The tide of volunteers rushing to assist victims of the recent tornadoes evidently is complicating operations for professional disaster relief organizations and Homeland Security.
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/05/10585734-disaster-volunteers-please-curb-your-enthusiasm
The linked article makes it clear only trained rescue workers who are registered are welcome. Understandable to some extent. There are downed power lines, leaking gas lines and other hazards. Unauthorized, unorganized visitors can hamper efforts to deal with them.
Setting up locations that provide clearinghouses and registration of incoming volunteers makes sense as long as the process does not become more important than the mission. It is hard not to remember the aftermaths of Katrina and Haiti where trained volunteers were turned away and government agencies and the large nonprofits appeared more interested in protecting their turf than using any means possible to deal with staggering calamities.
I am not completely convinced that a "leave it to the grownups" approach is productive. People helping people, banding together in joint efforts during times of struggle and disaster, is a survival skill - and one we lose at our own peril.
Here's what I think...
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