Does voluntary organizations’ preparedness matter in enhancing emergency management of county governments?

While voluntary organizations have played a critical role in preparing for and responding to disasters, few have intentionally examined the preparedness of voluntary organizations, which are fundamentally required to enhance local emergency management. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the preparedness of voluntary organizations and their effectiveness on local emergency management. By using a survey data collected among county governments in the United States, this research tests the effect of voluntary organizations’ preparedness on local emergency management. The results show that the voluntary organizations’ preparedness behaviours such as their participation, in local emergency planning as well as training, education, and resources for local emergency management positively affect their effectiveness on local emergency management. The findings imply that systemic volunteer management systems through cohesive and comprehensive collaboration between public and voluntary organizations.