There are different ways to Volunteer, each with an array of benefits, joys, and forms of service. These can be loosely grouped together as Incident Responder, Operational Responder, or Operational Management.
Incident Responders operate under the command of an Incident Commander, within an Incident Area. They are typically thought of as "First Responders." Their work predominately addresses emergency issues of Life Safety, Hazard Suppression, and Property / Environmental Protection.
Operational Responders operate outside an Incident Area. Their work predominately addresses issues of Mass Care (i.e., Humanitarian Assistance and Animal Rescue), Human Services, and wrap-around support to response partners. These are typically conducted when individuals and families are displaced by an emergency/disaster, or when community lifelines are disrupted. Community lifelines include:
Klamath and Lake County has a coalition of Non-Government Organizations which provide Humanitarian Assistance to disaster survivors. The coalition is called Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD).
Operational Management provides reach-back support to Incident and Operational Responders. This may be through quick response operational support (e.g., CERT), Communications support (e.g., ARES), or with Emergency Management.