilization Strategies
Using the information received through the volunteer interview and registration process, the Volunteer
Coordinator will assign the volunteers to the following tasks based on their interests and skills:
 Managing traffic flow
 Acquiring goods and services from the community
 Coordinate and process other spontaneous volunteers
 Sandbagging in the case of a flood
 Debris removal
 Resource management (coordinate pick-up and distribution of supplies, clear out spaces,
restock medical supplies in triage stations)
 Answer phones
 Distribute food and water
 Clean up
 Interface with CERT
 ________________________________
 ________________________________
 ________________________________
 Use Appendix 3f: Disaster Volunteer Registration Form and Appendix 3d: Capacity Inventory of
Individuals to determine which tasks certain volunteers are suited for.
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