Frequently Asked Questions

One role of local public health is to respond to emergencies that can pose a threat to the health of the community. Public health emergencies may include large outbreaks of a contagious disease like influenza, bio-terrorism incidents like a chemical attack, and natural disasters like tornadoes. In the event of a large emergency, local public health may not have enough staff to respond alone. Services that volunteers can provide are crucial to the successful response to an emergency.

Experience has shown that during an emergency or crisis, hundreds of people want to volunteer their assistance. Advanced registration allows public health to utilize volunteers more quickly and effectively. It also allows volunteers to obtain training ahead of an emergency.

Depending on the emergency, volunteers will be needed to perform a variety of different jobs. Some require little training, and others require an active healthcare professional license.