"Spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers" (SUV's) are those persons who come to a disaster site eager to help but without training to perform specific tasks. Collaborative planning by disaster groups and other organizations can help ensure that this pool of volunteer help can be an asset instead of a liability in the performance of emergency management tasks. SUV's can be helpful in all four phases of the emergency management cycle if they are managed properly. The "mitigation" phase involves reducing the damaging effects of all kinds of disasters; the "preparedness" phase refers to proactive efforts of community resources to put themselves in a better state of readiness for a disaster response; the "response" phase involves the actions taken from the moment a disaster incident occurs through the stabilization of the disaster-affected community; and the "recovery" phase refers to collaborative efforts to re-establish a sense of normalcy, development, and growth in a community affected by a disaster. For each of these four phases, the booklet identifies issues that must be addressed in the management of SUV's during a disaster response; and recommendations are offered for dealing with the deficiency. Regarding SUV's and disaster mitigation, there is insufficient public awareness of the needs and opportunities for appropriate disaster volunteering, which often prevents the emergency response system from involving citizens in mitigating or reducing the impact of disasters. Regarding SUV's and disaster preparedness, there is neither a national strategy nor accepted standards for preparing for the management of SUV's during disasters; and there is insufficient national guidance to help emergency management professionals prepare for the influx of large numbers of SUV's. Regarding SUV's and disaster response, there must be assigned responsibility for the onsite coordination of SUV's; however, there is no functioning information management system for coordinating SUV's in response operations. Regarding the management of SUV's in the course of disaster recovery, there is often a lack of planning for mobilizing sufficient numbers of volunteers to help during a recovery period that may last several years. This booklet offers numerous detailed recommendations for addressing these issues, such that SUV's are effectively and efficiently managed during the four phases of the disaster response cycle. A list of 22 national resources and organizations