What is the main purpose of volunteers in emergency management?

The main purpose of volunteers in emergency management is to support professional staff while allowing those professionals to focus on critical tasks. Volunteers play a vital role in assisting with various activities during emergencies such as logistics, community outreach, and distributing resources. By taking on supportive roles, volunteers enable trained professionals to concentrate on their primary responsibilities, which often include making crucial decisions and managing the overall emergency response efforts.

This collaborative model ensures that the response is efficient and effective, maximizing the available resources and manpower during a critical situation. Volunteers help enhance the overall capacity of the emergency management system without seeking to take over the responsibilities of trained staff, maintaining a structured and coordinated approach to disaster response.