Roughly 70% of Team Rubicon volunteers are military veterans. Many of the skills gained in the military – things like emergency medicine, small-unit leadership, logistics, experience in austere environments – translate well to disaster response. Military service does not define a Team Rubicon member, nor is it required. Many of our volunteers are pulled from the civil service sector. Firefighters, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, teachers, and mental health providers are among the diverse careers held by TR volunteers.
The only prerequisite required for volunteering with Team Rubicon is a commitment to service. As a Greyshirt, you will be responsible for providing immediate and impactful aid to communities affected by disaster. If you are willing to raise your hand to help those in need, we’re ready to get you in a grey shirt.
Disaster relief requires a breadth of skillsets and experience. Team Rubicon offers various training tracks – from chainsaw operation to heavy equipment to disaster technology – to our members. If you consider yourself “unskilled” don’t worry, we’ll train you up.
Ready to get to work?
Got some questions on volunteering?
There is no time commitment - register and we'll get you out to the field when you have availability to deploy. Generally, domestic operations will require a week of your time, but potentially less if you are local to the response.
Nope. While roughly 70% of our volunteer base consists of veterans and active duty military, anyone is welcome to join the Team so long as you're willing to serve those in need. We'll train you up so you're ready for whatever Mother Nature tosses at us.
Yes, absolutely. There are many roles in disaster response, many of which are perfectly suited for a veteran with physical limitations. We only ask that you know your own limitations.
Each disaster is its own unique situation, and TR will always tailor its response in order to make the largest impact possible. While many of our operations address gaps in aid during emergent disasters, Team Rubicon will also deploy teams in proactive settings, which can be planned months in advance.
Our background check exists to ensure a safe operating environment for our members and the communities we serve. We are not interested in speeding tickets or misdemeanors.
Any Team Rubicon member who has completed his or her volunteer profile and the initial online training steps is eligible for deployment. Some missions will require a specialized set of skills or geographic proximity to the disaster zone. When Team Rubicon deploys, TR Staff and the incident commander work to ensure the teams on the ground are properly equipped and prepared for the situation. International missions usually require a specialized skill set and a valid passport.
Yes! We're looking for volunteers who can navigate the fast-paced and dangerous terrain of international disaster response. International operations are huge lifts that require specialists from all functions. The process to deploy internationally is the same for all personnel.
When an operation is approved, a notification will be sent out to members within a 450-mile radius of the incident (so make sure your address and region are accurate in your profile). If you are not receiving the notifications:•Ensure your email address is up to date in Roll Call.•Check your spam filters aren’t catching emails from [email protected].•Check that you have not unsubscribed from TR emails.•Click to re-subscribe to TR emails here.
Team Rubicon goes to great lengths to make sure that volunteers don’t incur expenses while on operations. When a volunteer is activated through official channels, their transportation, meals, and lodging are paid for. Team Rubicon will also provide the necessary equipment and supplies, but asks that volunteers bring their own personal gear (good work boots, proper clothing, travel bag, personal hygiene kit, etc).
No. We leave firearms, illegal knives, or any other weapon at home. I'm licensed to carry the weapon? No. I'm keeping it in my personally owned vehicle? Still no.
Do not self-deploy under any circumstance. We you're eager get to the field cause we're built the same way: wanting to help those who need it most. To deploy, knock out the deployment requirements and register your availability. If you raise your hand to help, we'll call on you.
At Team Rubicon, we earn our grey shirts. Get out to a service project or deploy on an op to step into the grey and get your hands on a grey shirt.
Yes. The furrier, the merrier!
•For those of us who want to just go to work. ICS 100 & 700•If you are stepping into a leadership position: 100, 200, 700 & 800.•If you want to be on the Command and General Staff on an operation: 300 & 400