Volunteer Onboarding & Training

We love our volunteers! Our ever-growing crew of 700+ trained and background-checked high quality volunteers is key to the success of our community preparedness projects. Are you interested in joining us? Please review this volunteer orientation video as well as the various opportunities for additional training below.

We increase the resilience of our beautiful Pacific Northwest community via several training pathways for our volunteers. We’d love to have you involved so that you can confidently respond to an event, home or away, with community resilience in mind.

Click to view our new volunteer orientation using the passcode .QVg1h47 (please note the beginning period). 

Bainbridge Prepares new volunteer orientation
Bainbridge Prepares new volunteer orientation (use passcode .QVg1h47 – please note the beginning period)

All volunteers begin the process by registering with the City of Bainbridge Island. This registration includes a background check and ensures that all volunteers are registered as emergency workers with the State of Washington. Along with this application, Bainbridge Prepares teams each have differing requirements and training for their volunteers, ensuring the roles of these teams can be fulfilled effectively and efficiently, with the safety of our members and our community of upmost importance.

 

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

CERT Basic training is the recommended entry level training for all of our volunteers. Classes run twice a year in the Spring and Fall.

  • Training required: CERT Basic Training, FEMA IS-100.c, Disaster Hubs
  • Recommended: FEMA IS-700, CPR/First Aid, Psychological First Aid, Verbal De-escalation

 

Bainbridge Island Emergency Auxiliary Radio Service (BEARS)

The BEARS work to develop a unified, cohesive, robust, and efficient system/s for communication before, during, and after a large scale incident.

 

Bainbridge Island Emergency Medical Responders (BIEMRs)

The BIEMR team provide emergency medical care to people on Bainbridge during a large-scale crisis via the disaster Hubs. The team was formed in 2017, and all volunteers are certified Wilderness First Responders. Training is offered in the Spring and Fall.

  • Recommended: Psychological First Aid, Verbal Deescalation

 

Bainbridge Island Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

The Bainbridge Island Medical Reserve Corps is a reserve volunteer unit that strengthens our public health, reducing vulnerability, building resilience, and improving community preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities.

  • Recommended: FEMA IS-700, Psychological First Aid, Verbal Deescalation, Disaster Hubs

 

Disaster Hubs

Volunteers will staff the Island’s Disaster Hubs. These locations are community centered focus points, providing limited, gap-filling emergency services in locations across Bainbridge Island.

  • Training Required: Shelter Fundamentals, FEMA IS-100.c, Psychological First Aid, Verbal Deescalation

 

Emergency Flotilla

The Flotilla is a Bainbridge Island asset managed by the Harbormaster, and comprised of a volunteer corps of citizens, who utilize their private vessels to assist the City when activated.

  • Recommended: CERT Basic Training, CPR/First Aid, FEMA IS-700

 

Map Your Neighborhood Trainer

Engage with residents to conduct Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) parties in private homes to teach neighbors how to prepare for a disaster.

 

 

Psychological First Aid

PFA volunteers will offer their skills during potential emergencies at Bainbridge Island Disaster Hubs. No mental health or medical background is required to be a member of this team. 

 

Shelter and Warming Center Staff

This team provides staff to aid the City of Bainbridge Island stand up their severe weather and warming shelters.