It’s no secret that Douglas County is critically reliant on volunteers to conduct a variety of functions.
From firefighters to reserve deputies to the senior center, volunteers organize evacuations, serve food and drive older residents to appointments.
That’s why it’s always concerning when we hear there might be some hinderance that prevents people from serving our community.
Last week, county commissioners heard consternation from members of the Community Emergency Response Team about a new form implemented to conduct background checks.
Background checks and fingerprinting are not new to the county. Anyone dealing with vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly, must be vetted somehow. We’re the last ones to assume something untoward about someone stepping forward to help, but we’re also perfectly aware of what can happen when things go wrong.
The school district and Parks and Recreation have required background checks, including fingerprinting, for years to make sure those working with youth haven’t got a record of abusing their positions.
The CERT folks started reading those new forms and were shocked that the background checks are not available for their review. Who would give an honest answer in a background check that was going to get back to the person being backgrounded? That seems like a great way to start a legal or even physical altercation.
Contributing to the consternation is the considerable time it’s taking to get fingerprint results from the state, which is affecting hiring employees in addition to slowing the volunteer process.
It does seem like a lot to expect volunteers to go through the same process as employees, but on the other hand, both represent Douglas County.
We love and honor our volunteers, whether they’re on Citizens Patrol, Search and Rescue, firefighters or senior drivers, or all of the above.
It is our sincere hope that folks who are willing to volunteer recognize the necessity of some process to ensure the safety of those served.
