Volunteers are the lifeblood of Operation Red Nose and without you we would not be able to provide the safe ride home service in our communities.  All volunteers will need to have a criminal record check done in the community in which they live (Port Coquitlam residents should go to the Coquitlam RCMP though), so please do so ASAP. IF you live in Port Moody please contact us to get a PIC form and please don’t do the form online.(More info below.) Please email us at tricitiesorn@gmail.com for more info.

You’re not expected to work evtricitiesorn@gmail.comery weekend we operate – whatever time you can help will be greatly appreciated.

What to expect as a volunteer

Download this document which provides further information for volunteers. You can also watch this video that we have posted on our Facebook Page for Volunteers.

How does the service work?

The Operation Red Nose service is provided by a team of three volunteers. Two of these volunteers ride with the client in the client’s vehicle while the other volunteer follows behind in his/her own car. These volunteers are the escort driver, designated driver, and the navigator.

Designated driver:

This volunteer drives the client’s vehicle.

Navigator:

This volunteer rides along with the designated driver and the client in the client’s car. He or she makes sure that everything is going according to the client’s expectations and is also responsible for preparing a receipt and handing the client an Operation Red Nose envelope.

Escort driver:

This volunteer uses his or her own vehicle in order to drive the designated driver and the navigator to the location where the client is waiting. The escort driver follows the client’s car. Once the client reaches the destination the designated driver and the navigator re-join the escort driver in his/her vehicle and they move on to pick up the next client.

Aside from drivers and navigators, control station staff, food helpers, and administrative help.

All volunteers are required to complete our volunteer form and to have a criminal record check done. We have separate forms for Burnaby, New Westminster and Tri-Cities, each of which explains what to do and where to go.

The volunteer forms are in pdf format. If you don’t have Acrobat Reader, please download it from the Adobe website here and install it on your computer.

To download your volunteer form please click on the relevant link below:

Burnaby

New Westminster  * new procedure* Please print out application and volunteer letter and please go to the police department with the form your Criminal Records (PIC). Please ignore the instructions on application process.

Tri-Cities

Port Moody please email tricitiesorn@gmail.com to receive a PIC form to fill out for volunteering

Once the check is complete and your volunteer form has been processed we will contact you as soon as possible. In advance – thank you very much!

We meet at the Coquitlam ICBC Claims Centre, 100 Blue Mountain Street, at 9:00pm.

Directions:

If you’re going east on Highway #1, take the Brunette Avenue exit (exit 40) and turn left onto Brunette (from New West too), over Hwy #1 and turn right at your first opportunity (you’ll see the ICBC sign). Go down the hill and around the side of the ICBC building and park in front.

If you’re going west on Hwy #1, take the Brunette Avenue North exit (exit 40) and then your first right (it comes quickly).

If you’re coming from Coquitlam, go south on Woolridge Street, just west of IKEA, turn right on Tupper (at the KMS Tools store) and at your first stop sign, turn left at Blue Mountain and then turn into the main parking lot.

When you park, follow the signs to the door on the southeast corner. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by our volunteer coordinator, introduced to your team (if you don’t already have one), given an ORN vest and if it’s your first time, provided some training to prepare for the night. We’ll also provide a meal for each volunteer to either take with them for the night or to eat at ICBC when they have a break in the night.

Teams will also be given a list of 3-6 restaurants and pubs to visit at the start of the shift. Around 9:30 or so, teams depart and will go into the establishments and hand out small info cards to the patrons and staff to remind people of the service. You will be happy to know we are always warmly welcomed. Usually while you’re out, your Navigator will get your first call. We try our best to pick them team that’s closest to the client. Your team will then pick the client up and take them where they need to go. If they are more than 10 minutes or so outside our boundary, we’ll arrange for a team from another chapter to meet you to do a transfer so that you don’t have to drive all the way into Maple Ridge, for example.

Remember to dress warmly because you’ll be entering cars that are not warmed up. Over the course of the night, you’ll meet a lot of great people, play an important role in making our roads safe and at the same time, will be raising money for KidSport. Before you know it your shift will be over and after checking in at ICBC, you’ll be on your way between 3:00am – 3:30am.

Thanks again for volunteering. This program wouldn’t run without people like you making the effort to keep our roads safe.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at tricitiesorn@gmail.com.

If you have a special request for volunteering or any other volunteer related question, please contact us at tricitiesorn@gmail.com.

For a printable version of this information, click here.

If you know of anyone else who would be willing to help us out, please share this page.