Home > 2005 Hurricane Response and Recovery Effort > MRC Response to the 2005 Hurricanes - Final Report >

Final Report - Summary: MRC Unit Leader Survey

March 13, 2006

In this Report:

• Executive Summary
• Background
• MRC Unit Activities: Regions I–V
• MRC Unit Activities: Regions VI–X 
• Case Study: Tracking Volunteer Hours
• MRC National-level Response Activities
• MRC Program Office Communications
• MRC Program Office Operations
• Initial Lessons Learned and Recommendations
• Summary: MRC Unit Leader Survey
• Summary: MRC Volunteer Survey

On this Page:

• Survey Results
• MRC Leader Lessons Learned and Best Practices—Some Common Themes
• Comments/Suggestions for Improvement

Thirty-eight Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit leaders responded to the survey and provided feedback on their 2005 hurricane response experience. The MRC Program Office’s goal is to use this feedback and lessons learned and suggestions to help make future MRC response activities as well coordinated as possible.

Survey Results

back to top

MRC Leader Lessons Learned and Best Practices—Some Common Themes

Be Flexible/Open Minded/Willing to Sacrifice

• Ensure volunteers are flexible and are prepared to expect the unexpected.

Communication is Important

• Provide each MRC volunteer with a telephone number for when they need assistance or are in a dangerous situation. Volunteers could initiate communication more directly and would have a “safety net” or someone who could provide assistance.
• Verify that all e-mail addresses are updated and tested.
• Provide clear and concise communication, particularly during the activation process.
• Know partners’ response plans, and communicate often with them.

Better Credentialing/Vetting System

• Develop a standard checklist for screening potential volunteers for national activation.

Scope of MRC/Professional Expertise—ARC deployment

• Deploy volunteers through HHS, rather than the ARC. The MRC program prefers to have its own deployment practices in place, and using another agency might leave the MRC vulnerable to other practices.
• Ensure each volunteer understands that they will only be performing a limited care through the ARC; many MRC volunteers were not allowed to work through to their scope of practice, which adversely affected their experiences.

Follow the Incident Command System

• Develop a Concept of Operations that includes a deployment guide.

Partnership/Teamwork/Collaboration

• Secure a prior relationship with response partners, which would enable MRC units to deploy locally and assist the ARC. MRC members were familiar with the mission of the ARC, and some had received ARC training, so they knew what to expect.

Rewarding Experience/Made a Difference

• Ensure all MRC volunteers are willing and able to respond outside of their local jurisdiction.

Pre-event Training/Planning is Important

• Pre-identify and designate members interested in deploying outside their local area.
• Staff hotlines and telephone banks—volunteers/staff should be educated regarding the most frequently asked questions.
• Create an understanding of what a volunteer can and cannot do before they are activated.

Recommended Practices

• Maintain a clear, bulleted timeline of events from the beginning of an event. This will help with the after-action process.
• Understand that customer service becomes more important during a crisis.
• Provide potential volunteers with complete information about deployment conditions.
• Avoid sending too many MRC volunteers outside their jurisdiction when there might be developing situations at home.
• Provide more guidelines—procedures must be outlined before emergencies occur so all involved are understand the procedures.

back to top

Comments/Suggestions for Improvement

• Brief ARC on-site staff on the MRC/ARC partnership if MRC volunteers are deployed through the ARC.
   
• Submit application submissions and approvals to the local MRC unit coordinator rather than the volunteer preparing to deploy. Many MRC units were unaware their volunteers were selected and deployed, because the unit coordinator was not informed. This could present problems if a local response is needed and the coordinator is missing volunteers.
   
• Streamline the paperwork processes.
   
• Inform MRC unit coordinators when the volunteers from their MRC unit were contacted and subsequently deployed.
   
• Decrease the amount of telephone numbers and contacts.
   
• Develop written procedures and details.
   
• Post the information for the MRC unit leaders on a Web site, rather than have them rely on e-mail messages. Some found it difficult to keep up with the enormous amount of e-mail messages.
   
• Adjust the way concrete information regarding flights and the general deployment process are provided to volunteers. 
   
• Invite local MRC units to participate in a daily 800-information telephone call to receive the most current information. A periodic conference call with participating MRC units involved in the activation should be held with MRC/ARC/HHS staff.
   
• Send volunteers their travel arrangements when flights have been confirmed and paid for, thus negating the “final” telephone call.
   
• Provide clearer deployment and travel arrangements to volunteers. Provide MRC volunteers with an emergency MRC telephone number or instruct MRC volunteers to call the liaison desk if they have problems.
   
• Develop a standardized set of deployment application documents in advance so that MRC volunteers can prepare for a national deployment and have some expectations as to what they may be asked to do, how long they will be deployed, or what conditions to expect.
   
• Simplify the application process. Many MRC volunteers completed a local application and were screened and credentialed previously.
   
• Develop a deployment protocol and communicate it to the local MRC units for inclusion in volunteer orientation.
   
• Staff a hotline (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) to answer MRC unit questions during a national deployment. Contact MRC units in close proximity to the MRC Program Office to assist with this task.
   
• Station an MRC contact at each state EOC to assist MRC volunteers on the ground.
   
• Indicate more clearly which vaccinations volunteers need; the deployment process and the health of the MRC volunteers must come first.
   
• Provide information regarding liability and workers compensation issues in advance. Who is responsible for payment if injuries occur while volunteers are deployed?
   
• Distribute as much information as possible to MRC unit leaders. Many were concerned about receiving too much information, but it is not an immediate concern. MRC unit leaders can decide which information is sent to the volunteers. The more information MRC coordinators have, the more they can better prepare for and equip volunteers to respond to a situation.
   
• Consider changing the service commitment from 2 weeks to 1. Some MRC volunteers could not make a 2-week commitment to serve outside the community, but wanted to help.
   
• Enhance the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals program and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to ensure agreements are clear.
   
• Send a group of volunteers (or at least two) from the same MRC unit so that they can work in the same location once deployed
• Include a medical release stating the anticipating working conditions to be signed by the volunteer’s personal physician in the application process.
   
• Ensure volunteers are trained in Incident Command System and have access to proper equipment.
   
• Maintain a consistent schedule regarding communications and updates.

back to top

Last Updated on 3/13/2007