Volunteering
IDHS is the Indiana state agency responsible for leading and coordinating emergency management and preparedness. When disasters strike, IDHS is there to support and assist local officials. Depending on the type of situation, the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) has a variety of resources at its disposal, including volunteers from around the state who have the training and time to devote to helping fellow Hoosiers in need.
Learn about the various volunteer teams you can be a part of below. You can also visit their pages to find more details. If you are interested, contact the volunteer program manager.
Hours
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
except state-observed holidays
Indiana Dept. of Homeland Security
Indiana Government Center-South, Room E208
302 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2739
Call: 317-232-2222
Email: volunteer@dhs.in.gov
Volunteer Opportunities
- General
Disasters can happen at any time, so it is important for IDHS to have a roster of volunteers who can help the agency stay prepared at all times. For example, IDHS equipment needs tested and maintained on a regular basis, and when equipment is needed, drivers are essential to transport it across the state. The SEOC currently utilizes volunteers for general labor, exercises, training, secretarial work and certified/licensed work such as forklift and commercial vehicle (CDL) operations.
- AUXCOMM
The AUXCOMM team is a dedicated group of volunteers who handle radio communication during emergency activations. The team is called upon during emergencies or with reasonable expectation of potential emergencies requiring IDHS SEOC support. The AUXCOMM team members support the SEOC not only with communications via amateur radio, but also with any legal form of communications on which they are trained and qualified.
- I-BEAM
The I-BEAM team consists of trained and qualified volunteer engineers, architects and other qualified personnel. This volunteer program enables these members of the community to offer their time and talents in the assessment of buildings deemed to be essential facilities following a natural or man-made disaster. They evaluate whether these structures are safe to use or should have restrictions.
- IN-MORT
Since 2005, IDHS has had assets to support mass fatality incidents when the resources of the local coroner or morgue are overwhelmed. IDHS has tailored its approach over the years to developing specialized, deployable mass fatality incident teams collectively known as the Indiana Mortuary Response Team, or IN-MORT. Volunteers from across Indiana have offered their availability to staff these deployable teams.
- IMAT
The Indiana Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) is the forward response team for IDHS during times of disaster and large-scale emergencies. It is primarily used to support local jurisdictions in a mentoring and advisory capacity. However, the IMAT may also be utilized to operate as a complete incident management team and manage incidents in certain circumstances.