The community-based preparedness approach to disaster risk reduction has gained importance within the field of disaster management. It emphasizes the important roles and responsibilities of community members in creating disaster management programs and systems, ensuring self-confidence, and reducing vulnerability during disasters. A significant portion of this resilience is made up of volunteers. In this study, the experiences of volunteers who went to disaster areas at different times to support search and rescue and humanitarian aid services were examined. Phenomenological design, which is a qualitative research design, was used in this study. The research group consists of volunteers working at Kocaeli University who went to the region after the February 6, 2023 earthquakes and stayed for more than 7 days. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews. The data were grouped under 2 main themes, Humanitarian Aid and Search and Rescue, and 155 codes were produced. It is observed that the participants who went to the region for humanitarian aid focused on coordination problems, organizational weaknesses, and problems arising from people who were in the region for different purposes. Participants who went to the region for search and rescue reported that there were coordination and security problems after the two major earthquakes affecting 11 provinces, and that heavy traffic in the disaster region made transportation from the crisis coordination center to the field difficult. Suggestions based on participant experiences focused on raising awareness of volunteering, taking psychological first aid into consideration in volunteer training, and strengthening the search and rescue capacities of institutions.

1. [1] A. Aydemir, “Volunteering services and some non-governmental organizations in examining the disaster management system,” J. of Disaster and Risk, Vol.4, No.2, pp. 387-394, 2021 (in Turkish). https://doi.org/10.35341/afet.986933
2. [2] UN Volunteers, “Dünyada gönüllülüğün durumu raporu (TR),” 2011 (in Turkish). https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/tr/SWVR_TR.pdf [Accessed February 20, 2024]
3. [3] M. Kaya, “Volunteering in Turkish public administration and disaster management,” Master’s thesis, Atılım University Institute of Social Sciences, 2013.
4. [4] Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) (in Turkish). https://gonullu.afad.gov.tr [Accessed February 16, 2024]
5. [5] Wikipedia contributors, “Gönüllü (Volunteering),” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (in Turkish). https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6n%C3%BCll%C3%BC [Accessed March 14, 2024]
6. [6] Public Policy and Management Institute, “Mobility of young volunteers across Europe,” 2010. https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/studies/Documents/Mobility-of-young-volunteers-%20across-Europe/EN.pdf [Accessed February 14, 2024]
7. [7] S. Steffen and A. Fothergill, “9/11 volunteerism: A pathway to personal healing and community engagement,” The Social Science J. Science, Vol.46, Issue 1, pp. 29-46, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2008.12.005
8. [8] M. Şentürk, “Gönüllülüğün Tarihsel ve Toplumsal Bağlamı,” Murat Şentürk (Ed.), “Gönüllülük ve Gönüllülerle Birlikte Çalışmak,” pp. 1-19, İstanbul University Publication, 2022.
9. [9] M. K. Öksüz, N. Kuyrukluyıldız, M. S. Toksoy, and N. N. Tekay, “Management and importance of volunteers in disaster response,” 3rd Int. Disaster and Resilience Congress, 2021.
10. [10] T. Hábermayer and P. Horváth, “Voluntary rescue service in Hungary: The HUSZÁR Team,” Academic and Applied Research in Military and Public Management Science, Vol.19, No.1, pp. 45-54, 2020. https://doi.org/10.32565/aarms.2020.1.4
11. [11] M. Yükseler and J. Yazgan, “Spontaneous volunteers in emergencies and disasters,” M. Mokhtari (Ed.), “Natural Hazards – New Insights,” IntechOpen, 2023. http://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109330
12. [12] J. W. Creswell, “Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches,” M. Bütün and S. B. Demir, (Trans.), Siyasal Kitabevi, 2021.
13. [13] M. C. Ceylan and M. Ceylan, “A comparison of case study and phenomenology design,” Anadolu University J. of Social Sciences (AUJSS), Vol.22, No.2, pp. 295-312, 2022 (in Turkish). https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.1227359
14. [14] S. B. Merriam, “Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementatiton,” S. Turan (Trans.), Nobel Academic Publishing, 2018.
15. [15] K. F. Punch, “Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches,” Sage, 2013.
16. [16] G. K. Ozkaynar, “A study on the implementation process of management functions in the disaster period: The case of Sivas Cumhuriyet University in the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake,” Turkish Earthquake Research J., Vol.5, No.2, pp. 105-127, 2023 (in Turkish). https://doi.org/10.46464/tdad.1282726
17. [17] A. Yıldırım and H. Şimşek, “Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri,” Seçkin Publication, 2021 (in Turkish).
18. [18] J. W. Creswell, “Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches,” pp. 201-203, Eğiten Kitap, 2017.
19. [19] M. Bengtsson, “How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content analysis,” NursingPlus Open, Vol.2, pp. 8-14, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npls.2016.01.001
20. [20] B. F. Crabtree and W. L. Miller, “Doing Qualitative Research,” Sage Publications, 1999.
21. [21] S. B. Merriam and R. S. Grenier, “Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis,” Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2019.
22. [22] N. R. Britton, “Permanent disaster volunteers: Where do they fit?,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol.20, No.4, pp. 395-414, 1991. https://doi.org/10.1177/089976409102000404
23. [23] G. Y. Baklavaci and A. F. Levent, “The experiences of volunteer teachers in regions affected by the February 6 Earthquakes,” Turk Deprem Arastirma Dergisi, Vol.6, No.2, pp. 628-648, 2024 (in Turkish). https://doi.org/10.46464/tdad.1538913
24. [24] M. Duruel, “The role of non-governmental organizations in disaster management: The case of Hatay, 6 February Earthquake,” Uluslararası Politik Araştırmalar Dergisi, Vol.9, No.2, pp. 1-17, 2023 (in Turkish). https://doi.org/10.25272/icps.1332511
25. [25] S. Kandangwa and S. Gurung, “Preparing to volunteer in disaster situation: A study of volunteers’ experiences in the April 2015 Nepal Earthquake,” Bachelor’s Theses, Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, 2016.
26. [26] S. Nissen, S. Carlton, and J. H. K. Wong, “Supporting volunteer well-being through disaster: Perspectives and practices of a youth-led informal crisis volunteer group,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol.52, No.3, pp. 704-722, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640221113882
27. [27] J. Twigg and I. Mosel, “Emergent groups and spontaneous volunteers in urban disaster response,” Environment and Urbanization, Vol.29, No.2, pp. 443-458, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247817721413
28. [28] M. Suga, “Logic of and systems for volunteer disaster relief activities in Japan: Current situations and challenges 15 years after the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.6, No.2, pp. 236-243, 2011. https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2011.p0236
29. [29] S. Yesil, “Culture and cultural differences: A theoretic evaluation from leadership perspective,” Electronic J. of Social Sciences, Vol.12, No.44, pp. 52-81, 2013 (in Turkish).
30. [30] Y. Mizui and H. Fujiwara, “Estimation of house cleanup work volume based on disaster volunteer center work management data – The case of the 2015 Joso City –,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.18, No.3, pp. 246-260, 2023. https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2023.p0246