VOLUNTEER TRAINING GUIDE GEAR UP. GET READY! IT CAN HAPPEN! Dear Gear Up. Get Ready! Volunteer, Thank you for offering your time to help support the Gear Up. Get Ready. It can happen! (GUGR) campaign event in your community! Many people do not think that emergencies can happen to them, but unfortunately they absolutely can happen! At the GUGR event you are helping to provide community members with the information they need to ready and prepared in emergencies or disaster. Below you will find an overview of the campaign and descriptions of volunteer roles and responsibilities. If you have any questions or concerns that are not addressed here, please talk with the campaign staff liaison for volunteers. We appreciate your involvement and support! Campaign Overview Purpose: The GUGR unites communities at large, regional Emergency Managers, Public Information Officers, government agencies, community organizations, faith-based entities and other stakeholders to actively engage raise awareness and driving action in preparing for all-hazard catastrophic incidents. Scope: The campaign takes place in 16 counties and 3 states (Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin). The campaign travels to various “community events” to engage community members in a informational yet fun emergency preparedness experience. Components of Events: o 16-foot branded vehicle as “anchor” for Gear Up. Get Ready! experience. o “Are You Ready” Readiness Assessment test. o Information and one-on-one engagement building preparedness plans. o Photo booth station and Spin the Wheel/Plinko preparedness games. o Giveaways as incentives to entice participation. o Great campaign ambassador volunteers like you to engage community members in preparedness education and action! IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area Regional Catastrophic Planning Campaign Ambassador Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities *Please plan to arrive 45 minutes before start time. Role Location (and # of volunteers) Responsibility Readiness Assessment Ambassadors Around event layout (2 -3) Information Table Ambassadors Get Ready Info Hub (2) Photo Booth /Game Ambassadors Geared Up Photo Booth (2-3) Crowd Engagement Ambassador Around event venue (2) Photographer/ Videographer Assistant (Optional) Around event layout (1) 2 Administer Readiness Assessments on iPad or on paper (w/clipboards). Provide attendees with preparedness button based upon their rating, then send them to Info hub for additional information and giveaways. Provide answers to assessment test and distribute preparedness (FEMA) materials to attendees. Ask additional preparedness information. Help people go through a preparedness checklist and start their family plan. Encourage attendees to start their family plan on site. Explain plan’s purpose and walk through process. Must be knowledgeable about emergency preparedness information. Use iPads, to take digital photos in front of the Gear Up. Get Ready! step-and-repeat (branded backdrop). One person directs attendee pick their preparedness “thought bubble” and takes pictures. One person collects data, manages crowd control, and encourages photo pick up on web portal. Must understand social media. Helpful be technologically savvy. Volunteer running the games should have great energy must know the answers to preparedness questions. Helpful to have another person on hand to help game volunteer giveaway prizes. Administer Readiness Assessments on iPad or on paper (w/clipboards). Drive people to event stations. Assist event photographer/videographer by making sure all participants sign the photograph release form to allow pictures to be used in County’s marketing materials. Campaign Ambassador Volunteer Attire: Volunteers should represent the GUGR preparedness brand by wearing a provided campaign tshirt. Volunteers can show additional preparedness spirit by wearing GUGR preparedness buttons. This will help to make you easily identifiable to community members to answer any questions. Overall Helpful Hints Enthusiasm is contagious! Show excitement regarding the preparedness activities and how important being prepared is for community members and their family. Have genuine conversations with community members about preparedness. People have a tendency to relate more when preparedness information is given in a way that is real and relevant to personal experiences and their daily lives. Be sure you can comfortably speak to the purpose of the preparedness campaign and aware of general emergency management resources available to community members. Send community members to appropriate local and campaign websites to stay connected. Event Station Responsibilities and Helpful Hints “Are You Ready” Readiness Assessment Test: Volunteers administer simple 8-question test to see how aware and prepared community members are in case of an emergency. Event coordinators should provide volunteers with answer key. Assessment was given to community members both electronically via iPads and hard copy to rate the test taker’s level of readiness. o iPads have test through online survey system that can allow you to easily submit answers and have fresh test for each participant. o Use clip boards to conduct hard copy tests. o It is always best to read the test questions to community members, to make sure they understand the questions. This is particularly helpful in providing support to Seniors and people with disabilities. Volunteers should be located where there is the greatest flow of traffic. Also consider having 1-2 volunteers roaming around event location to do more assessments beyond the GUGR event space and drive community members to the activities. There are 8 simple (yes/no) questions for the test o The scoring system determines the button each participant should receive. o Be sure to ask follow up questions when appropriate to truly gauge if the participant knows the answer. 