EMA Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

The Floyd County Emergency Management Agency uses the Unified Command model of incident management. We facilitate conversation, incident management and emergency response using various emergency support functions (ESF), which in part includes fire, police, public works, community outreach and volunteers. The Floyd County EMA also uses volunteer groups to augment operations using a civilian corps that reports to ESF leads under protection of the Georgia Emergency Management Act. These civilians can include nonprofit, faith-based or civic groups, as well as volunteers directly linked to EMA. These volunteer groups are invaluable in mass disaster and the principal characters in long term recovery.

Locally we have several volunteer options available, including:

• Amateur Radio (ARES): Amateur radio, also known as HAM, is a specialized group of volunteers who operate their own equipment and are licensed radio operators. These volunteers act as forward observers during critical events and storms to provide situational awareness to Emergency Management and ESF representatives working in our operation center. These volunteers may also attend training from the National Weather Service for their SKYWARN system. During serious weather events Emergency Management will use information collected from these volunteers to assist.
• Drone Team: Volunteer operators may be licensed civilian or public safety operators. The drone team may be called upon to assist public safety with emergency operations or may be used during critical incidents to gather intelligence or survey an incident. The drone volunteers will be used following natural disaster, storm events or critical incidents to assist in damage assessments that will be used by local, state and federal authorities.
• Emergency Shelters: The need for emergency shelters may arise during incidents of mass evacuation or as a result of severe weather events, to include wildfire, tornado, severe cold or severe heat. In these cases we work closely with American Red Cross to establish lodging, but most often we have been called upon for Comfort Shelters to assist our community during extreme cold and extreme heat. Volunteers would be called upon to help set up the shelter, move cots and blankets and to assist with intake. Volunteers may also be called upon to monitor animals for pet friendly shelters.
• Incident Response: Volunteers may be subject to call in during weather events or critical incidents to operate county vehicles and use equipment to assist ESF groups such as police, fire department or public works. Most often this group will respond during storms to relieve crews and allow them to move on to other more serious calls for service. Volunteers may also be needed in the operations center to act in support roles for management teams.
• Search and Rescue: The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office maintains a team of volunteers who respond here and across the Southeast in cases of missing or lost persons. Interested volunteers will be trained in search techniques and will be trained and dispatched by the Floyd County Sheriff.
• Special Events: Volunteers will assist with races or other planned events to assist ESF groups as initial responders or to provide situational awareness for incident command.
• Weather Spotters: Volunteers who are interested in weather and have weather stations or gauges can be used by EMA to gather data from their home or business. These volunteers will attend training from the National Weather Service to be trained in their SKYWARN system. During serious weather events Emergency Management will use information collected from these volunteers to assist in situational awareness.

For more information, please contact Tim Herrington at (706) 236-5002 or email Chris Fincher (chris.fincher@floydcountyga.org)