The Medical Reserve Corps has been created to enhance Escambia County’s emergency preparedness and is designed to supplement the local health care system during a public health emergency. The goal of the MRC is to bring together the knowledge and skills of many different health professionals to address public health crises. The MRC would be mobilized during any event that would require the County to open point-of-distribution clinics, or PODs, to accomplish mass prophylaxis of the population or upon the opening of the Special Needs Shelter to accommodate certain clients during hurricane warnings. Other examples of an emergency event that would require volunteer medical staff are a smallpox outbreak, pandemic flu, or a large anthrax-related terrorist event.
 

Any licensed or certified health professional, or health professional student, that lives or works in our area can join the Medical Reserve Corps. As well, non-licensed personnel are needed to fill administrative positions when the unit is activated. Your expertise, licensure or certification will help determine the role you may be asked to fill during an emergency. Please refer to the “MRC Recruitment” tab on our web page for additional information.
 

Your emergency preparedness skills will be strengthened through our ongoing training sessions, and will be reinforced at the time you are called upon to volunteer, e.g., while working at a vaccination or antibiotic point-of-distribution (POD) clinic or at a Special Needs Shelter. In general, during a public health emergency, you might be asked to contribute in several different ways, including: providing medical treatment or evaluation, providing education, administering vaccine, or distributing medication. We will do our best to ensure that the role you are asked to play is appropriate for your level and area of expertise, but volunteers must be flexible.
 

We ask that MRC volunteers try to complete the available training modules on our website, as well as any subsequent training offered to MRC members. In the event that the Medical Reserve Corps is activated, services during emergencies require volunteer flexibility and commitment, usually on a 24-hour/day schedule. The expected time-commitment of volunteers will depend on the scale of the public health emergency, as well as what other events are happening at the time. For some health emergencies, it may be as little as part of one day. For potentially catastrophic events like a smallpox outbreak, we might mobilize health volunteers to work several 12-hour shifts over several days. We would ask that you commit to serve throughout the event for all of the timeslots we would need you to cover, but your availability to volunteer is up to you.
 

Full-time hospital staff members who register to participate in the Medical Reserve Corps during a public health emergency must be released by their hospital administration before they are able to volunteer. The MRC Task Force will coordinate with the various hospital administrations where the MRC volunteers regularly work for emergency deployment.
 

The MRC offers opportunities through continuing education (CMEs, CEUs) to become better prepared to handle large-scale health crises. Additionally, the MRC will offer regular updates on the progress of the MRC, including information on the latest emergency preparedness educational/training opportunities. MRC members also gain personal satisfaction from knowing that they are helping our County become better prepared to handle public health emergencies.
 

No, you will be volunteering to help the County in a time of extreme need.
 

Medical Reserve Corps volunteers are covered by workers comp laws. Additionally, liability is covered by state laws regarding Sovereign Immunity (768.28), Good Samaritan (768.13), Volunteer Protection Act (768.1355) and Volunteer Benefits (110.504).
 

Volunteers should fill out the registration form and submit it electronically at:
Florida Emergency Health Volunteer Registry