Douglas County Emergency Management is tasked with many responsibilities according to the Local Emergency Operations Plan. In order to appropriately fulfill some of these responsibilities, the services of volunteers are needed.
Emergency Volunteers help people prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. Douglas County Emergency Management (DCEM) offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. Much of this training is free. So whether you love the weather, are an amateur radio operator, or just want to be better prepared and help before, during and after disasters DCEM has three distinct ways to serve your community.
Other opportunities include:
Only you can determine if you have the time to volunteer, but DCEM will work with you to provide rewarding experiences, whatever your schedule. You may choose to help with one–time events, like Helmet Fairs, Preparedness Fairs, or other volunteer opportunities. There also may be opportunities to work on short-term assignments, such as translating materials in other languages or creating flyers and brochures.
In general, no specific skills are required to volunteer. Emergency Management Volunteers come from different personal and professional backgrounds, with various skills and talents. Auxiliary Communications Team members will need an FCC issued amateur radio license. Training will almost always be provided to you for free.
In order to ensure the safety of our volunteers and effectiveness of our programs, Emergency Management has established Volunteer Policies and Procedures. Currently, these are undergoing review and revision, so no new applications are being processed at this time. As soon as the final review is completed, the application process will be reopened. If you would like to be notified when applications are being accepted, please email Joe Hoelscher, DCEM Interim Director. Thank you for your patience.