Spontaneous volunteerism in disasters, managerial inputs and policy implications from Italian case studies

Abstract

The landscape of the emergency response system is rapidly changing, due also to an increasing frequency of natural and man-made disasters. Nowadays, the involvement of citizens into the whole emergency management is inevitable and indispensable, from preparedness to recovery operations. Drawing on international disaster management literature, this research analyzes and compares the management of spontaneous volunteers during six emergency events that recently occurred in Italy. The research’s aims are to present current tendencies of the Italian emergency volunteerism, to provide operational recommendations for organizations that may be in charge of managing unaffiliated volunteers and to propose some hints for a reform process of the Italian Civil Protection System towards a recognition of the spontaneous volunteerism in emergency. Starting from the research’s findings, the study underlines the latest trends in the field of emergency operations, at a local and international level, and their policy implications, within the Italian context.