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- Help — do no harm: the authorities want to reduce the spontaneity of the volunteer movement in emergencies
Help — do no harm: the authorities want to reduce the spontaneity of the volunteer movement in emergencies
The Russian Union of Rescuers and other relevant organizations believe that there is currently a need to streamline volunteer activity. In light of this, the Federal Assembly is preparing to improve the legislative framework and wants to develop standards according to which only trained and certified volunteers will be allowed into the emergency zone. At the same time, the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences warns about the likelihood that new control procedures may cause an outflow of volunteers if they do not involve dialogue with them. How volunteer activity should be regulated and what are the risks of scaring off volunteerism in itself — in the Izvestia article.
Volunteering during emergencies
Every year, volunteers provide assistance in emergency response. Volunteers fought steppe fires in Khakassia, came to the aid of victims after a gas explosion in Makhachkala, helped with flooding in the Orenburg and Irkutsk regions. Since December last year, they have been helping to eliminate the fuel oil spill on the Black Sea coast. At the same time, this work needs organizational support, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy, the head of the Dobro association, told Izvestia.Russian Federation" by Artem Metelev.
"Representatives of volunteer organizations are rightly asking for a clear mechanism for interaction with government authorities, nutrition support, and risk insurance," says the legislator. — During an emergency, decisions must be made quickly, high coherence is needed.
Currently, he recalled, the recruitment of volunteers is regulated by various acts, but there is no single algorithm. There is no clarity in their interaction with medical, rescue and law enforcement services, the parliamentarian emphasizes.
"We need a federal procedure for attracting volunteers, a permanent interdepartmental working group, and algorithms for the regions," explains Metelev. — In this order, the powers and responsibilities of various authorities, issues of conditions and information should be spelled out.
The interlocutor of Izvestia also said that the federal Dobro platform will be updated in the near future.Russia", which unites 8 million volunteers from all over the country. A register of those volunteers who have already been trained and have experience in emergency response will be posted on it.
Apathy and control
An as-yet unpublished study (available from Izvestia) The Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FNICS), conducted among volunteers in Anapa this winter, shows that volunteers do not rate the quality of interaction with representatives of local authorities (2.7 points out of 5) and professional services (3.2 out of 5 points) too highly. It is noted that, in their opinion, "increasing the level of trust", "information exchange, and joint development of strategies" can increase the effectiveness of joint work.
Therefore, there is a possibility that the new control procedures may cause some apathy among volunteers, warns Olga Basheva, a leading researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg).
Since 2010, scientists have observed several large volunteer mobilizations: the fires of 2010 in Central Russia, Krymsk in 2012, and the flood in Tulun near Irkutsk in 2019. It was then that the potential of the spontaneous volunteer movement became clear, the expert notes.
At the same time, more organized and competent volunteer movements were being formed, for example, search and rescue, up to 25% of whose participants are certified rescuers, which is de facto recognized by state services (Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Emergency Situations, UK). Moreover, over the past few years, the Interior Ministry and the Investigative Committee have signed cooperation agreements with voluntary search and rescue teams in each region of the country, conducted joint exercises and joint operations.
"Despite the fact that volunteers are considered assistants, professionals recognize their real contribution, competence, and expertise in certain areas of activity,— Olga Basheva notes. — Emergencies are inherently unpredictable, so no country in the world is ready to respond to them without the help of volunteers.
The research results of the Federal Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences show that volunteers naturally realize that in emergencies such as fires, major accidents, etc., when there are serious risks to life and health, there is a strict hierarchy of actions.
Volunteering in dangerous conditions
Natalia Kostenko, a State Duma deputy from the Krasnodar Territory, spoke about the problems that the situation in Anapa has revealed. According to her, during the emergency, it became clear that there were no regulations for the interaction of various authorities with unorganized volunteers. First of all, this concerns information work, in other words, to understand which volunteers are needed and for which jobs.
— People were traveling from all over the country, and it was possible to find out only from their public pages or in the coordination center upon arrival at the place, — says the parliamentarian. — For this reason, there was no clear coordination of beach cleaning and bird rescue activities, as the authorities often did not know that volunteers were working somewhere and could not always provide them with the necessary support.
Therefore, Kostenko believes, laws and regulations should specify on which information channels information should be posted when an emergency is announced and in what format. At the same time, it should be noted that volunteers will necessarily have to declare themselves through specific procedures.
However, the deputy emphasizes that different types of emergencies require different approaches. For example, there are situations where you have to deal with harmful substances. In such cases, volunteers must sign a document stating that they are aware of the possible harm to their health and commit to using protective equipment.
"But not everyone in Anapa used masks and gloves," says Natalia Kostenko. — Is there a requirement that the activities of volunteers should be insured? Did someone control that all the volunteers in Anapa had such insurance? I think no one.
She recalls that there have been cases of poisoning with fuel oil vapors in Anapa. Therefore, certain types of work must be carried out only under the supervision of special services. For example, birds should be rescued and transported to other regions under the supervision of the veterinary service.
Olga Epifanova, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Fund for Support of Social Projects under the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, Senator of the Russian Federation, agrees that coordination of actions of all participants in emergency response is necessary. According to her, for maximum efficiency, clear rules of communication and subordination are needed for a particular situation.
Vladimir Taranenko, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Popular Front, head of the Youth Federation of the National Front, believes that the future coordination system should also include the accreditation of non-profit organizations, which will allow selecting people with experience and the necessary level of competence and training. This will make it possible to distribute tasks among performers according to their qualifications, he notes.
— Special attention to regulation is necessary in high—risk areas: natural disasters, frontline areas, - says Vladimir Taranenko. — The cost of a mistake is too high there, and volunteers should receive appropriate training and instruction.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment noted that any work in the emergency zone should be strictly regulated, including by volunteers, in order to preserve people's health.
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