Beveridge, T. (2025). Building Preparedness for Disaster Response: Empowering Volunteers. IAEM Bulletin, 42(3), 8–9.
This is the second article that I wrote for the IAEM Bulletin.
Building Preparedness for Disaster Response: Empowering Volunteers
By Tom Beveridge, CD,
Graduate Student in Disaster and Emergency Management,
Royal Roads University,
By integrating efforts to promote personal preparedness, improve local-to-provincial collaboration, and reduce barriers to volunteer engagement, Canada can reduce reliance on federal assistance and the CAF while creating a resilient and sustainable disaster management system. This approach will empower communities, strengthen provincial capacities, and ensure a long-term, scalable framework for effective disaster response.
Engaging a Local Response System
Inclusivity in volunteerism is essential for a disaster response system that reflects the diversity of Canadian communities. Lishok and Donaldson (2024) discuss how tailored approaches to engaging underrepresented groups—such as Indigenous communities, persons with disabilities, and newcomers—can empower people to take an active role in emergency preparedness. They argue that barriers, including cultural disconnects and limited access to resources, prevent many from participating in disaster response efforts. Agrawal (Craig, 2025) builds on this by emphasizing the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices into disaster planning frameworks to improve cultural relevance and trust.
Beveridge (2025) supports these perspectives by revealing that while many Canadians are willing to volunteer, barriers such as restrictive human resource policies and a lack of accessible opportunities disproportionately affect underrepresented groups. Resolving these challenges are not merely a moral imperative but a practical necessity to enhance surge capacity and community resilience.
Practical solutions include NGO policies adjusting to reduce exclusionary practices and implementing outreach programs for diverse groups. Beveridge’s (2025) recommendation to design inclusive branding and awareness campaigns support this approach, addressing the disconnect many respondents reported in finding accessible volunteering opportunities.
Mentorship and Training
Mentorship and training programs equip volunteers with the skills and confidence necessary for disaster response. Donaldson (2024) emphasizes that mentorship builds social capital, a key factor in creating resilient communities. He notes that pairing experienced volunteers with recruits fosters knowledge transfer, encourages collaboration, and creates a support network that enhances retention. Agrawal echoes this sentiment, in order to prepare the next generation of emergency management leaders (Craig, 2025). Both perspectives stress that disaster preparedness should rely not solely on technical skills but also on interpersonal and community-building capabilities.
Beveridge’s (2025) findings reveal that training accessibility is another barrier to volunteer engagement, with 39% of respondents identifying rigid schedules and high costs of volunteering as obstacles. This issue disproportionately affects individuals with limited time, such as rural residents. Suggestions received in Beveridge’s (2025) study include the use of modular and flexible training programs, including remote learning options that allow volunteers to learn at their own pace.
Mentorship programs can complement formal training by providing practical, hands-on guidance. This dual approach ensures that volunteers are not only well-prepared but also feel supported and valued, increasing retention and strengthening the HWF program’s capacity.
Emergency managers and disaster response practitioners play a pivotal role in addressing these barriers to volunteer engagement. They can advocate for more inclusive recruitment strategies that focus on outreach to underrepresented groups, collaborate with NGOs to simplify human resource policies and improve transparency, and push for the development of accessible training programs tailored to diverse volunteer needs, including episodic volunteers. By taking these steps, practitioners can increase volunteer engagement, foster community resilience, and ensure that Canada’s disaster response framework is adaptable to future challenges.
Conclusion
Inclusivity and mentorship are pivotal to addressing the barriers that hinder volunteer engagement in Canada’s disaster response system. Lishok and Donaldson (2024) emphasize the importance of empowering diverse groups and fostering mentorship to build resilient, community-centred networks. Agrawal (Craig, 2025) advocates integrating Indigenous and local knowledge to create more culturally relevant approaches, while Beveridge (2025) provides evidence-based recommendations for improving training accessibility and outreach to meet diverse volunteer needs. The Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) program stands as a critical tool to address these challenges, expand its volunteer base, and reduce reliance on federal assistance, particularly on the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). By adopting an inclusive and supportive framework, the HWF can strengthen local capacities, foster equity, and position Canada’s disaster response system as a sustainable and adaptable model for the future.
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Tom Beveridge 
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