Getting Involved

Volunteers are critical to Island County Department of Emergency Management. We rely on volunteers for many different tasks. You can become a general volunteer by following the steps below. If you would like to join Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) or Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) please use the tabs on the left menu.

Sign Up to Volunteer

First you will need to fill out an Emergency Registration Card and send it to dem@islandcountywa.gov

You only need to fill out the top half of the form. No photo is necessary and you can leave the jurisdiction line blank.  You can either type in your name or sign it.

After you send in your registration card, we will assign you an Island County worker number and add you to our volunteer list. Our volunteer coordinator, Pat Waters, will reach out via email to welcome you to the team.

Online Courses

Check out the Department of Emergency Management's Island County Disaster Course. This course takes about an hour to complete. It reviews all of the hazards that Island County is at risk for and prepares you for each one.

Training Classes

FEMA Independent Study Course

• S 317 - Intro to Community Emergency Response Teams
• IS 909 - Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone
• IS 10.A - Animals in Disasters: Awareness and Preparedness
• IS 11.A - Animals in Disasters: Community Planning
• IS 111.A - Livestock in Disasters
• IS 394.A - Protecting Your Home and Small Business in Disaster
• IS 907 - Active Shooter: What You Can Do

View the Island County CERT page for more information. 

Volunteer Opportunities

All volunteer opportunities will be emailed to you with a sign-up genius link. Each sign-up is sorted by position and shift. 

Sign Up Genius Links can also be found here when available.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Island County Medical Reserve Corps

The Island County Medical Reserve Corps (ICMRC) is a local network of volunteers organized to improve the health and safety of communities on Whidbey and Camano Island. Volunteers include medical and public health professionals as well as other community members with no prior healthcare background.

Island County Auxiliary Communication Service

Learn from the Island County Auxiliary Communications Service ways to communicate by radio during a major disaster.