MRC Status and Activity Highlights:
We are pleased to welcome 34 new MRC units that were registered with the Office of the Surgeon General during this quarter:
Region | Region | |||
1 | Shoreline MRC (CT) | 5 | ||
1 | South Hadley/Granby MRC (MA) | 5 | Stickney Township MRC (IL) | |
1 | Greater | 5 | Clark | |
1 | Greater Monadnock MRC (NH) | 5 | Fillmore | |
1 | Southern Strafford Community MRC (NH) | 5 | Kandiyohi | |
1 | 5 | |||
1 | Greater Sullivan | 5 | ||
1 | Lakes Region MRC (NH) | 5 | Hancock | |
3 | 5 | |||
4 | 6 | |||
4 | Impact Club Jr. MRC ( | 6 | ||
4 | Pinellas | 6 | ||
4 | 6 | OK Region 5 – Okfuskee | ||
4 | NC Baptist Men MRC Central Region | 6 | OK Region 6 – Pottawatomie | |
4 | South | 7 | Nemaha | |
4 | 7 | West | ||
5 | Egyptian Medical Reserve Unit (IL) | 10 | ||
During this period, 7 MRC units were de-registered. At the end of the reporting period there were 168,996 volunteers enrolled in 787 MRC units in all 49 states, the
During this quarter, MRC units reported 1,316 activities as part of their profiles on the MRC website: 209 administrative, 395 preparedness, 151 public health, 171 response and 390 training. Samples of the activities that MRC units have been involved in during this reporting period include:
Public Health
- The Santa Rosa (FL) MRC sponsored a "Back to School Bash" for children needing school physicals and immunizations, and provided services to 103 students.
- Twenty-five Fulton County (OH) MRC volunteers participated in a community festival by providing blood pressure screenings, conducting a survey for the county’s family and children council, and raffling a Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Bag.
- The Boone County (IN) MRC supported a booth at the county 4-H fair for seven days, and provided tetanus boosters and body mass index screenings.
- The Maui County (HI) Health Volunteers MRC vaccinated new Fire Department recruits against Hepatitis B and provided information on Hepatitis B and other blood borne pathogens.
- MRC volunteers from all six New England States staffed an exhibit booth at the Eastern States Exposition for two weeks. This was the first regional collaboration effort for promotion of the MRC.
- The Wachusett (MA) MRC participated in the “WHACK the Flu” event to teach young children basics about preventing the spread of flu and cold viruses.
- Virginia Beach (VA) MRC volunteers supported and served on the medical team for the City of Virginia Beach's Annual Rock ‘N Roll 1/2 Marathon.
- More than 100 Texas State Guard Medical Brigade MRC volunteers supported Operation Lone Star 2008 in the Rio Grande Valley and provided healthcare for the underserved populations in the area.
- Members of the Nebraska/Western Iowa MRC assisted at the MS Society Bike Ride by checking riders for hydration and heat exhaustion at water stops. Members also assisted with the 28th National Veterans Wheel Chair Games.
- The Sedgwick County (KS) MRC participated in a Boys and Girls Club Health Fair. Volunteers provided information to attendees on the location of clinics for the uninsured, underinsured, and underserved. The unit also provided blood pressure checks and answered health-related questions.
- The Douglas County (KS) MRC conducted a hand-washing demonstration for the Lawrence Public Schools C-TRAN program.
- The South-Central Missouri MRC assisted with Stage 4 of the Tour of Missouri bicycle race by participating in the Health and Wellness Expo, staffing a first-aid shelter, and monitoring over 7,500 spectators to identify emergency needs.
- The Stoddard County (MO) MRC participated in the Golden Living Health Fair.
- Nebraska/Western Iowa MRC volunteers provided over 200 blood pressure checks and medical care at a road race, parade, and BBQ cook-off during the River City Roundup Celebration.
- Twenty-three members of the Mesa County (CO) MRC staffed the first aid station at the Mesa County Fair.
- The MRC of Southwestern Vermont provided a medical triage and treatment tent at the Hoosic River Ride, with medical cots, equipment, and supplies to manage acute illness/injuries.
- Seventy-five volunteers with the Maine Township (IL) MRC provided medical assistance for a 3-Day Walk to Fight Breast Cancer.
- The Rhode Island MRC provided medical triage and care for participants the Ironman Triathlon.
- The Hendricks County (IN) MRC assisted with a meningitis outbreak.
