A crisis volunteer ‘sleeper cell’: An emergent, extending and expanding disaster response organisation

Abstract

Understanding the diverse organisational forms of crisis volunteerism is crucial for enabling volunteers to play a more prominent role in disaster response. One of the most widely used analytical tools is the Disaster Research Center typology that identifies 'established', 'expanding', 'extending' and 'emergent' groups. However, not all disaster response volunteer groups necessarily fit within this typology. We examine the case of the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) in Aotearoa New Zealand, which has been considered a potential blueprint for youth-led post-disaster civic action. Examining a decade of successive disaster responses, we argue the SVA has come to simultaneously exhibit characteristics associated with 'expanding', 'extending' and 'repeat emergent' disaster response organisations. Drawing on in-depth interviews with people involved with the SVA over its 10 years, we identify dualities in the SVA's tasks and structure that enable it to incorporate both new and existing or routine aspects into its disaster response efforts. In spanning these categories, we propose the SVA has become an 'expectant' crisis volunteer organisation-what one interviewee described as a crisis volunteer 'sleeper cell'. Our discussion considers the possibilities and tensions within this distinct form of organisation.

Framing post-disaster collective action as ‘good news’: Possibilities and tensions

“…The process of cultivating a brand has been driven by the SVA’s awareness that positive framing generates important relationships, material support and leverage in post-crisis environments. Yet the increasing expectation for the group to align with a ‘good news’ ideal, and to further cement the brand in post-disaster contexts, has placed considerable pressure on members to not only respond, but respond well, to each new disaster situation (see also Carlton et al, 2021). It has also encouraged the group to craft a linear account of its actions – particularly of a leader at the helm of a ‘smooth ship’ – while diminishing the complexity, messiness, experimentation and mistakes involved with each response.…”

“…A decade on from the earthquake mobilizations, the SVA is an active organization that focuses day-to-day on supporting young people to volunteer; at the same time, it also acts as a disaster response 'sleeper cell' (Carlton et al, 2021). This 'sleeper cell' functionality has been activated often: in addition to mobilizing for two more major aftershocks in the earthquake sequence of 2011, the SVA has responded to a succession of other disasters: flooding in 2014 and 2021; a major earthquake in November 2016; wildfires in 2017; terror attacks in 2019; and the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Supporting Volunteer Well-Being Through Disaster: Perspectives and Practices of a Youth-Led Informal Crisis Volunteer Group

“…For the February 2011 earthquake, the SVA was recently formed and had fluid structures reflective of an emergent or spontaneous group. For the March 2019 response, there was a more established structure within the SVA Club; however, the group retained many elements of an informal crisis volunteer group, in that the people involved in leading the volunteer response to the terrorist attacks had little to no experience with disaster situations (for further discussion, see Carlton et al, 2021Carlton et al, , 2022.…”

“…The SVA emerged during the Canterbury earthquake sequence of 2010-2011, when the group coordinated thousands of volunteers to help clean up streets and residents' properties (Carlton & Mills, 2017;Nissen et al, 2021). Over the subsequent decade, it has mobilized in the aftermath of several other disasters, including floods, fires, another major earthquake, a terrorist attack, and the Covid-19 pandemic (Carlton et al, 2021(Carlton et al, , 2022. The significant impact of the SVA in each of these responses has meant it has featured as a disaster relief success story internationally (Whittaker et al, 2015).…”

“…Following this earthquake response, the SVA has persisted as a group that promotes youth volunteering, including through a student SVA Club (led by a team of students, the "SVA Club Executive") (for discussion of this organizational structure, see Carlton et al, 2021). While youth volunteering remains the group's primary aim, a number of other disasters have occurred in the region, and each event has drawn the SVA back into disaster response work.…”