Emergency Volunteering Crew – ACT EV Crew 

The ACT is committed to community building and social recovery in times of great need. 

The ACT EV Crew is a pool of people who are willing to help in the ACT and region community when a disaster is declared.

If you would like to volunteer to assist individuals, families, and the community during a disaster, register as an emergency volunteer so we can call on you when the need arises. To register, we require your contact details and a broad idea of the skills you are willing to volunteer. 

Who can join ACT EV Crew 

Volunteers with any skills or abilities are always greatly appreciated in times of crisis.

During an event you will be asked what you can offer to assist at that time – this may be different than what you initially registered for as it will be tailored to the disaster response. We will then place you where your capabilities are best needed. You will have the choice whether to undertake that volunteering role and can withdraw at any time. 

EV Crew volunteers must be aged 18 or over due to the nature of the roles. 

How it works 

In times of emergency, VolunteeringACT manages requests for spontaneous volunteers on behalf of the ACT Government. 

There is no current emergency in the ACT today. VolunteeringACT manages the EV Crew register in readiness should the EV Crew need to be activated quickly to support the Canberra community in a crisis.

We will contact registered ACT EV Crew members a couple of times a year to check you still want to be on the ACT EV Crew register.  

We will be in contact should a disaster be declared with more specific queries about your ability to volunteer during that disaster.  

During emergencies we will share your details with partner organisations who need volunteers. These organisations will manage screening, induction, training if required, rostering and program specifics directly with you. 

VolunteeringACT will only match volunteers to volunteering programs that: 

• Are run by an organisation that is partnering with the ACT Government for the disaster response, is a member of VolunteeringACT, or is a community organisation in urgent need of volunteers; 
• Are supervised by a volunteer coordinator; 
• Provide appropriate safety equipment and procedures; 
• Provide a program induction/briefing; and, 
• Have volunteer insurance. 

If you would like to discuss opportunities with ACT EV Crew, call us on (02) 6251 4060 and ask to speak to our ACT EV Crew Volunteer Coordinator. 

If you are interested in finding an immediate volunteering opportunity you can search for roles on our website, where all non-emergency roles are advertised.

Emergency volunteering activities 

Responding to an emergency is complex and requires a high level of coordination. 

By far the biggest need for volunteers occurs in the recovery period – in the weeks, months and years following a disaster. However, volunteers are also needed during the immediate response phase to help people in our community who are in need. 

Volunteer work will be very dependent upon what type of crisis is occurring.

Some examples of activities that volunteers have undertaken in previous disasters are: 

• Evacuation Centre administration or operation – helping people attending the Centre to find the services they need 

• Food preparation – supporting evacuees or others assisting in disaster management, most likely in an Evacuation Centre or community organisation’s premises 

• Social support – assisting evacuees in an Evacuation Centre with forms, accessing emergency funds, and connecting people with emergency support programs 

• Donation sorting – getting supplies ready for people who need them most 

• Community clean up – debris removal, filling sandbags, etc 

• Transport and delivery – to get food or essential medicines into the community

• Animal welfare – caring for or temporarily rehousing pets that have been evacuated 

• And many more depending on the nature of the emergency.