Disaster Service Worker (DSW) Volunteer Program

The State of California Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program provides worker’s compensation and limited liability coverage when functioning as a Disaster Service Worker. In order to be eligible for these protections, individuals must be registered in the program, properly activated by the agency with which they are registered, and must operate according to their training.

The DSW Volunteer Program documentation spells out which types of activities can be covered and the procedures for doing so. Volunteers should read the program guidance so they are familiar with how the program works. ARES/RACES leaders should study the guide and know how the program works so they can support their team members.

DSW Volunteer Registration

Registration in the DSW Volunteer Program is performed separately by each jurisdiction. Most ARES/RACES operators are registered with their home city to be covered during city events, and with the county Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to be covered during county-wide events. Contact the local RACES leader in a city to learn that city’s registration procedure.

To register with the county OEM, volunteers must complete the registration form below and be sworn in by OEM personnel. Swear-in events occur several times each year. Contact the District Emergency Coordinator to be notified when the next swear-in event is scheduled.

When sworn in, county volunteers receive a DSW card, which they should bring to all events and assignments that are covered by DSW. Fill it out following the example below.

The card has an expiration sticker on it. Renewal stickers are issued to volunteers every 2 years who are still members of our program and who have updated or confirmed their contact information in our database within the past 12 months.

To verify your DSW registration, you can visit the Cities/Agencies I Support page in the Training & Activities database. In the “County of Santa Clara” section, look for a line saying, “DSW Paperwork On File: YES”. This indicates that you have registered. If you don’t see that line (or the county section), then you are not registered.

DSW Claims

If a covered volunteer is injured, both the volunteer and their supervisor need to submit claims documents. For an overview of the claims process, see the “Worker’s Compensation Claim Procedures” section of the DSWV Program Guidance document (linked above). Additional reference materials are given below.

In a mutual aid situation, both the “Requesting Agency” and “Sending Agency” have responsibilities in the claims process. See Appendix C, “Flowchart — Mutual Aid Claims Submissions” in the Program Guidance document.

DSW Program Administration