Volunteer Services

The Seattle Office of Emergency Management offers a rewarding opportunity for members of the community to become involved in the City's emergency preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

Volunteers provide vital support to the Office of Emergency Management in the areas of:

  • Public Education & Community Outreach - currently recruiting
  • Auxilliary Communication Services - currently recuriting, please visit the ACS webpage.
  • Administrative/clerical support - position closed
  • Emergency Operation Center response for activations - position closed
  • And more...

Volunteer qualifications vary based on the job position. All volunteer candidates must successfully complete a Seattle Police Department Background check. For more information on opportunities, contact the volunteer coordinator at carrie.brazil@seattle.gov or 206-684-7722.  

Public Education and Community Outreach

The Public Education and Community Outreach team is made up of volunteers who are interested in promoting the fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness.  Team members can work individually or in pairs to educate the general public.  Topics can include why being prepared is important, how to put together a disaster kit, store water, or ensure your home is "disaster ready".  Volunteers also can work with neighborhoods who are interested in organizing as under our Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepared (SNAP) program.

Specific responsibilities, skills, and abilities can be found here.

Emergency Operation Center Volunteer Responder

The volunteer position supports the activities of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during activation's.  Assignments may include, but are not limited to, Operations, Planning, Logistics and Administrative Units.  Individuals must be willing to work in a face paced environment and must complete a series of EOC training classes prior to responding to the EOC. Specific responsibilities, skills and abilities can be found here.

Ad hoc Positions

Occasionally the Office of Emergency Management has limited opportunities to volunteer for research projects or special events. 

The Seattle Office of Emergency Management is housed within the Seattle Police Department. Because of this, each of our volunteers must successfully complete an Police background check. Applicants must be fingerprinted and are asked to sign a waiver giving the background unit approval to run a criminal history check.

Each position has a list of skills and abilities that are required to be successful. Volunteers represent the Office of Emergency Management and the City of Seattle and when acting in that capacity are bound by a code of conduct. The Office of Emergency Management reserves the right to dismiss individuals who have violated that code or for other reasons are not able to fulfill their responsibilities as a volunteer.