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Emergency services volunteer software: rosters & training

Emergency services: know who's available and qualified. Fewer texts, more ready crews.

Availability comes in by text, training tickets live in a spreadsheet nobody trusts and truck checks get ticked on a clipboard in the shed. We build availability, training, equipment and member systems for volunteer emergency units that sit alongside your agency's systems, then we host them and look after them.

Tell us what's slowing you down →Try the live demo →Or call0423 011 252

Looking for volunteer availability and training software for your emergency services unit?

A volunteer unit is a response team, a training school, a fleet workshop and a community group all run by people with day jobs. The official agency systems handle the big stuff, but the day-to-day lives in group chats, whiteboards and the controller's head. When the storm warning drops on a Friday arvo, nobody's sure who's around, who's got a current chainsaw ticket or whether the generator was run last month.

Wollopit builds custom software for emergency services volunteers around how your unit actually runs. Members set their availability from their phone. Training expiries flag themselves before they lapse. Truck and equipment checks get done on a tablet in the shed with photos of anything that's broken. Hours roll up into reports for your annual return and grant applications. We work alongside your paging and agency systems rather than replacing them, then we host it and look after it.

01The problems

What we hear from emergency services volunteers

Does your emergency services unit have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.

Most units we talk to have brilliant volunteers and run the admin on texts, spreadsheets and goodwill. It works, right up until the storm warning.

  • The problemAvailability by group textThe controller sends 'who's around this weekend?' and gets forty replies, three thumbs up and no clear picture of coverage.
    How we fix itMembers set availability on their phone. A coverage calendar shows gaps by day, night and skill so you can fill them early.
  • The problemNobody knows who's qualifiedYou've got six people free but can't tell which of them can drive the truck, run a chainsaw or work at heights.
    How we fix itAvailability shows qualifications next to every name so you see who can actually do the job, not just who's free.
  • The problemTraining expiries slip throughFirst aid, chainsaw and working at heights tickets lapse quietly until someone gets stood down on a job.
    How we fix itEvery ticket stored with its expiry date. Members and trainers get reminders 90, 60 and 30 days out.
  • The problemTruck checks on a clipboardWeekly vehicle checks are ticked on paper in the shed and the sheet goes missing the week you need it.
    How we fix itChecklists on a tablet or phone for every vehicle, trailer and boat with photos, sign-off and history.
  • The problemFaults that never get fixedSomeone notes a flat battery on the generator and it's still flat at the next callout.
    How we fix itFailed checks raise a fault straight away, assigned to someone and chased until it's closed.
  • The problemGear and PPE nobody can findWho has the spare radio, who was issued boots last year and where did the second chainsaw go?
    How we fix itAn equipment register with QR tags, sign out and return, PPE issued to each member and service due dates.
  • The problemRecruitment by emailWebsite enquiries sit in an inbox for weeks and keen locals lose interest before anyone rings them back.
    How we fix itAn online application with screening checks, induction steps and a recruit pipeline so nobody slips through.
  • The problemCommunity events by phone treeSausage sizzles, school visits and open days rostered by ringing around until enough people say yes.
    How we fix itEvent rosters members sign up to themselves with reminders the day before.
  • The problemHours nobody can proveGrant applications and annual reports ask for volunteer hours and you're counting sign-in sheets from the shed.
    How we fix itTraining, callout, event and maintenance hours logged as they happen with reports ready in a couple of clicks.
  • The problemMember details all over the placePhone numbers in one list, next of kin in another and dietary notes for the training weekend in someone's email.
    How we fix itOne member register with contacts, emergency contacts, roles and notes that only the right people can see.
02What we build

Solutions

What we build for emergency services volunteers. Usually all talking to each other.

Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.

01

Availability calendar

Members set when they're around from their phone. Day, night and weekend coverage at a glance.

02

Coverage by skill

See gaps by qualification: drivers, chainsaw, heights, first aid and team leaders.

03

Training & ticket register

Every qualification with expiry dates, certificates uploaded and reminders before anything lapses.

04

Training night planner

Sessions, attendance and who still needs which module in one place.

05

Vehicle & equipment checklists

Weekly truck, trailer, boat and generator checks on a tablet with photos and sign-off.

06

Fault & maintenance log

Failed checks become jobs with an owner, a due date and a history.

07

Equipment & PPE register

QR-tagged gear, sign out and return, PPE issued per member and service dates.

08

Recruitment & onboarding

Online applications, screening checks, induction steps and a buddy for every recruit.

09

Member register

Contacts, emergency contacts, roles and member notes with proper access controls.

10

Community event rosters

Fundraisers, school visits and open days that members sign up to themselves.

11

Volunteer hours & reports

Hours logged by activity and exported for annual returns, grants and thank-you letters.

12

A unit website

Quick on mobile with how to join, what's on, how to donate and storm prep info for locals.

03The systems

The big ones

Your whole unit, on one system.

These are the systems units ask us about most. Each one works on its own and they get properly clever when they're joined up.

Availability & coverage

Know who's around before the pager goes off.

Members set their availability on their phone in seconds and the controller sees coverage by day, night and skill. Gaps show up early enough to fix with a quick SMS instead of a panicked ring-around.

  • Availability set from any phone
  • Recurring availability for shift workers
  • Coverage calendar by day and night
  • Gaps highlighted by qualification
  • SMS nudges to fill a gap
  • Away and leave dates
  • Storm season standby lists
  • Works alongside your paging system
  • Team leader and driver counts
  • Coverage history over time

Training & qualifications

Every ticket tracked. No surprises on the day.

Every member's qualifications sit in one place with expiry dates and certificates attached. Members and trainers get reminders well before anything lapses. You can see at a glance who's ready for what.

