Volunteers are an essential asset to local emergency response agencies’ relief efforts, but are 
often turned away for fear of the liability that a community assumes for the individuals. While communities do assume liability for properly enrolled volunteers, there are a number of legal and financial protections that shield communities from a great amount of risk.
The Department of Military Affairs legal counsel's office has produced a series of resources for understanding the liability of volunteers, such as this three page brochure and brief FAQ on civil liability.
And to better help local government officials, response agencies and disaster relief organizations understand their liability for volunteer actions and potential injuries, the legal counsel's office has recently published a number of real-life disaster scenarios with liability-related information and explanations. You can download those scenarios here.
