Volunteer

Become A Volunteer

The Will County Emergency Management Agency would not be able to fulfill its mission without the hard work and dedicated service of volunteers. Our unpaid professionals contribute countless hours in order to serve their fellow citizens, and make Will County a safer place to live. We are always interested in speaking to local citizens who share our dedication to community service.

Purpose of the Volunteer Program

The purpose of the WCEMA Volunteer program is to assist Will County in the preparedness of its residents, support responders by providing mutual aid and assistance to incidents and disasters, and aid in recovery efforts by augmenting the community’s response capability. Our volunteers receive specialized trainings to assist in the preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation of disasters.

Mission

The Will County Emergency Management Agency coordinates the county emergency management program to prepare, prevent, plan, respond, and recover from all-hazards events. Will County Emergency Management Agency develops, maintains, and implements the ability to direct, control, manage, and coordinate emergency operations in cooperation with local, State, Federal governmental agencies as well as private sector agencies.

Vision Statement

Building a safer future through effective partnerships of local government, emergency services, private sector, and volunteer agencies as well as the citizens of Will County to save lives, protect property, and reduce the effects of disasters through preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery activities.

Description of Volunteer Opportunities

REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING A VOLUNTEER:

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

Be a minimum of 18 years of age,
Reside or work within Will County,
Be available to respond to emergency calls (Division Specific)
Donate between 5 and 20 hours of your time, per month, for training, work activities, emergency response activities, and community outreach.

Additionally, applicants must understand that as a member of certain Divisions, they may be frequently placed in situations that require extended periods of heavy physical activity under a variety of environmental conditions.

Sound like a good fit for you? Fill out the form below!

Once your inquiry has been received, you will be contacted by the Volunteer Coordinator by email. You will be provided with a little more information about our volunteer program and you will be asked to fill out a volunteer application. If this opportunity sounds like it’s a good fit for you, an interview with agency staff and prospective division leaders will be scheduled.

After your interview, the agency will conduct an application review and background check. Upon successful review of your application, you will be notified of your acceptance to the Agency and be provided with an induction, orientation, and basic training schedule.

The New Member Basic Training includes:

Blood Borne Pathogens/PPE
First Aid CPR/AED
Emergency Vehicle Operations I – Classroom
Emergency Vehicle Operations II – Driving
Hazardous Materials Awareness
Passport/Accountability
Radio Communications
Search and Rescue Awareness

WHAT CAN I DO WHILE I AM WAITING FOR THE INTERVIEW?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers a wide variety of Independent Study Courses that can be taken online. There is no cost to attend these training sessions. Prior to enrolling in any FEMA course, you will need to apply for a FEMA SID

As part of the New Member Basic Training you will need to complete the following classes:

Once you have completed the course, you will need to take an open book test. The results will be sent to you via email from the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). You can forward this email to the WCEMA Volunteer Coordinator at: eward@willcountyillinois.com and the certificate will be added to your file.

If you feel that your time and skills might be useful to our Agency and would like to explore the volunteer opportunities available with our Agency, you may inquire by calling our Administrative / Office number at (815) 740-8351 or by filling out the Volunteer Inquiry form below.