This course should help you achieve seven learning objectives. These include:
- Describing the purpose of the Arlington Heights Medical Reserve Corps, or AHMRC
- Identifying when, where, and why volunteers will be asked to respond.
- Identifying the steps you and your family should take before an emergency to ensure your personal safety.
- How you would be called to action if needed.
- Your role and function as a volunteer.
- Identify what type of role you are likely to play in a response.
- The management structure used in emergency response efforts and how you fit into it.
- Additional volunteer opportunities.
History of the Arlington Heights MRC
- 2002 Presidential address created the National MRC out of the Office of the Surgeon General
- February 2008 – Arlington Heights MRC registration was approved by the Office of the Surgeon General, Medical Reserve Corps Program
- Emergency Disaster Planning ongoing with Illinois Department of Public Health, the Cook County Department of Public Health, and the EMA Coordinator from the Village of Arlington Heights.
Why do volunteers have to sign up now?
To identify and train volunteers before a disaster strikes, so that we can save time and lives during a disaster.
In the past few years emergency planners across the country have taken a keen interest in the role volunteers could play in a disaster. As we learned from watching the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and September 11, 2001, volunteers arrive on the scene regardless of whether or not there is a system to receive and process them. Volunteers arriving at the disaster site, without being trained, without known credentials or without being affiliated with an organization, often hindered recovery efforts despite their best intentions. Through hard lessons learned, we now know counties experiencing a disaster situation need verification of credentials in addition to screened and trained volunteers.
Why prepare?
- Disease outbreaks
- Pandemic influenza
- Natural disasters
- Terrorist attacks
Disaster = Need > Resources
A disaster is an event that exceeds the capabilities of the current response infrastructure. When disasters occur, the county, state or nation in which the disaster occurs could declare a state of emergency. Disasters may also occur on a smaller scale, when a local hospital, public health or Red Cross response system becomes overwhelmed, and the need is greater than the ability of these organizations to respond. When you signed up for the MRC, you chose the level of participation desired: active, limited, or emergency only. We will only contact you for participation occurring in the area in which you selected.
A Corps of Trained and Credentialed Volunteers
A team of trained, credentialed volunteers who stand ready to respond to a public health or medical emergency in our community:
- Does not require a regular weekly or monthly commitment.
- After completing this initial online orientation training, you will be required to fill out the Volunteer Application and mail it or drop it off at the Arlington Heights Health Services Department..
- When the Health Services Department has verified that your credentialing information has been submitted, you will then receive a letter requesting that you visit our Arlington Heights Senior Center where you will be asked to review and sign the oath required by the Illinois Emergency Management Act of 2002. You will then have your picture taken for your MRC ID. The ID cards will be kept by the Health Services Department and provided at the time of an emergency. Please remember to bring your drivers license or valid State ID. Any questions you may have will be answered at this time.
The Mission of the Arlington Heights MRC
During times of major emergencies and disasters, all levels of government strive to handle the onslaught of needs that are brought to their attention from a variety of affected areas. In an effort to meet all of the needs, assistance and cooperation from numerous parties is required to resolve all the issues at hand.
Certain types of medical/healthcare incidences may overwhelm first responders, making it necessary to rely on other resources within the community.
By establishing a Medical Reserve Corps in Arlington Heights, healthcare volunteers can serve in support of first responders and area hospitals/extended care facilities in time of major emergencies or disasters. The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a network of community-based, citizen volunteer Medical Reserve Corps units, which have been initiated and established after 9/11 for use in their communities.
Medical Reserve Corps units provide health professionals (current or retired) the opportunity to volunteer their time and skills within a planned, organized and coordinated local Medical Reserve Corps unit to supplement existing resources during times of emergency. An organized, well trained local MRC unit means that volunteers can effectively respond to an emergency within the initial 12-72 hour critical period to augment medical staff shortages; are familiar with their community’s response plan; know what materials are available for their use; know who their partners in the response are; and know where their skills can be best used in a coordinated manner.
Currently in Arlington Heights, there is no single entity that serves as a coordination point for volunteer services of this nature. Therefore the establishment of an Arlington Heights Medical Reserve Corps, under the Arlington Heights Citizen Corps Council, will provide this important service for our community.
Liability Protection in Illinois
Consult the Illinois Good Samaritan act, 745 ILCS 49/1 et. seq. This Act provides protection under certain circumstances for volunteers acting in good faith during an emergency. Those protected include:
- People certified in CPR who provide emergency CPR
- People using an AED
- Physicians who provide emergency care without a fee
- Advanced practice nurses who provide emergency care without a fee
- Nurses providing emergency care without a fee
- Physician assistants providing emergency care without a fee
- First aid providers
- Disaster relief volunteers
You must consult the Act for a full explanation of the circumstances under which protection is provided.
Role of Public Health in Emergency Response
- Minimization of injury and suffering, promote community preparedness
- Disease investigation and surveillance
- Mass distribution of medication via point of distribution sites
- Mobilize partnerships to identify and solve health problems before, during, and after a disaster
As a volunteer, you should have an understanding of our public health organizations’ focus during a disaster. These three points, the minimization of injury and suffering, disease investigation and surveillance, and the potential set up and drug distribution of a mass immunization of medication via point of distribution (POD) sites are our main concerns. Additional community needs, such as patient care, might also be met through the public health infrastructure during a disaster. We are planning and preparing for all types of hazards, and will need volunteers to help us accomplish these tasks in the case of an emergency. Mass distribution of medication is an important component to our planning process and is essential to a community-based, coordinated, and efficient response.
Response Partners
- Emergency Management Agency
- County Health Departments
- Red Cross/Salvation Army
- Illinois Department of Public Health
- Police & Fire Departments
- Citizen Corp
- CERT Volunteers
- Citizens Police Academy Volunteers
- Hospitals
These partners work with the local health departments, federal agencies, and the MRC to create coordinated, local responses to community health needs during a disaster. Many county plans are being created and continually improved so that the health leadership effectively and efficiently responds to needs as they arise. In Cook County, emergency responses are coordinated by the local, county, State, and Federal Emergency Management Agencies. These agencies work with all other local stakeholders, like police departments, public schools, local health districts, nonprofits, media and others to create coordinated response plans for all types of potential hazards and to support the acquisition of needed supplies and support during an emergency.
What it Means To Be A Response Level Volunteer
Support medical needs during a disaster through the dispensing of medication, information, or medical care to those affected.
Response Level Volunteers would provide much-needed assistance to the Arlington Heights community during times of need. This could involve giving information to the public, registering people at special clinics, preparing and dispensing medication or caring for the medical needs of the public. You should never be asked to perform a task you are not licensed or trained to perform or do not feel comfortable performing.
Potential Roles
Volunteer assignments are made according to skill.
- Clinicians should perform medical roles
- Non-clinicians should assist with important support functions
When you filled out the MRC application, you provided information about your background, skills, and medical licensing. The Arlington Heights Health Services Department staff will verify that the license information you gave was accurate and that your license is up to date. Only licensed professionals will be asked to respond to the medical or pharmaceutical needs of the public. Clinically trained volunteers might be assigned to dispense medication, give vaccinations, provide patient screening, triage or care for patients.
Congratulations! You have completed Module 1: Objectives!