  • Qualification register per member
  • Certificates uploaded from a phone
  • Expiry reminders by email and SMS
  • Trainer dashboard of what's due
  • Training night attendance
  • Skills matrix for the whole unit
  • Recruit progress through modules
  • Driver licence and class records
  • Screening check expiry dates
  • Reports for unit reviews

Vehicle & equipment checks

Truck checks off the clipboard.

Weekly checks for every vehicle, trailer, boat and generator run on a tablet in the shed. Anything that fails becomes a fault with an owner. You can show exactly when every item was last checked.

  • Checklists per vehicle and asset
  • Photos of anything damaged
  • Sign-off by member
  • Faults raised automatically
  • Faults assigned and chased
  • Service and rego due dates
  • QR tags on gear and PPE
  • Sign out and return tracking
  • Fuel and generator run logs
  • Full check history

Members & recruitment

Keen locals in. Nobody falls through the cracks.

Online applications feed a recruit pipeline from enquiry to induction to first callout. Once they're in, the member register keeps contacts, roles and emergency contacts in one secure place.

  • Online volunteer applications
  • Recruit pipeline from enquiry to member
  • Info night RSVPs
  • Screening check details
  • Induction checklist
  • Buddy assigned to every recruit
  • Member register with roles
  • Emergency contacts kept secure
  • Role-based access
  • Member emails and SMS

Events & volunteer hours

Every hour counted. Every sizzle staffed.

Community events get rosters members fill themselves. Every training night, callout and maintenance session is logged as hours. When the grant form or annual report asks, the numbers are already there.

  • Event rosters members fill themselves
  • Reminders the day before
  • Fundraiser and school visit bookings
  • Hours logged by activity
  • Training and callout hours
  • Maintenance and admin hours
  • Reports by member or month
  • Exports for grants and annual returns
  • Milestone recognition for members
  • Online donations through Stripe
04How it changes

Before and after

A storm season callout, wolloped.

Here's how the lead-up to a big storm could change. Every unit runs differently, so we map yours first.

Before

  1. Text the group asking who's around
  2. Scroll forty replies to work out coverage
  3. Dig through a spreadsheet for chainsaw tickets
  4. Find out a ticket lapsed last month
  5. Generator check sheet is missing from the shed
  6. Nobody logs the hours afterwards

After

  1. Members already set availability on their phones
  2. Coverage calendar shows a night gap
  3. Qualified names sit next to every shift
  4. Expiry was flagged 60 days ago and renewed
  5. Generator check signed off on the tablet Tuesday
  6. Hours logged automatically for the report
05Services

Everything under one roof

Software, websites and systems for emergency services volunteers.

Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.

Custom software for emergency services volunteers

Built around how your emergency services unit actually runs: availability calendar, coverage by skill and the admin in between, in one system you own.

Websites for emergency services volunteers

Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.

Emergency services unit system upgrades

Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.

Apps and portals for emergency services volunteers

Training & ticket register and training night planner: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.

Integrations and automation

We connect Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.

Hosting, support and care

Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your emergency services unit, looked after by the people who built it.

06Integrations

Connections

Plays nicely with what you already use.

We work alongside your agency's systems and paging, connect to the everyday tools your unit already uses and replace the spreadsheets holding you back.

  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SharePoint
  • Excel
  • Xero
  • MYOB
  • Stripe
  • Square
  • Mailchimp
  • Eventbrite
  • Humanitix
  • Google Maps
  • Twilio SMS
  • WhatsApp
  • Facebook
  • Zoom
  • Dropbox
07How we work

The process

Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.

We get properly below the surface of your emergency services unit: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.

  1. 01

    Think

    We sit in on a training night, walk the shed and talk to controllers and trainers to work out what's actually slowing the unit down.

  2. 02

    Archi-tech

    We plan it before writing code: availability, qualifications, assets, members, privacy, hosting and cost.

  3. 03

    Build

    Real engineering shown to you early and often. Usually the most painful bit first so you get a win before storm season.

  4. 04

    Look after

    We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something breaks you call the people who built it.

08Questions

FAQ

Things emergency services volunteers ask us.

Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.

Does it replace our paging or callout system?

No. Your agency's paging and callout systems stay exactly as they are. We build the availability, training, equipment and member records around them so the unit has what it needs before and after a job.

Will this clash with our state agency's systems?

It shouldn't. We build for the unit-level admin the official systems don't cover and we follow whatever data rules your agency sets. If something needs to stay in the agency system, it stays there.

Our volunteers aren't techy. Will they actually use it?

That's what we design for. It works on any phone with big buttons and nothing to download. Members who'd rather not log in can reply to an SMS to set their availability.

Is member information kept secure?

Yes. Every member has their own login and access is set by role so only the right people see contacts and emergency contacts. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated.

Can it produce volunteer hours for grants and reports?

Yes. Hours are logged by activity as they happen so you can export totals by member, month or activity whenever a grant form or annual report asks.

How much does it cost a volunteer unit?

It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build. We can also stage the work to suit your fundraising or grant timing.

How long does it take?

Smaller pieces like an availability calendar or training register can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early, ideally before storm or fire season.

We already use spreadsheets and a group chat. Do we have to switch everything?

No. We build around what works. If the group chat is great for banter, keep it. We bring your existing spreadsheets across so nobody retypes a thing and only replace the bits holding you back.

Who looks after it once it's built?

We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.

We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?

Usually, yes. Most emergency services volunteers we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.

Contact

Got an emergency services unit problem? Consider it wolloped.

Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.

Call0423 011 252 Emailprojects@wollopit.com.au
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