Medical Reserve Corps LogoMEDICAL RESERVE CORPS

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) was founded after President Bush’s 2002 State of the Union Address, in which he asked all Americans to volunteer in support of their country. It is a partner program with Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security. Citizen Corps, along with the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Peace Corps are part of the President's USA Freedom Corps, which promotes volunteerism and service throughout the nation.

MRC units are community-based and function as a way to locally organize and utilize volunteers – medical professionals and others - who want to donate their time and expertise to promote healthy living throughout the year and to prepare for and respond to emergencies.

MRC volunteers supplement existing local 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 others—can fill key support positions. What can MRC Volunteers Do? Support local public health, while advancing the priorities of the Surgeon General by:

  • Promoting disease prevention
  • Improving health literacy
  • Eliminating health disparities
  • Enhancing public health preparedness
  • Assist local hospitals and health departments with surge personnel needs.
  • Participate in mass prophylaxis and vaccination exercises and community disaster drills.
  • Train with local emergency response partners. 

Prepare to help in the time of Need.

September 11, 2001 taught us that we must be prepared for worst case scenarios. To be able to respond to these threats, we need medical and health professionals and other volunteers who can provide assistance local hospitals, health departments and communities. Often medical and health response is overlooked when preparing for disasters  however providing adequate care for the injured and people that may be exposed to biological agents is extremely important for our communities.

MRC volunteers can choose to support their communities and those nationwide. When the southeast was battered by hurricanes in 2004, MRC volunteers in the affected areas and beyond helped communities by filling in at local hospitals, assisting their neighbors at local shelters, and providing first aid to those injured by the storms. During this 2-month period, more than 30 MRC units worked as part of the relief efforts, including those whose volunteers were called in from across the country to assist the American Red Cross (ARC) and the FEMA.

During the 2005 Hurricane Season, MRC members provided support for ARC health services, mental health and shelter operations. MRC members also supported the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) response and recovery efforts by staffing special needs shelters, Community Health Centers and health clinics, and assisting health assessment teams in the Gulf Coast region. More than 1,500 MRC members were willing to deploy for optional missions to the disaster-affected areas to assist the ARC, and HHS. Of these, almost 200 volunteers from 25 MRC units were activated by HHS, and more than 400 volunteers from more than 80 local MRC units were activated to support ARC operations in Gulf Coast areas.

The Ohio Medical Reserve Corps (OMRC)

The mission of the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps (OMRC) to establish teams of local volunteer medical and public health professionals who can contribute their skills and expertise throughout the year as well as during times of community need.

MRC units are made of locally based, medical and public health volunteers who can assist their communities during emergencies, such as an influenza epidemic, a chemical spill, or an act of terrorism. MRC volunteers also offer education and prevention services to improve the public health infrastructure of their neighborhoods.

Why should I join?

The satisfaction of giving back. The urge to take action in your community. The desire to make a difference when you are needed most. The feeling you had, as you watched the scenes of Hurricane Katrina on TV, that you wanted to do something. The MRC will help you be right where you need to be during a disaster situation, applying your skills where they are needed most. We strive to support capable, prepared, and knowledgeable volunteers to ensure that the citizens of Franklin County remain as healthy as possible in the face of a disaster.

Am I eligible?

Both medical professionals and dedicated residents, 18 years of age and older, are encouraged to join. Medical professionals include doctors, nurses, EMT’s, veterinarians, chiropractors, LPNs, physicians’ assistants, mental health professionals, and many others in the health care field. If you do hold a medical license, that license will be verified to determine your ability to perform certain tasks during a disaster.

What about my family?

We recognize that during any disaster your family will be your first priority, so our volunteer training begins with family preparedness. If your family is not ready for a disaster, then you will not be able to leave them. With proper preparation and training, our volunteers and their families are ready for a disaster in Franklin County. We are also considering opportunities for medical experts to respond to inquires by phone during an emergency, possibly taking calls from home if need be.

Will I be trained?

All volunteers are asked to complete our MRC 101 course and chose from two levels of volunteerism. The Responder tier will complete this course and will become active only in the case of disaster. The Leadership tier of volunteers will complete several trainings, prepare for specific leadership roles in the case of disaster, and assist with MRC activities throughout the year. No times and dates have been set for these trainings, as we are still in the development stages.

Why is signing up now so important?

In previous national disasters, such as September 11th, 2001, and hurricane Katrina, the local public health infrastructure was overwhelmed and needed help. Volunteers arriving at the incident site, without being trained, without known credentials or without being affiliated with an organization, often hurt instead of help recovery efforts despite their best intentions. Through hard lessons learned, we now know counties experiencing a disaster situation need pre-credentialed, screened and trained medical professionals. The MRC meets these needs by providing an organized, rapid response of medical volunteers in a disaster.

How do I get involved?

If you are interested in becoming part of the Fairfield County Medical Reserve Corps please contact Mindy Armbrust at emacitizencorps@co.fairfield.oh.us or call the EMA office at 740-654-4357.