The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a team of health care, administrative professionals, and others who volunteer their time and skills to support emergency medical workers in an emergency or disaster.
Local emergencies have the capability to quickly overwhelm the capacity of first responders and the medical infrastructure, especially during the first 12-72 hours following an event. The attacks on September 11, 2001 underscored the need for a national network of Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) to support the health and medical needs of our Community.
Having a team of volunteers who are pre-identified and credentialed; trained; and ready to respond during times of crisis allows first responders to focus their efforts on the most critical, life threatening situations. In conjunction with same, MRC Volunteers augment existing local emergency, medical and public health services during disasters and other public health activities.
The goal of the West Central Florida Medical Reserve Corps, coordinated by the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, is to have a volunteer team of local health and non-health care professionals who are pre-identified, organized, trained, credentialed and ready for deployment during large-scale medical and public health emergencies, population disasters, disease pandemics, acts of terrorism, and other vital public health activities.
Who can volunteer?
Health Care Professionals
The MRC needs practicing or retired Florida licensed health care professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists / technicians; respiratory therapists; social workers, mental health counselors, health educators, epidemiologists; EMT’s / paramedics; veterinarians / technicians, to name a few.
Non-HealthCare Professionals
The MRC also needs Volunteers for key support roles such as logistics, administration, greeters, educators, communications, safety, security, clinic flow direction, registration, interpreters, pet care, and chaplain services.
What are the benefits?
- Helping West Central Florida to better prepare for and respond to public health emergencies
- Getting to know your community better
- Networking and building references
- Earning continuing education credits
- Gaining public health experience
- Learning opportunities and skills development through training and hands-on drills / exercises
- Sense of pride and accomplishment through community service
- Being part of a dedicated public health and emergency response team
- Protection under state liability coverage and worker’s compensation