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Region III Newsletter - Spring 2006
In this issue:
New Region III Units
Spring is here!
All around us, things are beginning to grow and blossom. The MRC continues to grow at an astounding rate. We have more than 400 units and more than 73,500 volunteers nationwide! Region III currently has 48 units with more than 14,900 volunteers. Since our last newsletter, three new units have joined us. Please welcome the following:
Henrico County MRC
8600 Dixon Powers Drive
P.O. Box 27032
Richmond, Virginia 23273
Michael Magner
(804) 501-5057
Michael.Magner@vdh.virginia.gov
Richmond City Medical Reserve Corps
900 East Marshall Street, 3rd Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Charles Lee
(804) 646-3100
Charles.Lee@vdh.virginia.gov
Eastern Panhandle Medical Reserve Corps
800 Emmett Rousch Drive
Martinsburg, WV 25401
Diana Gaviria
(304) 263-5131
dianagaviria@wvdhhr.org
Metropolitan Medical Response System
The Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) is program supported through the Department of Homeland Security. This program directly supports local capabilities to assist with managing an all hazards mass casualty incident (within the first 48 hours) until external resources arrive. By preparing and coordinating the first responders, public health emergency management, medical providers, businesses and volunteers will be able to more effectively respond to a public health crisis.
The overarching purpose of the MMRS is to support local jurisdictions through improving and sustaining all hazards response capabilities to manage mass causality events. There are currently 125 jurisdictions that are part of the MMRS. (See the map of MMRS Jurisdictions.) During the past 3 years, the appropriations have ranged from $30–$50 million.
In the FY 2006 Homeland Security Grant Guidance, the MRC was identified and encouraged to be supported. Each MMRS jurisdiction was allowed up to $25,000 to support their local MRC.
The MMRS capabilities that are emphasized include the following:
- Radiological medical health effects preparedness
- Operation viability of mass care shelters and medical treatment facilities
- Emergency alerting system/emergency public information
- NIMS compliance
- Quarantine and isolation preparedness
- GIS applications
- Updated Steering Committee
- Pharmaceutical cache management and status reporting
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Emergency and Disaster Grant Information
The Department of Homeland Security has created a site that provides information on homeland security and public safety grants that are being offered throughout the Federal government. The primary focus of these grants is the preparedness of first responders and citizens, public health, infrastructure security, and other public safety activities. Many grants are administered directly through state agencies and administration offices. See Homeland Security Grant State Contact Information.
View the various grants and resources that are available.
Lessons Learned: Hurricane Katrina
On February 23, 2006, the White House released a report focusing on the Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina. The report includes 17 lessons learned, 125 specific recommendations to the President, and 11 critical actions that must take place before June 6, 2006.
Below are some highlights which refer to the MRC, Citizen Corps, USA Freedom Corps, and other volunteer related topics from the report. All excerpts are from The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned document, as issued by The White House. Page numbers are provided after each quote or comment so readers may quickly reference the excerpts within the full report. Read the entire document.
Mentions of MRC, the Surgeon General, Citizen Corps, and USA Freedom Corps
- “The number of volunteer, non-profit, faith-based, and private sector entities that aided in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort was truly extraordinary. Nearly every national, regional, and local charitable organization in the United States, and many from abroad, contributed aid to the victims of the storm. Trained volunteers from member organizations of the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), the American Red Cross, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), as well as untrained volunteers from across the United States, deployed to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.” (p. 63)
- “Government sponsored volunteer organizations also played a critical role in providing relief and assistance. For example, the USA Freedom Corps persuaded numerous non-profit organizations and the Governor’s State Service Commissions to list their hurricane relief volunteer opportunities in the USA Freedom Corps volunteer search engine. The USA Freedom Corps also worked with the Corporation for National and Community Service, which helped to create a new, people-driven “ Katrina Resource Center” to help volunteers connect their resources with needs on the ground. In addition, 14,000 Citizen Corps volunteers supported response and recovery efforts around the country. This achievement demonstrates that seamless coordination among government agencies and volunteer organizations is possible when they build cooperative relationships and conduct joint planning and exercises before an incident occurs.” (p. 71)
- “The Surgeon General should routinely communicate public health, as well as individual and community preparedness guidance to the general population. While there are other prominent and capable Federal health officials, the Surgeon General’s stature and credibility should be used to repeatedly and proactively deliver a consistent public health preparedness message to the public. This will not only help to increase personal, community and national disaster preparedness, it will also make the Surgeon General a more effective and credible source of guidance during public health emergencies.” (p. 105)
- “HHS should organize, train, equip, and roster medical and public health professionals in preconfigured and deployable teams. These personnel should be comprised of officers of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), the NDMS, health care providers within DOD and the VA, and volunteer health professionals from the private sector. This is consistent with the HHS efforts to enhance the medical and public health response to meet future challenges by transforming the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. This will enable a critical emergency response resource to address public health challenges more quickly and efficiently.” (p. 113)
- “The Citizen Corps coordinated volunteer efforts throughout the country, with more than 14,000 Citizen Corps volunteers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia actively involved in response and recovery efforts across America. The Harris County, Texas, Citizen Corps Council brought together an enormous number of volunteers to support the American Red Cross and staffed evacuation centers throughout Houston. They processed over 8,000 volunteers in one day, and an average of 3,500 per day overall. These volunteers allowed for the creation of an actual city (with its own zip code) for nearly 25,000 Louisiana evacuees sheltering in the Houston Reliant Astrodome. They were successful because they had coordinated ahead of time with local businesses and volunteer groups, and because they were familiar with and implemented elements of the Incident Command System.” (p. 126)
Lessons Learned
- “The Federal response should better integrate the contributions of volunteers and nongovernmental organizations into the broader national effort. This integration would be best achieved at the State and local levels, prior to future incidents. In particular, State and local governments must engage NGOs in the planning process, credential their personnel, and provide them the necessary resource support for their involvement in a joint response.” (p. 114)
- “The Federal government, working with State, local, NGO, and private sector partners, should combine the various disparate citizen preparedness programs into a single national campaign to promote and strengthen citizen and community preparedness. This campaign should be developed in a manner that appeals to the American people, incorporates the endorsement and support of prominent national figures, focuses on the importance of individual and community responsibility for all-hazard disaster preparedness, provides meaningful and comprehensive education, training and exercise opportunities applicable to all facets of the American population, and establishes specialized preparedness programs for those less able to provide for themselves during disasters such as children, the ill, the disabled, and the elderly.” (call out box, p. 80)
- “Medical and public health assets provided excellent care to thousands of displaced patients with both acute injuries and with chronic medical conditions, many of whom had multiple complex medical requirements. According to the Governors from the Gulf Region, medical and public health professionals were true heroes of the Hurricane Katrina response.” (p. 46)
Other Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned Resources
- The CDC and Public Health Grand Rounds will be hosting a satellite broadcast, “Learning from Katrina: Tough Lessons in Preparedness and Emergency Response." This event will take place on March 31, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. (EST). The primary focus will be the public health implications and vulnerabilities of disaster response. See program and registration information.
