(non-frontline community volunteers)
Research suggests that spontaneous volunteers are sure to arrive following an emergency - it is invaluable to have a plan for when they do. Table 1 depicts the stages to facilitate planning for spontaneous volunteers (SV) to be discussed during planning.
| Trigger point | Pre-approved tasks | Number of Spontaneous Volunteers per volunteer manager | Location | Duration of tasks | Limitations | Identification and registration |
| When to include Spontaneous Volunteers (SV) | Tasks suitable for SV | Ration could be 1:% or 1:7 | Evacuation centre or elsewhere | Hours, days or longer terms | Any false reliance on resources? |
The Spontaneous Volunteer Lifecycle
A unique contribution of Volunteering WA’s Report is the identification of the spontaneous emergency volunteer lifecycle, which is explored in detail.
"The reality is you will always have untrained volunteers and they need to be given work” ~ (Participant 7)
"Keep in mind that if authorities do not organise quickly, the community will try to fill that void.” ~ (Participant 7)
This information sheet is an excerpt from Volunteering WA’s ‘Spontaneous volunteer engagement in recent emergencies in WA’ Report 2024
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