When disasters strike, volunteers with the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) give their time and share their skills to help people and their communities recover. Last year, the U.S. saw more disasters than ever before. FEMA declared 99 major disasters in 2011, including tornadoes in Joplin, Hurricane Irene, and wildfires in Texas. We never know when disaster will strike, but when it does we can depend on ESAR-VHP volunteers to respond at a moment’s notice. Whether you’re a recent graduate in the healthcare field or a seasoned professional, we invite you to register for ESAR-VHP so your community is ready when healthcare services are needed most.

ESAR-VHP is a national network of state-based programs that verifies the identity, licenses, and credentials of health professionals before an emergency happens. The system saves time so response agencies can make the most of volunteers’ specialized medical skills when hours or even minutes really matter.

Volunteering with ESAR-VHP is an incredible act of compassion, and ESAR-VHP helps get volunteers in place when they can make the biggest impact. The system puts those who want to volunteer in the best position to be able to do so. ESAR-VHP volunteers help in hospitals, clinics, and temporary shelters so that these facilities have the staff they need for an effective disaster response. Volunteers retain the ability to opt in or out of each emergency, and they are legally and financially covered while they help with the response.

All licensed and credentialed health professionals can register to fill a variety of volunteer roles depending on the type of emergency and the needs of the states. Disaster response is complex, and ESAR-VHP uses many kinds of health professionals to ensure that disaster survivors are getting the care they need. Nurses, mental health counselors, doctors, EMTs, pharmacists and veterinarians are just a few of professions that help states deal with the many challenges of a disaster response.

With state programs in place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, ESAR-VHP already counts almost 190,000 volunteers in its ranks. Yet while the number of volunteers who could be needed in a disaster is unknown, state coordinators are eager to add to the number of volunteers willing and ready to serve. After all, the more prepared our communities are, the more resilient we are likely to be when faced with a disaster.

Interested in being part of the response and becoming an ESAR-VHP volunteer? Learn more about ESAR-VHP and how to join at www.phe.gov/sites/ASPR1/esarvhp.