- The Lessons Learned Information Sharing Web site is the National clearinghouse of lessons learned and best practices for emergency response providers and homeland security officials.
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Pandemic Influenza Planning Software
FluAid is a test version of software created by programmers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is designed to assist state and local level planners in preparing for the next influenza pandemic by providing estimates of potential impact specific to their locality. FluAid provides only a range of estimates of impact in terms of deaths, hospitalizations, and outpatients visits due to pandemic influenza. The software cannot describe when or how people will become ill, nor how a pandemic may spread through a society over time.
Upcoming Health Observances
National Volunteer Week is from April 23–29, 2006. This will be an opportune time to acknowledge your volunteers for their commitment and dedication. Below are some ideas from the Points of Light Foundation, inclusive of a toolkit.
- Present your volunteers with a small token of thanks—this can be a simple as an award certificate (see the National Volunteer Week toolkit for template certificates).
- Recognize a "Volunteer of the Month" in your newsletter or on your Web site. Also, include information why the volunteer received this type of recognition. Include photos as well.
- Distribute bumper stickers or other promotional items to recognize volunteer contributions.
- Honor the first volunteer recruited during National Volunteer Week. Give this volunteer special prizes or recognition. Create a National Volunteer Week yearbook, which can be displayed in a library, courthouse lobby, or another public office. You also can create a display or exhibit at a local public office.
- Ask local radio and television stations to run a week-long series that recognizes a different volunteer for each day of National Volunteer Week.
Claudia Vento, from the Rappahannock-Rapidan Medical Reserve Corps, had some additional ideas for volunteer recognition awards that can be utilized throughout the year, which include:
- MRC pin—attendance at a compilation of 4 trainings, drills and events
- 6" flashlights for their equipment bags—attendance at a compilation of 12 trainings, drills and events
- First aid kits for their equipment bags—attendance at a compilation of 24 trainings, drills and events
Thanks, Claudia!
Additional Volunteer Recognition Resources
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Upcoming Events
The MRC National Leadership Training Conference will take place in Dallas, Texas, from April 18–21, 2006. It will be a 4-day conference packed with information sharing and strategies. There also will be a 3-hour breakout session for individual regions. If you have some topics that you desire to discuss, please forward them to me, carla.holder@hhs.gov.
The Disney Institute is bringing its renowned professional development program, “The Disney Keys to Excellence” to Altoona on May 4, 2006. Sponsored locally by Southern Alleghenies EMS Council, Inc., the full-day event gives area business professionals a chance to discover the business behind the Disney magic. For more information, contact Lori Driscollat (800) 367-5448 or by e-mail at ldriscoll@saems.com.
The National Obesity Action Forum will take place in Bethesda, Maryland, June 5–6, 2006.
Additional Resources
Citizen Corps State Points of Contact
Delaware
Delaware State Council
Bob George
Citizen Corps and CERT Coordinator
165 Brick Store Landing Road
Smyrna, DE 19977
Phone: (302) 836-1656
E-mail: rj.george@comcast.net
District of Columbia
District of Columbia Citizen Corps Council
Millicent Williams
Citizen Corps Manager - ServeDC
Suite 1040 South
441 4th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 727-7200
E-mail: Millicent.Williams@dc.gov
Maryland
Citizen Corps of Maryland
Debbie Staigerwald
Emergency Management Coordinator
Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism
300 West Preston Street, 15th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 767-1674
E-mail: dstaigerwald@gosv.state.md.us
Pennsylvania
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pamela Weeks
Emergency Management Specialist
2605 Interstate Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: (717) 651-2141
E-mail: pweeks@state.pa.us
Virginia
Virginia Corps State Council
Suzanne Simmons
Virginia Citizen Corps Program Manager
Virginia Department of Emergency Management
10501 Trade Court
Richmond, VA 23236
Phone: (804) 897-6518
E-mail: suzanne.simmons@vdem.virginia.gov
West Virginia
West Virginia Citizen Corps Council
Karen Settles
Citizen Corps Coordinator
4782 Chimney Drive
Charleston, WV 25302
Phone: (304) 965-2779
E-mail: ksettles@wvoes.state.wv.us
Regional Coordinator Contact Information
If you have any comments, questions, or information that you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please contact me.
Carla Holder
Phone: (215) 861-4624
E-mail: carla.holder@hhs.gov
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Last Updated on 2/8/2008