3 “Are You Ready” Readiness Assessment Test: o Scoring includes Yes (or N/A) answers to: 6- 8 questions: “Gear Up. Get Ready Ambassador” Button - You’re Geared Up! and can helping others get ready! 4-5 questions: “Gear Up. Get Ready! Apprentice” Button You’re Gearing Up to Get Ready! Keep it up! 3 or less: “Gear Up. Get Ready! Student” Button - You could learn more about preparedness, but no worries we have the information you need! Regardless of score, after community members take the assessment, encourage them to get more information at the Information Table and have the opportunity to start an emergency plan, play games and get prizes. o Great! Now that you’ve taken the assessment, learn how to build a kit and get information– plus win a (t-shirt, tote, emergency kit or weather radio) o Awesome! Want to learn how to keep your family safe? Step over to our information station for additional giveaways. Consider using giveaways to peak community member attention: o Step on over, we have great information and free prizes for you today! o Answer 8 simple questions and win a prize! Information Station: Whether community members score high on the assessment as a “Gear Up. Get Ready Ambassador” or low as a “Gear Up. Get Ready! Student,” the information station has useful preparedness materials for everyone. The information table if the “information hub” for emergency preparedness. Community members can find help answers to the assessment test at the table. Distribute FEMA brochures to community members (publications come in English, Spanish, Braille and large print) and local information. Get familiar with the materials in order to explain each brochure o General Preparedness Brochure: “Preparing Makes Sense - Get Ready Now” o Pet Brochure: “Preparing Your Pets for Emergencies Makes Sense” o Access & Functional Needs Emergency Preparedness Preparing Makes Sense for Older Americans Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs Businesses: “Every Business Should Have a Plan” Activity/coloring book for kids. Information Station: 4 Encourage community members to start their Family Communications Plan o If they take the time to start a plan, they receive a free emergency kit or weather radio. o Explain the purpose of the plan and why important it is for your family to have a plan in place. Give “real world” examples show relevance. o Keep in mind many people do not have all the information they need to finish on-site. They should fill it out the best they can then take home to discuss with their family. o Be sure to emphasize that we do not collect the plan; it has private information. It for them to keep in a safe place at home. o Sometimes community members will request extra blank Family Communication Plans to distribute to their family, neighbors and/or friends. This is a great idea and encouraged way to spread the word. Also direct them to the Ready.gov website where the form and more information can be downloaded for free. Photo Booth/Game Ambassadors: The GUGR photo booth and games often get the attention of community members and bring an element of excitement and fun to the informational preparedness activities. Additionally the photo booth promotes web portal traffic and social networking. Campaign ambassador volunteers take digital photos of community members with preparedness message “thought bubbles” in front of the GUGR step-and-repeat banner. (Note: “step-and-repeat” is a 8’x8’ self standing vinyl logo backdrop) o Community member hold fun thought bubbles included positive preparedness statements. Ex: I Am Prepared! I Am Ready! Gear Up. Get Ready! o Photos will be uploaded to the GUGR web portal Encourage participants to visit the web portal and download their fun event photo and get more information on emergency preparedness. To make it easier hand out information with web site and instructions. Every photo booth attendee must sign a photo release form. Make sure to explain the photo will be posted online and/or may be used for emergency preparedness materials. Note: some people are comfortable and excited about this and others may not. Please let community members know it is okay if they do not want their photo used and direct them to the games. o Community member were encouraged to take their own photos with their mobile phones and share on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Talking points: Show your friends how prepared you are! Check out the gearupgetready.com website and download your picture! Share your picture on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram and win a prize! Make sure to include the #gearupgetready hashtag! (For mention on Twitter or Instagram) 5 o Do note that community members will sometimes go straight to the photo station and games. Encourage them to stop by the information station and have a volunteer conducting the assessment test by the station so they can engage them immediately after the photo and/or games. 6 Photo Booth/ Interactive Games – Providing the “Hook” Interactive games included preparedness spin the wheel and Plinko: o Spin The Wheel – Community members spin the wheel and land on an emergency preparedness question. If they answer the question correctly they would proceed to the Plinko game to determine their prize. For the spin the wheel games volunteers should be knowledgeable and explain the preparedness questions and answers to community members. Visiting the information table first will help answering the spin wheel emergency preparedness questions correctly. o Plinko – Attendees drop the Plinko chip and land on a prize they would receive after taking their assessment test. 7
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