Volunteering

What is the Colorado Volunteer Mobilizer (CVM)?
The CVM is Colorado’s initiative to pre-register, manage, and mobilize clinical and non-clinical volunteers to help respond to all types of disasters. The volunteer management system is part of a nationwide effort to make sure that volunteer professionals can be quickly identified as someone whose credentials have been verified so that they can help respond to an emergency or disaster. CVM is coordinated administratively by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to support the public health emergency response system. CVM collects and maintains information pertaining to individual volunteers such as contact information, licensure, credentials, training history, response experience, and skills. It also serves as the system for identifying, activating, and deploying volunteers during disasters.

Registering is as simple as logging on to the website and entering the information requested. Visit https://covolunteers.state.co.us and select the "Register Now" button on the home page to begin the registration process. If you already are a member of a participating program, please indicate your connection with that program during the registration process. You should have information about your applicable license and contact information available in order to complete the registration process. You may start and stop the registration process at any time. Simply log in to the system using the username and password you created to complete any sections you have not finished. If you are not sure if you have registered previously please contact the systems administrator at covolunteers@gmail.com to verify that your information is not in the system before creating a possible duplicate account.

Who can volunteer?
Anyone can volunteer. CDPHE values all volunteers. During an event there will be a need for volunteers with all types of skills and expertise, including general volunteers who may not have medical or public health backgrounds. CDPHE recruits licensed medical and healthcare volunteers to help meet clinical needs and provide additional capacity for public health emergencies, as well as volunteers who do not have any medical training. These could include as interpreters (both foreign languages and interpreters for hearing impaired people) and people who can serve in administration, transportation; training; child care; security; information technology; data entry; and construction.

What is required for participation?
First, register at https://covolunteers.state.co.us . After you have completed your registration, CDPHE will complete: 1) a Colorado Bureau of Investigation background check; and 2) licensure verification through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, if applicable.

It is up to you to complete the FEMA courses ICS 100 and IC 700 and submit the certificates either electronically to covolunteers@gmail.com or via fax to 303-691-7811.

The local program administrator for your area may contact you about his or her expectations for participation. If and when activation becomes necessary, you will be contacted through the system and asked about your availability. Volunteers may accept or refuse a request for help. No matter what the extent of the need is, these are voluntary deployments and you are not required to participate.

For further information and frequently asked questions, log onto the CVM and click on the FAQ’s or contact Koral O’Brien at 303-692-2782 or koral.obrien@gmail.com.