Volunteers / Voluntary assistance and reception

Background

1. When a Major Emergency has been declared, a reception desk at the main hospital entrance will be established by:
   1. The duty Security Officer at the hospital main entrance during working hours or
   2. A member of staff detailed by the Administrative Co-ordinator in the Hospital Control Centre in the Emergency Department outside working hours
2. For all volunteers offering their services to the hospital: such callers will be thanked for their attendance and advised that only volunteers currently registered with the hospital's Services Department will be brought in, should the need arise, i.e. Friends of Cork University Hospital
3. Established voluntary agencies such as St. John's Ambulance will be co-ordinated from the reception area
4. As a matter of routine, the Hospital Control Centre will be advised of the availability of volunteers registered with the hospital
5. If there should be a need for voluntary service, individuals will receive badges with basic details of their name, potential role, and wait in the main reception area until the Hospital Control Centre requires their services
6. As directed by the Hospital Control Centre, the Security Officer/receptionist(s) will detail registered volunteers to emergency tasks, directing the volunteer to the location in the hospital where they are required. Each volunteer deployed will be provided with an official armband. A record will be maintained of volunteers allocated to specific roles
7. When advised that the hospital is to stand down, the Security Officer/receptionist(s) will tell any waiting volunteers of the situation and thank them for the their attendance