- Members of the Muskegon County (MI) MRC assisted with a 5K First Aid Station.
Preparedness/Training - The Ventura County (CA) MRC participated in a 36 hour community training exercise focusing on the skills needed in a catastrophic Medical Disaster. ICS, START Triage, alternate care, Psychological First Aid, mass fatalities, decontamination, and radiation detection were emphasized.
- The Dallas County (AL) MRC partnered with a local university to offer training on health advocacy and how to become community health advisors.
- The Lake County (CA) MRC participated in a POD exercise at which they offered and administered Tdap vaccinations to first responders.
- The Boyle Country (KY) MRC participated in a HazMat railcar exercise by providing rehab services for the Fire Department during the training event.
- Forty-five volunteers with the San Diego County (CA) MRC participated in an Alternate Care Site (ACS) training in which they set up and ran the ACS.
- The Whatcom County (WA) MRC Unit Leader participated in a county-wide exercise. Working in real time, the Unit Leader learned that over 100 MRC volunteers from MRC units across the state could have arrived within the first 24 hours.
- The Philadelphia (PA) MRC held a National Incident Management System (IS-700) and Incident Command System (ICS-100) training for 50 volunteers.
- Eighty-five volunteers with the Pee Dee and SCMeD6 (SC) MRC units participated in a day-long regional disaster team training session. Incident Command System and legal considerations were presented along with a SNS/POD exercise.
- Ninety-five volunteers attended the half day Los Angeles (CA) MRC Annual Training Conference that emphasized Points of Dispensing (POD), hospital triage, and the State’s ESAR-VHP program.
- The Greater New Bedford (MA) MRC sponsored a successful full-day resource and sustainability training for leaders.
- The Pelham (NH) MRC worked with Pelham CERT to organize, inventory, and prepare the towns Medical Emergency Supplies.
- The Grafton (MA) MRC participated in the community’s “National Night Out” event, which drew a record crowd of 1,000. The unit had a display and gave away “go and stay” kits.
- The UMASS Amherst and Upper Merrimack Valley (MA) MRC units participated in SMART Triage Trainings.
- The Oklahoma County (OK) MRC held Psychological First Aid and P-FLASH training for mental health professionals.
- The Big Country (TX) MRC planned and completed a tornado disaster exercise with the local hospital, EMS, fire department, police department, Dyess Air Force personnel, and citizens.
- The Collin County (TX) MRC held orientation, NIMS training, and Personal Preparedness training.
- The Arkansas AHEC Northwest MRC unit leaders participated in a Tornado Disaster Drill through the Washington County Emergency Operations Center, which involved six hospitals in four counties. The primary focus was on testing communications and training with the AWIN radio system to coordinate MRC deployment to area hospitals.
- Oklahoma MRC units supported the state OKMRC program in sponsoring National Preparedness Month exhibits at Wal-Mart stores throughout Oklahoma that included demonstrations and displays for personal preparedness.
- The Texas County (MO) MRC participated in HazMat awareness training.
- Harvey County (KS) MRC volunteers participated in a mass dispensing exercise.
- Sedgwick County (KS) MRC members supported the county CRI SNS Strike team and POD teams in a full scale exercise involving three municipalities in two counties. The Strike Team practiced receipt of the SNS, breakdown, and redistribution process. The POD teams provided the sites with JIT training, POD setup assistance, and support.
- The Butler County (KS) MRC participated in a mass pharmaceutical distribution exercise.
- Jefferson County (KS) MRC volunteers assisted with a regional public health epidemiology tabletop exercise.
- Southeast Nebraska MRC members participated in a tabletop exercise which evaluated the capability of hospitals and health department personnel ability to handle the influx of patients during a pandemic.
- The Lincoln-Pike-Warren Counties (MO) Regional MRC hosted a full-day NIMS 100 and 700 training session.
- St. Louis County (MO) MRC and CERT members participated in a full-scale mass dispensing exercise.
- Texas County (MO) MRC members participated in IS-700 training with CERT and Neighborhood Watch, and distributed 2-1-1 information at the Texas County Health Fair.
Jefferson County (KS) MRC members assisted the local public health department during a state-sponsored functional exercise testing the ability to distribute medical assets (SNS distribution), as well as with a local exercise testing the ability to set up and conduct Point of Dispensing for identified private partners. - Nebraska/Western Iowa MRC members participated in an Offutt Air Force Base disaster drill.
- Marshall County (KS) MRC members participated in a pandemic influenza mass dispensing exercise.
