Emergency Preparedness Volunteers
Are you interested in volunteering with the Knox County Health Department (KCHD)? Volunteers with various backgrounds may be needed to help during emergencies. KCHD Volunteers may be asked to respond to a natural disaster, a large-scale disease outbreak, or man-made disaster. Depending on the type of emergency, volunteers may be tasked to perform different jobs. Some job functions require a medical background and some job functions do not.
During an event when volunteers are required to support public health functions, a call for volunteers will be made through the media (TV, radio, and newspaper). Volunteers will be asked to report to a Volunteer Coordination Center located during emergencies at the Sarah Simpson Teacher Center (801 Tipton Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920), where they will receive their assignments. Once volunteers reach their assignment, they will receive “Just-In-Time” training for a specific task.
If you think you might be interested in being a KCHD Volunteer when called upon, please call (865-215-5093) or email our Volunteer Coordinator (vol.coordinator@knoxcounty.org) with your name, address, phone number, and email address. You will be placed on a mailing list, where you will receive our Volunteer Newsletter and other information updates. You will not be placed on a volunteer recall listing through this registration process; there will be a request for volunteers through the media at the time they are needed.
Training is also available in our Education and Training
Section ; there you will find two slide presentations and associated quizzes covering public health’s role in emergencies, an overview of bioterrorism agents, an overview of the Strategic National Stockpile, and a brief overview of Point of Dispensing Site operations. In addition to these training resources, links to other emergency preparedness resources can be found in the Education and Training Section.
