Disaster Healthcare Volunteers- County Employees

California Medical Volunteers/Disaster Healthcare Volunteers (DHV) is California’s initiative to pre-register, manage, and mobilize healthcare professional volunteers to help in responding to all types of disasters.  The system is part of a nation-wide effort to make sure that volunteer professionals can be quickly identified and their credentials checked so that they can be properly utilized in response to disaster.

Who is included in the disaster service worker status?

All public employees are included in disaster service worker status which are all persons employed by any county, city, state agency or public district.

What is the scope of duties of the disaster service worker?

Any disaster service worker shall be considered to be acting within the scope of disaster service duties while assisting any unit of the organization or performing any act contributing to the protection of life or property or mitigating the effects of an emergency.

How are disaster service worker activities assigned?

Disaster service workers activities are assigned to employees by their superiors or by law to assist the agency in carrying out its responsibilities during times of disaster.

What is the oath or affirmation that is referred to in the government code?

Before they enter upon the duties of their employment, all disaster service workers take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation set forth in the California Constitution.

When do public employees take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation?

Most public employees sign the oath or affirmation during the hiring process and it is kept with the employer.

Do disaster service workers get paid?

Disaster service workers get paid only if they have taken and subscribed to the oath or affirmation.

Can a disaster service worker be sued for actions that occur while they are performing disaster services?

Disaster service workers for non-profit organizations and government cannot be held liable for their actions during a disaster while acting within the scope of their responsibilities.

What if a disaster service worker is injured while performing the functions of their assigned duties?

Claims sustained by disaster service workers wile performing disaster services shall be filed as workers compensation claims under the same authorities and guidelines as all employees within their agency.

For more information, please visit the following websites:

California Emergency Services Act

California Government Code

The California Constitution Oath or Affirmation

Governor's Office of Emergency Services 

In general, there are no major differences between a Disaster Healthcare Volunteer (DHV) and a Disaster Service Worker (DSW).  The Public Health Preparedness Program, the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services and the Monterey County Emergency Medical Services Agency encourage all healthcare workers to register in the Disaster Healthcare Volunteers database.  Registering in this database will enhance any disaster response by providing a list of all healthcare employees and their verified skills and credentials.  Registering in the Disaster Healthcare Volunteer database will also allow you to provide support to other California counties in need during an emergency if you so choose.

By registering to become a Disaster Healthcare Volunteer, you will be able to help your family, your friends and your community effectively and efficiently!  You will be provided opportunities to learn more about how to be best prepared in the event of an emergency and, offered traingns such as CPR, First Aid, Psychological First Aid and more.  As a Disaster Healthcare Volunteer, you will also be well informed in terms of what to expect should disaster strike.

Registering is as simple as logging on to this web site and entering the information requested.  When you log on to https://www.healthcarevolunteers.ca.gov , select “Register Now.”  You should have information about your license and contact information available in order to complete the registration process.  You may start and stop the registration process at any time.  Simply login to the system using the username and password you have created to complete anything you have not finished. 

The system is currently enrolling over 35 licensed medical professions.  Anyone with a valid, unencumbered California license can register.

No.  The system is open to any licensed medical personnel.  And, there will be no requirement for any specific post-enrollment training.  When a volunteer is being deployed, operational area commanders or clinical managers in receiving institutions will try to make assignments based on the evidence of competence and/or experience that is in the system.

All volunteers are encouraged to seek training opportunities that will make them more effective if deployed to an emergency.  The system plans to develop a wide array of training opportunities.  As opportunities are created, enrollees will be notified and those opportunities will be posted on this site.  In addition to training opportunities provided by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority, the Monterey County Health Department Public Health Preparedness Program also provides localized preparedness trainings, please refer to the Event Listing on the front page of the Monterey County Health Department website.

Assignments will be made by local operational area commanders and the clinical managers in receiving facilities.  In making those assignments, licensure, training, experience, competencies, and certifications will all be considered.  You can expect that you will be asked to perform tasks that are consistent with your level of licensure.

When you register you will enter information on the best way to contact you.  If a deployment is requested, this is the information that the system will use to contact you.  Therefore, please be sure that the information you give is accurate and up-to-date.  Any time you have any change in that information, please log on and update the information.