- Douglas County (KS) MRC members received Psychological First Aid training.
- Central Nebraska MRC staffed a Safety Day booth at Hilltop Mall in Kearney, NE.
- The South-Central Missouri MRC participated in a POD exercise using NIMS during the Phelps County Health Department’s 2008 Fall Flu Clinic and provided 401 flu vaccinations.
Central Nebraska MRC members participated in decontamination training and training with a portable hospital POD at the Nebraska LEPC Conference. - Two members of the Utah County (UT) MRC attended a week long training course in Pandemic Influenza Planning and Preparation at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Aniston, AL.
- The Marin County (CA) MRC trained 62 MRC unit leaders in START Triage at the 2008 MRC Western Summit.
- The Fresno County (CA) MRC collected wheelchairs, walkers, and other equipment for a disaster cache for the MRC.
- Twenty-seven volunteers with the Hunterdon County (NJ) MRC participated in respirator fit testing.
- Response
Fifteen volunteers with the Colorado Veterinary MRC supported the Democratic National Convention by providing medical support for police working dogs. - The Maryland Defense Force-Baltimore County Emergency Medical Volunteers MRC completed Post Deployment Health Reassessments for Army combat teams recently returned from Iraq and expects to provide an additional 1,000 assessments in the near future.
- The Southwest Alabama MRC was activated by the Alabama Department of Health to staff 8 shelters as well as an evacuation center.
- Massachusetts Region 4b MRC had five volunteers participate in bird washing after a chemical spill.
- Thirty-six volunteers from the North Shore-Cape Ann Emergency Preparedness Coalition MRC were activated for the Peabody Fire Response.
Boston (MA) MRC volunteers were used for medical screening during the Annual 4th of July Celebration. - MRC volunteers from 17 MRC units in Kentucky staffed a Federal Medical Station for evacuees from Hurricane Gustav.[D1]
The Wisconsin Disaster Medical Response Team MRC was placed on standby for medical and safety support to K-9 teams for search and rescue of an autistic adult. - The Des Plaines (IL) MRC assisted with special needs sheltering with the Red Cross due to flooding.
- In response to the effects of severe storms, several MRC units in Ohio (Clark, Xenia, Cincinnati, Newark and Dayton) were activated to support their local Red Cross, provide special needs shelter support, and conduct damage assessments.
- Over 200 volunteers with the Harris County Gateway to Care MRC (Houston, TX) staffed a shelter of last resort for medically fragile patients who were not able to evacuate in response to Hurricane Ike. Volunteers also delivered more than 3,000 meals to homebound medically fragile individuals immediately after the hurricane, assisted with behavioral health support, and staffed phone lines to assist and identify persons needing shelters.
- One hundred volunteers with the Northeast Texas MRC staffed a 100-bed medical special needs shelter during the recent hurricane response.
- The Dallas County (TX) MRC was activated twice and assisted with sheltering operations in response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike (where 1,000 and 1,200 evacuees were sheltered). The unit also staffed a dialysis shelter for patients from the Houston area recovering from Hurricane Ike at the Dallas Convention Center.
- The Miller County (AR) MRC in coordination with local emergency management and other partners supported a special needs sheltering operation in response to Hurricane Gustav where approximately 1,440 individuals were assisted.
- The Northwest Louisiana MRC was responsible for medical stations which provided first aid and prescription assistance at local shelters hosting evacuees.
- The Alamogordo High School (NM) Junior MRC assisted medical and incident command personnel in providing triage assistance and care to students that were evacuated during a bomb threat. Several members assisted the students and faculty who had to be treated for heat exhaustion, a student who collapsed from hypoglycemia, handed out water to students and faculty, and moved vulnerable persons to shaded areas.
- Oklahoma MRC was activated in response to Hurricane Gustav to support medical, public health, mental health, and pharmacy operations in the Oklahoma City Lucent Center Evacuee Shelter. One hundred and sixteen volunteers worked 1,300 hours in this response.
- The OVMA SART (OK) MRC helped to establish a co-located animal shelter for Hurricane Gustav evacuees' pets and provided subsequent medical care. A total of 32 patients were cared for utilizing 85.5 donated volunteer hours.
- Twenty members of the Colorado MRC provided support during the Democratic National Convention by standing by for technical decontamination assistance to the mobile field forces.
- The Colorado STAR MRC provided medical standby coverage for the Citizen Corps CERT Summer Games.
