The aim of Volunteer Gateway (Australia), known as "vGate", is to support the recruitment, retention and recognition of emergency service volunteers by providing secure access to a comprehensive and user-friendly website that allows them to:

• Quickly and easily look at their unit’s roster online, see which crews are on and which shifts are empty, and sign up for (or change) shifts from any computer that is connected to the Internet;
• maintain their own contact details and general availability;
• track their hours on-roster, on-station, on-call and on-case;
• access training schedules for their own and neighbouring stations;
• use e-learn, allowing them to learn at their own pace and relieve pressure paid staff, and
• read news bulletins, articles and announcements relevant to their unit and to their service as a whole.

By making it easier for volunteers to schedule their shifts and learn new skills, improving communication, and by gathering comprehensive data on volunteering patterns, implementing vGate will increase both the number of volunteers and the contribution from each.

Other features of vGate include SMS and email alerts for last minute shift changes and a surge capacity register that allows for smart phone lists so those volunteers who are most likely to be available can be called up first in the event additional resources need to be deployed.

vGate is purely web-based; there is no software required to be downloaded or installed by users. The software is parameter-driven and uses modern content management principles which means the site can be quickly modified to add stations and new users without intervention from software developers. vGate is based on open-source software and is completely scalable, allowing it to be easily ported to other emergency services and jurisdictions.

If you would like to discuss the potential for implementing vGate for your emergency services volunteers, or would like to arrange a demonstration of vGate, please contact Island Software on (03) 6234-5546 or email info@islandsoftware.com.au