Volunteering in an emergency

Do not go to the scene

The government's Be Ready site is direct about this. It asks people not to turn up at the scene of an emergency and try to help, because emergencies are unpredictable and doing so could be dangerous both for the volunteer and for the emergency services already there. If the emergency is in another part of the country, it asks people not to travel to help, because local services will be under significant pressure.

Its advice for community groups starts in the same place. First make sure that you, your family and your neighbours are safe and well. Then consider helping. Individuals and groups should never do anything which puts themselves or others at risk.

Where the call for help comes from

If an emergency is in your area and you want to help, look out for calls for support from local community groups and the local council. In some emergencies the call comes from national government or national voluntary organisations. For specific advice, check local radio, local TV and trusted sources such as the websites or social media of the police, fire and rescue, the coastguard or the council. A community group that is itself caught up in an emergency is told to contact the local council, which may be able to give advice and assistance.

Helping before an emergency

The useful volunteering happens in advance. Be Ready says that whatever your abilities, however much time you have, and even if you have never volunteered, there may be ways to help. Get to know your neighbours and what support they might need. Talk to family, friends and neighbours about preparing, and check on them when something happens. Join or support a local group before an emergency. If you cannot commit to regular volunteering, tell a local group what you could offer: first aid training, a 4x4, digital or project management skills, or help with low-risk tasks during an emergency.

The voluntary sector

The Cabinet Office's Emergency Response and Recovery guidance lists the voluntary sector and the community among the agencies involved in responding to and recovering from emergencies, alongside the emergency services, health bodies, councils and the Armed Forces, and points to the Voluntary Sector Civil Protection Forum.

The Be Ready volunteering directory names the national organisations that train volunteers for emergencies: Communities Prepared, the British Red Cross, REACT, St John Ambulance, Air Ambulances UK, 4X4 Response UK and RAYNET-UK, whose amateur radio operators provide communications when other systems fail. Its search and rescue list runs from the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Service and the RNLI to mountain, lowland and cave rescue teams. Its public services list covers community first responders, special constables and on-call firefighters.

The Northern Ireland emergency planning guide on GOV.UK says volunteers should be given the chance to train and exercise alongside the full-time staff they would support.

Finding a local group

Be Ready points to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations' map of local volunteering centres in England, to the DoIT database, and to Neighbourhood Watch, residents' groups, sports clubs and faith groups. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own volunteering sites, which the page lists.

Training

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum links to three sources of training for community groups: CitizenAID, a charity that helps communities prepare to save lives; free first aid training from the British Red Cross, online and in person; and a collection of exercises gathered by the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership that groups can adapt. The British Red Cross also runs free workshops on first aid and preparing for floods.