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Region IV MRC Update - May 2006

In this issue:

• Welcome New MRC Units
• MRC Core Competencies Unveiled
• MRC National Leadership Conference
• MRC a Finalist for the Innovations in Homeland Security Award
• Upcoming Events of Interest
• MRC Program Web Site Makeover
• Helpful Online Resources
• Upcoming Health Observances
• Regional Coordinator Contact Information

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Welcome New MRC Units

Please welcome our newest units:

The Capital Area MRC serves the eight-county area surrounding Tallahassee, Florida. It is a partnership between the Tallahassee chapter of the American Red Cross and local first responders and other organizations that provide health services, working to prepare the area for emergencies.

The Upper Northeast Georgia MRC serves a 13-county area in northeastern Georgia, where the public health district began recruiting volunteers for public health emergency preparedness in January 2005. This unit has more than 200 volunteers who participate in various activities geared towards all-hazards preparedness.

This brings us to 65 registered units within our eight-state region (423 across the United States). If you know of a community that would like to start its own MRC unit, please have them contact the Regional Coordinator, Elizabeth Fitch at (404) 562-4276 or elizabeth.fitch@hhs.gov. Units may apply for registration through the MRC Web site. Your support for these new units as they develop is very much appreciated.

MRC Core Competencies Unveiled

The MRC and the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) have worked together to identify eight basic core competencies for MRC volunteers. The competencies have been reviewed by representatives of the MRC program at the local, state, and national levels and were unveiled at the 2006 MRC National Leadership and Training Conference. These core competencies are not meant to change or replace existing training curricula established by local units, but to provide guidance and consistency for what it means to be an MRC volunteer, regardless of professional background. These broad competencies would be applicable to any MRC volunteer in any unit. Obviously, additional standards would apply for those volunteers who have medical credentials. See more information about the MRC Core Competencies.

The MRC Core Competencies

We encourage all active members of an MRC unit to, at a minimum, be able to:

1. Describe the procedure and steps necessary for the MRC member to protect health, safety and overall well being of themselves, their families, the team and the community.
2. Document that the MRC member has a personal and family preparedness plan in place.
3. Describe the chain of command (e.g., Emergency Management Systems, ICS, NIMS), the integration of the MRC, and its application to a given incident.
4. Describe the role of the local MRC unit in public health and/or emergency response and its application to a given incident.
5. Describe the MRC member’s communication role(s) and processes with response partners, media, general public, and others.
6. Describe the impact of an event on the mental health of the MRC member, responders, and others.
7. Demonstrate the MRC member’s ability to follow procedures for assignment, activation, reporting and deactivation.
8. Identify limits to own skills, knowledge and abilities as they pertain to MRC role(s).

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MRC National Leadership Conference

More than 400 representatives of MRC units, public health agencies, and other partner programs gathered in Dallas, TX April 18–21 for the annual MRC National Leadership and Training Conference. There were various sessions on the agenda, including plenary sessions on Pandemic Influenza, Risk Communication, working with Special Needs Populations, MRC Core Competencies, MRC-TRAIN, and Volunteer Relations Training. The concurrent sessions offered during the conference were led by MRC unit leaders, including quite a few from Region IV. Region IV units also presented in poster sessions and in the exhibit area during the Evening with the Surgeon General. During the Tuesday night reception, participants had the opportunity to have their picture taken with the U.S. Surgeon General.

The MRC's name and logo in lights at the Hyatt Regency.	MRC participants hearing about NACCHO and the new MRC Core Competencies.

Region IV’s Regional Breakout Session had a great turnout and was primarily focused on discussion of current activities and planning for the future. Some of the issues identified for further work by units, the Regional Coordinator, and the MRC Program Office were:

• Public information on the need for medical professionals and other volunteers to be pre-identified before an event
• Standards for credentialing
• National MRC Marketing Campaign
• The NDMS-MRC relationship
• MRC-Specific National Recognition of volunteers

Stay tuned for more information on these topics and more! Conference presentations will be available on the MRC Web site soon.

MRC a Finalist for the Innovations in Homeland Security Award

The MRC was listed in the April 21 issue of USA Today as one of five finalists for the Mitretek Innovations Award in Homeland Security. To learn more about the award, see the Mitretek Innovations Award in Homeland Security Web site to learn more about the award.

Upcoming Events of Interest

• May 4, 2006 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET: National Service Inclusion Project webcast on People with Disabilities and Emergency Preparedness 
• May 9, 2006 3:00–5:00 p.m. ET: Preparing for Hurricane Season: Medical Needs Shelters Webcast from the Alabama Department of Public Health 
• May 10, 2006 2:30–4:00 p.m. ET: Emergency Preparedness: Community Collaborations between Public Health Departments and Community Health Centers  (NACCHO Webcast)
• May 11, 2006 10:00–11:00 a.m. ET: Ethical Hazards in Pandemic Flu Planning and Response (Webcast/satellite) 
• May 16, 2006 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET: Needs of Our Children: Pediatric Care Before, During and After Disasters (Webcast/satellite)
• May 31, 2006 12:30–1:30 ET: Risk and Resilience in PTSD
• June 5–6, Bethesda, MD: National Obesity Action Forum
• June 12–14, Atlanta, GA: The Public’s Health and the Law in the 21st Century

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MRC Program Web Site Makeover

Be sure to check out the new look of the National MRC Web site. If you haven’t recently taken the time to visit the Web site, there’s a lot to see. Be sure to check out the “Did You Know?” section on the main page (hint: it pays to keep your Regional Coordinator up to date on your successes) and the MRC Spotlights page. You also can point your local media to the Media section of the Web site for more information.

Helpful Online Resources

Just a reminder: There is a collection of Web sites available that may be useful to MRC Unit Coordinators. The easiest way to look at these links is by topic—if you go to the archive page, click on the drop-down box next to “filter by topic” (at the top of the page), and you will see the topics available. Pick a topic, such as Risk Management/Liability, click the “search” button, and you will see the Web resources I’ve collected under that topic, along with a brief clipping from the page and possibly a note from me about the link. Recent additions include: FEMA Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Terms; CSIS Model Guidelines for Disease Exposure Control; Volunteer Management Review eNewsletter; and EMACweb. Also, see the MRC Response to the 2005 Hurricanes Final Report. Happy Surfing!

Upcoming Health Observances

May is Mental Health Month

May is Trauma Awareness Month

May is the 50th Anniversary of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

May 6–12 is National Nurses Week

May 14–20 is National Women’s Health Week

May 14–20 is National Emergency Medical Services Week

May 21 is the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

May 21 is the 125th Anniversary of the American Red Cross

May 21–27 is National Hurricane Preparedness Week

June is Home Safety Month

June 12–18 is National Men’s Health Week

Regional Coordinator Contact Information

Elizabeth H. Fitch, M.P.A.
Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center	(404) 562-4276 (Office)
61 Forsyth Street, SW	(404) 562-7899 (Fax)
Suite 5B95	elizabeth.fitch@hhs.gov
Atlanta, GA 30303

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Last Updated on 8/14/2006