Administration- MRC units participated in the Connecticut Citizen Corps Meeting.
- The Cabell –Wayne (WV) MRC held a meeting of the “Cabell/Wayne Kids Corps” to discuss the volunteerism possibilities for children. The children started a list of activities that they would be interested in doing in their schools as well as other ways they could be of service to the community.
- The Craighead and Crittenden County (AR) MRC units participated in a monthly video teleconference call sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Health to further enhance coordination of the MRC units in the state.
- The Williamson County (TX) MRC participated in the Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting.
- The West Texas MRC participated in developing a Medical Special Needs Shelter Plan with the El Paso City Health Department and other community leaders.
- The Saline (MO) MRC sponsored a 5K run and one-mile dog owner fun walk to raise money for pets in emergencies.
- The Shawnee County (KS) MRC hosted the Kansas statewide MRC meeting.
Kathy Mersch, a volunteer with the Nebraska/Western Iowa MRC, received a “Be Prepared” Award from Nebraska Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy. The award was given for Mersch’s efforts during tornado and high-winds disasters during the summer, when she helped mobilize and ensure volunteers’ safety during recovery efforts. - The Bay Area MRC Coordinators’ meeting was held in California to coordinate training and exercise events for the 2008-2009 year.
- MRC Program Office Activities and Accomplishments:
The Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OCVMRC) is housed within the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG), and has a mission to support local efforts to establish, implement, and sustain MRC units nationwide. Office activities include strategic planning, coordination, policy development, program operations, and a new function - deployment operations. These activities are carried out by OSG/OCVMRC staff, as well as onsite and regional contract staff. A staff directory can be found on the MRC website at: http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/About.
Major activities and accomplishments during the reporting period included: - 1 new state MRC coordinator was appointed:
Ohio, Rebecca Serpette (614-995-0324, rebecca.serpette@odh.ohio.gov - MRC staff participated, presented and/or exhibited at the following meetings and conferences:
American Veterinary Medical Association
National Dental Association
National Association of Local Boards of Health
National Medical Association
American Psychological Association
National Association of County and City Health Officials/Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Annual Meeting
Region 5 MRC Meeting
Western Regional MRC Summit (Regions 9 and 10)
Region 1 - Regional Interagency Steering Committee Meeting
Georgia Statewide MRC Meeting
Department of Veteran Affairs Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System Meetings
Region V OPHS COOP Group
Arkansas Statewide Preparedness Conference
Louisiana Volunteer Summit hosted by LA Department of Health and Hospitals
VIP Day at Operation Lone Star (Lower Rio Grande Valley, TX) - The MRC website continues to be a great source of information for MRC leaders and others interested in the MRC program. During the reporting period, we saw the following usage of the website:
- The MRC Leaders Listserv (Two-Way) had 562 subscribers at the end of the reporting period, and 198 messages were sent during the quarter.
- The MRC Listserv (One-Way) had 2,046 subscribers at the end of the reporting period, and 16 messages were sent during the quarter.
- The MRC State Coordinators Listserv had 38 subscribers at the end of the reporting period.
- Technical Assistance (TA) Assessments have been instituted as a tool for guiding discussion about an MRC unit’s needs and priorities for organizational development.
- The MRC was mentioned in at least 16 newspaper and other types of articles during the reporting period. See the “News and Events” page on the MRC website for links.
- MRC-TRAIN expanded its user base to 10,072 registered users - 1,309 of whom registered during this quarter. MRC-TRAIN has 44 approved course providers, and 22 courses were posted over the past quarter.
Upcoming MRC Program Office activities for the next quarter include:
MRC Deployment Training (October 2008 in Bethesda, MD)
- Regions 7 and 8 MRC Meeting (October 2008 in Kansas City, KS)
- National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (October 2008 in Las Vegas, NV)
- American Association of Medical Assistants (October 2008 in Rosemont, IL)
- Region 6 MRC Meeting (October 2008 in El Paso, TX)
- Regions 2 and 3 MRC Meeting (November 2008 in Atlantic City, NJ)
- International Association of Emergency Managers (November 2008 in Overland Park, KS)
- Region 1 MRC Meeting (November 2008 in Portsmouth, NH)
- American Speech-Language Hearing Association (November 2008 in Chicago, IL)
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (December 2008 in Orlando, FL)
- MRC Capacity Building Work Group Meeting (December 2008 in New Orleans, LA)
- American Association for Respiratory Care (December 2008 in Anaheim, CA)
