• Contribute to Red Cross Emergency Services by helping before, during and after emergencies. • Choose how you want to volunteer: Response, Preparedness, Recovery, or multiple roles! • Learn new skills and connect with like-minded people. • Volunteers are required to be flexible and available for deployment when major emergencies occur. • 1 year commitment is desired; hours are flexible around volunteer availability and program need. • Join the World's largest humanitarian network. • Face2Face Psychological First Aid (PFA) Training provided

The program

Red Cross has been responding to emergencies and providing humanitarian assistance in Australia since 1914.  We are committed to strengthening and extending our emergency aid services to assist all Australians to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.  The Red Cross Emergency Services program aims to support individuals and communities to cope with and manage the psycho-social impacts of disasters, and to be more prepared and resilient to future potential emergency risks.

The opportunity

Our dedicated pool of volunteers are trained to assist and support Red Cross’ work in emergencies, providing support to communities across Australia in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters.  

As a Red Cross Emergency Services Volunteer, you will have the opportunity to choose from several different roles: Response, Preparedness, Recovery (or all three!). 

During Response Activities, Emergency Services Volunteers are required to be flexible and available for deployment when major crises occur and respond quickly when called upon to assist. 

Our Recovery volunteers make a key contribution in helping people affected by an emergency return to a life not defined by the disaster, as quickly and efficiently as possible through services such as: contacting people via phone to check on their wellbeing and ascertain their needs (Telephone outreach), Visiting  people  in  their  homes or businesses to check on their wellbeing and link them to relevant services (physical outreach) and providing Psychological First Aid (PFA) and psychosocial support in recovery centres and at community recovery events.

Our Preparedness Volunteers are involved in preparing communities, including specific interest groups, young people, and individuals before emergencies, as well as assisting with disaster recovery by delivering preparedness activities in a recovery context. 

Emergency Services Volunteers are required to be over 18 and be able to attend ongoing training to develop their skills and knowledge.

The impact

As an Emergency Services volunteer, you’ll help people to be better prepared, better connected and more resilient when emergencies happen.  Red Cross will ensure you have training, ongoing support, and access to other opportunities within the World’s largest humanitarian network. 

As a Red Cross Emergency Services Volunteer, you will have an impact on the ground in your communities. Whether it’s leading preparedness workshops for adults or our “Pillowcase Presentations” in schools, providing Personal Support (Psychological First Aid) to people affected by emergencies, or helping communities recover after a disaster. By signing up today, you will be making a real difference in the lives of others.

Red Cross will ensure you have training, ongoing support, and access to other opportunities within the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply. 

We encourage all of our employees/volunteers to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and a number of states have mandated that Australian Red Cross employees/volunteer must be vaccinated to perform work for us. Please make sure that you are able to comply with these government requirements or have the appropriate medical exemption information available.