Embracing and integrating spontaneous volunteers in emergency response: A climate related incident in Denmark

Spontaneous volunteering in emergency management is a rare phenomenon in Denmark and the legal framework as well as the authorities’ policies and guidelines are not quite aligned nor clear on the issue. However, in the storm surge in connection with storm “Urd” the authorities in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark, performed a major response operation by Danish standards, involving large numbers of spontaneous volunteers. This paper studies this extreme case and draws a number of conclusions about how and under which conditions the involvement of spontaneous volunteers is possible. In the specific case the characteristics of the storm surge in relation to warning time and possible relief measures are important conditions, while the operating culture and management approach of the authorities, as well as the boundary spanning activities by both citizens and authorities are important means of successful involvement of spontaneous volunteers in the operational work. This involvement of citizens may lead to increased quality of emergency management. The key to success for the authorities is in a democratic approach to emergency management and in the acceptance of a certain degree of “blurring” in the situational picture.