Do you want to make a difference in times of emergency? By becoming an Emergency Response Volunteer, you can help the UN support staff members who have been affected by natural disasters, malicious acts or other critical incidents.
To date, over 200 staff members worldwide have been trained and registered in the Emergency Preparedness and Support Team (EPST) Global Roster. The need remains great and EPST is always looking for more committed volunteers.
What are the responsibilities of an Emergency Response Volunteer?
There are two types of volunteers:
Family Focal Point (FFP)
FFPs are called on when an incident results in casualties or the death of a staff member. FFP volunteers provide important one-on-one support to staff who are injured while in service and their families. In case of death, FFP volunteers are often the key link between the surviving family and the UN, offering guidance through the maze of administrative procedures with the support of HR Officers. They also ensure emotional support through psychological first aid and/or provide referrals. Assistance to victims, survivors and their families may be given at the location of the crisis and/or from an alternate location via telephone.
Call Centre Volunteer (CCV)
A Call Centre Hotline may be activated in response to the high volume of calls related to an emergency. The Call Centre is staffed by volunteers who serve as the official voice of the UN, and promptly respond to callers, providing them with information on the incident, or referring them to other official sources for further assistance. Therefore, responders must be able to communicate clearly, accurately and possess empathy, as well as strictly adhere to established information protocols and channels of communication.
What is the benefit of becoming an Emergency Response Volunteer?
In training to be an effective Family Focal Point and/or Call Center Volunteer, you will learn and develop life skills that will equip you to respond to and support colleagues, family members and friends during difficult times. You may also join the EPST Global Volunteer Roster, a highly motivated and valued team of trained emergency support volunteers.
What are the qualifications of an Emergency Response Volunteer?
In addition to the desire to be helpful, a volunteer must possess strong inter-personal skills and the willingness to dedicate time. The work requires the ability to exercise sound judgment in difficult circumstances and possess strong knowledge of the Organization as well as a willingness to learn about the crisis at hand.
How do I apply to be a volunteer?
If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up for the next volunteer training in New York from 29 September to 1 October 2014. A series of training sessions will be held between October – December 2014 at Offices Away from Headquarters and field operations.
For a brief description of the course, please click here.
To register for the upcoming FFP and CCV training, please complete the attached form and email to epst@un.org by COB on Friday, 12 September 2014.
For more information, please contact epst@un.org.