Louisiana Volunteers in Action (LAVA) is Louisiana’s approach to the federally mandated Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP). The ESAR-VHP Program helps states to develop standardized programs for registering volunteer health professionals in advance of an emergency or disaster. LAVA is funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health and Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Cooperative Agreement.
The Louisiana Department of Health created LAVA in response to the tens of thousands of individuals, ready and willing to help after the September 11th terrorist attacks (2001) and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005). The number of volunteers created a large quantity of spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers, which resulted in the creation of LAVA. The LAVA System launched December 17, 2007, is the web-based registry to credential volunteers prior to an emergency or disaster. It also serves as a mechanism to recruit, notify, manage, train, and deploy volunteers for assisting the state in meeting health/medical surge needs during an emergency.
LAVA provides a systematic way of coordinating volunteer efforts during an emergency with a special emphasis on advanced credential verification and deployment based on skill set. It ensures that Louisiana has a competent volunteer workforce who is ready for deployment.
Under the direction of LDH’s Volunteer Management Program (located at the Bureau of Community Preparedness), volunteers are deployed when needed. LAVA seeks professionals in the medical field as well as professionals with other skill sets that will prove to be helpful in the event of an emergency.
The Volunteer Management Program currently serves 8,256 persons who are registered in the LAVA system and represent 9 regional areas. These volunteers assist in responding to various events throughout the state that include but are not limited to man-made disasters (chemical, nuclear, or explosives), public health threats (disease outbreaks, wildfires, etc.), natural disasters (flooding, hurricanes, tornados, etc.), and terrorist attacks.
Any resident of the state of Louisiana, age 18 or older is eligible to register as a volunteer through LAVA (https://www.lava.dhh.louisiana.gov). Persons under the age of 18 may volunteer by providing a written consent statement signed by their parent or guardian. The minor must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of their volunteer assignment.
