Disaster response puts volunteers’ resilience and well-being to the test. Understanding their experiences is key to supporting them and keeping the disaster system strong. This lecture presents findings from a doctoral project on Icelandic search and rescue (ICE-SAR) volunteers, including experiences during the 2023 Grindavík eruptions. By following volunteers over time and combining surveys, interviews, and existing research, the talk explores how personal, social, and organisational factors affect stress, coping, and recovery. The talk highlights what influences volunteers‘ mental health and what are important factors for preparing and supporting volunteers in future disasters.