The Broome County Health Department wants to strengthen its local capacity to respond to emergencies and is seeking volunteers to join the Broome County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
The MRC is a committed group of volunteers, with both medical and non-medical backgrounds, who can be called upon to help those in need during public health emergencies.
For those interested in joining the Broome MRC, there are two upcoming opportunities to attend MRC orientation and receive application materials.
Upcoming orientation sessions are scheduled to take place Saturday, February 26th from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., and Tuesday, March 1st from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Both orientation sessions will be held at the Broome County Health Department located at 225 Front St. in downtown Binghamton.
Potential volunteers need only to attend one orientation session.
Past and recent events, such as the flood of 2006, the tragic 2009 shootings at the American Civic Association, and the 2009/2010 H1N1 pandemic flu epidemic have shown us the value of having a local group of volunteers who are trained and ready to respond to anything, including natural disasters, terrorism, and disease outbreaks.
“We currently have 50 members registered with the Broome County MRC, and we would like to see our membership double in 2011,” said Claudia Edwards, Public Health Director for the Broome County Health Department. “The Broome County MRC is essential in helping protect the health of our community during disasters and emergencies.”
Examples of volunteer roles may include but are not limited to:
Medical roles:
• Dispensing antibiotics
• Injecting vaccines
• Reviewing health histories
• Providing mental health support
• Conducting medical screening
• Performing patient examinations
• Patient care
• Triage
• Basic life support
Non-medical roles:
• Inventory control
• Medical and non-medical supply management
• Pharmaceutical inventory management
• Transporting patients
• Setting up hospital equipment
• Assisting people with paperwork
• Greeting and directing people through a medication center
• Providing interpretation services
For additional information about the Medical Reserve Corps visit the Broome County Health Department’s website at www.gobroomecounty.com/ep/mrc.
Anyone interested in becoming part of the Broome County MRC should contact Leigh Ann Scheider at the Broome County Health Department at 607.778.3944 or e-mail [email protected].
