When a disaster like a hurricane strikes, it is only natural for many people to want to help. However, having dozens of volunteers show up at emergency management agencies or other relief groups often is not helpful. Instead, those who want to help out should sign up now and be ready for the next disaster. In the meantime, the state is working on a system to better manage “spontaneous volunteers,” those who show up when a hurricane or other events spurs them to action.

Maine Emergency Management Agency Director Art Cleaves makes it clear that his agency and relief groups don’t want to turn away eager volunteers, but the midst of a crisis is not the best time to offer help. It is much more helpful to connect with an agency and to receive appropriate training before a disaster hits so that your skills can be quickly put to good use when the time comes. That time may be months down the road, but it is better for agencies to have trained volunteers ready than to be overrun by well-meaning people while dealing with a crisis or its aftermath.

MEMA and its county counterparts already maintain lists of volunteers with skills and training. An especially helpful category is what are called Community Emergency Response Teams. Members of such teams have identified skills and have undergone 20 hours of training, which includes basic first aid, search and rescue, traffic control and fire suppression. More than 1,000 Mainers have undergone this training, which is paid for by MEMA.

It is not possible to have list of people who might show up to help, so the Maine Commission for Community Service is working on a statewide system for managing such volunteers. A key to the system is providing a quick means for volunteers to be trained and deployed where their skills are needed.

Another venue to offer help is through a new program called Volunteer Maine. Run by the State Planning Office, the program links volunteers with organizations, both locally and out-of-state, seeking help. The Web site www.volunteermaine.org offers an easy way for volunteers to find organizations with needs that match their skills.

Recent listings seek volunteers to rake leaves for seniors, winterize homes for low-income residents and to drive to Boston to retrieve dogs displaced by Hurricane Katrina. There also links to local, statewide and national groups seeking contributions of money, services and goods.

So, if Hurricane Katrina has awakened your inner volunteer, the best thing you can do is get in touch with the agency you want to help and then get trained so you can really be of assistance.