MRC units are community-based and function as a specialized component of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to making sure their families, homes, and communities are safe from terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds. Citizen Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Peace Corps are all part of the President's USA Freedom Corps, which promotes volunteerism and service throughout the U.S.
The MRC Program Office, headquartered in the Office of the Surgeon General, functions as a clearinghouse for community information and "best practices." We offer technical expertise and educational resources. Our role is to help communities achieve their local visions for community health and for emergency preparedness and response. .
Intention is to organize health care and other workers for emergencies and function as public health auxiliary. The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) plays an integral part in our preparedness and response strategy. It provides an organized way for medical and public health volunteers to offer their skills and expertise during local crises and to throughout the year. Locally-based MRC volunteers can assist during large-scale emergencies, such as an influenza epidemic or an act of terrorism. MRC volunteers also work to strengthen the overall health and well-being of their neighborhoods and communities.
http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov
New Hampshire has 3 Medical Reserve Demonstration grants: Littleton, Derry and Nashua.
Future funding to establish new and support ongoing activities will come from the New Hampshire State Citizen Corps Council. Http://www.volunteernh.org/html/nhcitizencorp.htm
Http://www.gonashua.com look under city departments and under the Division of Public Health and Community Services web site you will find the Medical Reserve Corps.
Current Activities
Recruitment and Training
Credentialing
Identification
Systems building
Equipment.
NH State Citizen Corps Council with the Greater Nashua Medical Reserve Corps sponsoring the bringing of the Basic and Advanced Disaster Life Support Course to New Hampshire October 5-8
This is the first health care based comprehensive national disaster training program developed by the AMA, Medical College of Georgia, CDC and University of Texas.
The Medical College of Georgia's Department of Emergency Medicine is heavily involved in training and educating hospital and pre-hospital personnel in responding to disasters, whether natural, man-made, conventional or unconventional.
BDLS™ is the didactic component of the training. The BDLS™ curriculum is developed with an all-hazards approach (recognition and management) to disaster response. Individual chapters remain cohesive by the incorporation of a unifying algorithm called the "D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R paradigm*". Also, the concepts of MASS Triage and Disaster Casualty Zones will also be reinforced continually throughout the chapters. Unlike ACLS and ATLS, participants can receive certification for completion of this didactic portion of the course. Those successfully completing the BDLS™ didactic course can then participate in ADLS™.
The BDLS™ (didactic) part of the two-part course can be delivered in two separate formats. The first format follows the typical ACLS/ATLS model utilizing in-person didactic and interactive lectures with standardized slide sets and an accompanying text. The information can be delivered over two days or over multiple days. The material will also be presented in a distance-learning model via the Internet. Computer generated simulation will be utilized to enforce concepts learned in each chapter. All chapters will be reviewed and approved by the ADLS™ editorial board and validated by multiple governmental and academic external review organizations.
The ADLS™ portion of the training program is focused at the provider who has already taken the BDLS™ program. The ADLS™ training consists of an intensive single day course, focused on the development of "hands on" skills and allows the provider to apply the knowledge learned in BDLS™ using simulated disasters.
Http://www.mcg.edu/ems/COM/ADLS_BDLS/ADLS.htm
Course October 5-8 in Nashua usual cost is $800 will be free to Medical Reserve Corps members.
Contact information: Dr. Joseph Sabato Greater Nashua Medical Reserve Corps 18 Mulberry Street, Nashua NH 03060 603-589-4507 sabatoj@ci.nashua.nh.us
Also will be doing a Basic Disaster Life Support Course October 14th at the North Country EMS Conference in Bartlett cost $125 per attendee.