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COVID In Colorado: FEMA Asking For Volunteers To Help Operate Mass Vaccination Site, No Medical Background Needed

LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) – FEMA is asking for Colorado residents to volunteer their time in order to help end the pandemic more quickly. Volunteers are asked to offer up a minimum of two hours of their day to help FEMA operate northern Colorado's largest mass vaccination clinic at The Ranch, Larimer County's fairgrounds.

Currently more than 1,600 people per day are being vaccinated at The Ranch. However, FEMA plans to increase that number significantly in the days to come. Because of that they need volunteers to make the event run each day like a well-oiled machine.

"It has been a big logistical task," said Abby Eichorn, Incident Commander for FEMA. "We hope to have it (running) for as long as there is a need here in Colorado."

Eichorn told CBS4's Dillon Thomas volunteers would help the team increase their daily vaccination rate to more than 2,200 people per day starting next week.


"Volunteers have been a huge piece of this for us," Eichorn said. 

Around 30 volunteers per day are needed to help direct traffic, greet patients, check them in, monitor them for adverse reactions and more.

"To have those volunteers who can come and work in those shifts has been a huge piece in our success here at the ranch," Eichorn said.



Volunteers can sign up in groups, or as individuals, at nocovolunteers.org. There they can offer up anywhere from two to five hours of their day. Lunch is provided and breaks are regular, especially during warm weather.

While FEMA has the staff neded to administer the vaccines, Eichorn said volunteers are playing an equivalent role in helping save lives. 


"Volunteers are playing a huge role in helping to end the pandemic. And, part of being a volunteers is getting to see the joy people have when they get their vaccinations," Eichorn said. "We need more people to help spread a lot of the work that it is taking to help in this pandemic."

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