Staff/Volunteer Processing Center

Staff/Volunteer Processing Center [First Name, Last Name] [Institutional Affiliation] [Date] Staff/Volunteer Processing Center (SPC) The SPC, customarily established within 24 hours after the occurrence of a mass fatality incident, includes various work areas that collaborate to register, process and assign volunteers or paid staffers to suitable operational sites and functions. Typically, the SPC is established as one central location. If the response is massive, Emergency Management may institute multiple locations which demand better communication, coordination, and real-time access to e-Data. Following such high staffing demands, those in charge at the SPC emphasize on selection and management of workers or volunteers involved in disaster response (Teahen, 2011). Thus, this paper discusses specific functions of the SPC and details other suggestions that could be essential to the operation of the center. Primary Functions of SPC Current literature identifies five primary functions significant to the operations of the SPC. The first function is assigning duties, which focuses on volunteers who already are in the system (registered). The individual is issued an official identification document or clothing (if available) and assigned to duties. Personnel at the SPC work area directs them on expected reporting time, details of their supervisor as well as direction to the site (Dudley, 2019). Second is managing unregistered volunteer which emphasizes on identifying the knowledge, skills, abilities, and motivations of the volunteer before assigning them duties and giving them more information. The reason is to ensure the staff matches volunteers to an area where their skill set will be useful and that you recruit individuals with the right motives (APC, n.d.). Third, is an orientation for both volunteers and staff which provides information on issues specific to the operations of the SPC. It ranges from the detailing about the operating procedures to unique items such as confidentiality policy, stress management techniques, dress code among others. Fourth is training of staff designated to work at the various work areas including the incident site, morgue, and family assistance center. This function begins by preparing workers on what they should expect (both psychologically and physically), describing to trainees the layout of the site and how the operations should flow, and outlining the associated risks and safety issues (Sledzik & Bryson, 2016). Trainin...