DefinePK

Abstract

Pakistan having a diversified geographic landscape, more frequently faces small and medium scale emergencies like urban flooding, road traffic accidents and residential or industrial fires than large scale catastrophic disasters. These frequently occurring emergencies cause sustained pressure on the under-resourced Emergency Management Services (EMS) of the country. In order to enhance community resilience and to address these recurring challenges, a context-specific Volunteer Engagement (VE) Model has been developed that integrates Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) with the EMS command structures, while addressing VE in all Phases of disaster management (DM) (Abid & Haq 2025). This study evaluates the practicality of the VE Model using a structured assessment conducted by 25 senior District Emergency Officers (DEOs) from Punjab. The model was tested against established practicality criteria and a six-dimensional framework assessing operational clarity, training feasibility, cultural relevance, coordination capacity, scalability, and resource demands. Results show that the model received an average score of 3.68 out of 4 (92%), placing it in the "very practical" category. High scores for participatory training, community engagement, and cultural alignment confirm the model's readiness for scaled implementation. The study concludes that the VE Model presents a viable framework for institutionalizing volunteerism in Pakistan by developing sustainable CERT-EMS coordination. The model integrates community capabilities with formal emergency and DM organization, hence adding to the resilience of the communities.