Why should I join
the Medical Reserve Corps?
Volunteers are the
heart of the nationwide, community based MRC.
Without people willing to volunteer time and service, there would
be no MRC.
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It’s a way to
offer skills that might not have been used before because they were
not adequately prepared to be part of a response effort.
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It’s a
significant benefit to communities because skilled volunteers offer
services during the year to augment existing public health efforts
or provide emergency backup that would not otherwise be available.
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It’s a chance to
belong to a group with a strong sense of mission and purpose.
-
It’s a chance to
qualify for special incentives (e.g., free training).
Please call Linda
Earle at the Williams County Health Department at 419-485-3141 today for
additional information or you can download the
Volunteer Application Form off this
site if you would like to join our local Medical Reserve Corps.
You are welcome to help in any capacity and as little or as much
as you can.
Volunteer for the Medical Reserve Corps:
MRC
units are community-based and function as a way to locally organize and
utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare
for and respond to emergencies and promote healthy living throughout the
year. MRC volunteers supplement
existing emergency and public health resources.
MRC
volunteers include medical and public health professionals such as
physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, and
epidemiologists. Many community
members – interpreters, chaplains, office workers, legal advisors, and other
– can fill key support positions.
What do MRC Volunteers
do?
The
responsibilities of MRC volunteers vary.
MRC volunteers can assist during emergencies and assist with public
initiatives and ongoing community health outreach and education efforts.
Major emergencies can overwhelm the capabilities
of first responders, particularly during the first 12 to 72 hours.
Medical and other health volunteers can provide an important “surge”
capacity during this critical period.
They also can augment medical staff shortages at local medical and
emergency facilities. In short,
communities often need medically trained individuals to fill in the gaps in
their emergency response plans and to improve their response capabilities
overall.
What Training will I
need?
Emergency preparedness and response is a highly coordinated effort that
allows communities to maximize their capabilities during times of
extraordinary disorganization and stress.
In most cases, your training as an MRC volunteer will focus primarily
on learning your local emergency and health procedures, trauma response
techniques, use of specialized equipment, and other methods to enhance your
effectiveness as a volunteer.
And the most important part of your training will be learning to work as
part of a team.
