RELEVANT
FOCUSED
READY

Integrating volunteers into health authority disaster planning:
A review of the literature
Alishia Ivany

Introduction
The research question is, how can health authorities proactively
prepare for and advance a strong relationship with spontaneous
volunteers that present in times of crisis? Without planning and
broader acceptance of non-traditional responders to a disaster, health
authority Emergency Managers will continue to rely only on
traditional disaster planning methodologies and internal personnel to
respond to disasters that affect hospital functionality. This is short
sighted because the number of staff that respond to the call for help
may be less than anticipated creating safety issues (Adams & Berry,
2012).

Background
Traditionally health authorities, when building disaster plans, rely only
on the staffing resources that are typically present at a point in time
or attempt to quickly recall other employees that are off duty. Health
authorities assume that adequate numbers of staff in the needed
staffing model will present. Exactly what can be expected during a
disaster and who will show to render aid can never be conclusively
decided because of the unpredictable nature of a disaster. Employees
have their own challenges in responding to a sudden call for
assistance; be it child care responsibilities, elder care, or concerns for
personal and family safety. This could mean that fewer employees
than anticipated will report to work which affects the length and
comprehensiveness of the response, potentially creating hazards to
staff and patients (Adams & Berry, 2012).
Therefore, how can health authorities proactively prepare for and
advance a strong relationship with spontaneous volunteers that
present in times of crisis?

Methods
For this project, secondary data was utilized to construct a critical
appraisal of research evidence. An initial resource search was
conducted via the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) library
system, followed by Google Scholar, PubMed, ASPR Tracie and specific
websites related to the topic.

Results/Findings
The data suggests that spontaneous volunteers have utility in disaster

Discussion
The evidence presented that explores the value of, and challenges
with spontaneous volunteers could reasonably be extrapolated to a
healthcare setting but it would be incumbent upon each health
authority to evaluate their program through exercise and gap analysis
to ascertain where spontaneous volunteers could best supplement
their disaster plans.
Health authorities could utilize the recommendations as a basis for
evaluating their own readiness for spontaneous volunteers. This
preparedness step could increase the number of personnel that are
available to the health authority in their response. This will provide
longevity to the response as well as increase the capabilities of their
own staff (Cole, 2013)

Conclusions or Recommendations
Health authorities must engage with the public to build outcomes in
concert with the public and be prepared to realise opportunities and
capitalize on these to engage new partners in novel ways. These
adaptations and engagements will strengthen the relationship that
health authorities have in their communities as well as enhance their
reputation. This can be done by utilizing the following
recommendations:
1. Revise plans to include spontaneous volunteers. The initial step is
to accept that non-employees and those outside first response
agencies have something positive to contribute to the effort.
2. Know the truth. Don’t exclude spontaneous volunteers out of fear
of unknown or over blown liability issues.
3. Plan with traditional partners and non-governmental agencies.
Undertake a capability based planning session with stakeholders
to understand what they see their role in the disaster to be and
how spontaneous volunteers can support those functions.

References
Cole, M. (2013). Managing the volunteer convergence phenomenon. Canadian
Journal of Volunteer Resources Management, 21.3, 4-6. Retrieved from
https://volunteer.ca/Listings.php?ListType=CJVRM&MenuItemID=386
Adams, L.M., & Berry, D. (2012). Who will show up? Estimating the ability and
willingness of essential hospital personnel to report to work in response to a
disaster. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.3912/
OJIN.Vol17No02PPT0

response however there is scant evidence that specifically considers
or evaluates spontaneous volunteers that present in healthcare.

Bachelor of Emergency and Security Management Studies

Justice Institute of British Columbia