To be a volunteer at the San Diego Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, you need to register in the FIRST volunteer information management system (VIMS). If you have experience with FIRST and recognize a job in the list that you are interested in please select it. Otherwise you can enter your available days and hours and select "Assign as needed". Please register as soon as you can. This will help us place you in the most appropriate position.

Link to VIMS: https://my.usfirst.org/vims

FIRST is dedicated to promoting safety, and security, for participants, volunteers, and staff who attend FIRST events. The procedures we have established protect you as volunteers, and FIRST as an organization.

Age requirements for volunteers:

Event volunteers must be 13 years of age, however, some events set a higher minimum age requirement FIRST Headquarters volunteers must be 16 years of age or older FIRST Place volunteers may be 13 years of age or older Under 18 years of age, parent/guardian permission is required to apply through FIRST Volunteer Information and Matching System (VIMS). All volunteers must complete an application in VIMS.

FIRST has a 3 step screening process to complete your registration:

a brief phone interview is conducted with each applicant a sex offender check through publicly available State Sex Offender Registry is conducted two reference checks by phone for each applicant, using the references supplied by you in your application in VIMS is conducted (Please inform your references that they should expect to hear from FIRST.)

Upon completion of your application, Volunteer Coordinators will then be able to view your profile in VIMS, for staffing purposes. Please be sure to submit position preferences.

You may sign up for as many regional events as you choose, as long as they are NOT being held on the same weekend.

Volunteer Coordinators and FIRST staff assign event volunteers in VIMS.

Volunteer Coordinators, their delegates, or FIRST staff will officially send you a confirmation by email as to which position(s) you are assigned at an event, (days and times).

If you have NOT received an assignment confirmation for an event, you are NOT assigned yet.

Key Volunteers will receive FIRST -sponsored online trainings and/or conference calls prior to the events.

Volunteers receive written safety information, and on-site orientation and training prior to the event.

The day of the event, all volunteers are required to:

check-in with a picture ID matching their information in VIMS submit signed: “Consent, Release, Hold Harmless And Authorization To Reproduce Physical Likeness” form “Conflict of Interest” form – (If appropriate)

Please contact FIRST via email at volunteer@usfirst.org if you have any questions about this process.

Learn everything you can about FIRST and the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) before committing to forming a team.   Find a local team or two, talk to them, and follow their progress through a season.  Attend at least one regional competition to gauge the impact of the competition for yourself.  Plan to meet with the team leaders and students, speak with their sponsors, and see robots first-hand.

Once you’re ready to start an FRC team at your school, start developing partnerships that will supply your team with mentors and sponsors.  Local manufacturing and technology companies are ideal sources of mentors and sponsors, as are local technical schools, colleges, and universities.  Many local chapters of professional science and engineering organizations support FIRST through volunteer help from their engineers, scientists and technologists.  If you are unsure where to start, please contact Steve Stark  - FRC Regional Planning Chairperson or Jim Beck - FIRST Western Regional Director.

Companies can support FIRST in a variety of ways, including:

• Providing financial support
• Involving employees as mentors or volunteers
• Providing equipment and facilities
• Offering scholarships
• Providing internships

For more information on becoming a Team or Regional Event sponsor, contact Steve Stark or Jim Beck. Their contact information is below.

Sponsorship levels and underwriting opportunities [PDF 33.3 KB]

If you are interested in becoming a FIRST mentor, please contact Jim Beck whose contact information is below. 
Local mentors are likely to know about new teams forming in the area.  Rookie teams especially benefit from strong professional mentoring.  For more information about mentoring opportunities, please visit the FIRST website at www.usfirst.org

If you would like to make a donation to FIRST, please note this important information:

FIRST is a 501 (C)(3) Public Charity
Funds received will be used to support FIRST programs
Donations to FIRST are tax deductible to the extent provided by current IRS tax laws and regulations.
FIRST’s Federal Tax ID (FEIN) is #22-2990908

You can specify that you would like your donation to help the teams and the San Diego FIRST Robotics Competition