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Unit Spotlight - March 2006

Unit Name:	Snohomish County DEM
Contact Information:	3509 109th Street, S.W. Everett, WA 98204
Point of Contact:	MRC Coordinator - Christine Badger MRC Liaison - Terry Clark
Phone:	(425) 423-7635
E-mail:	christine.badger@snodem.org terry.clark@co.snohomish.wa.us

When was the Unit Founded?

In 1999, the Snohomish County DEM began with the American Red Cross (ARC) and local hospitals’ shelter plan to pre-plan and pre-identify medically fragile patients in the event of a disaster. It became an MRC unit in September 2003.

What Drives the Unit?

The focus of the Snohomish County DEM is on having local medical professionals and medical support staff available to support their communities in an emergency.

How Many Volunteers Does the Unit Have?

The Snohomish County DEM has more than 80 medical and 10 non-medical volunteers.

How Large is the Unit’s Staff?

The Snohomish County DEM has two part-time staff: the MRC Coordinator and MRC Liaison.

Why was the Unit Selected?

Snohomish County MRC was selected because of their work at the local and national levels. The MRC unit partnered with the ARC and Snohomish County Senior Services to purchase 20,000 medical information folders called “Files of Life.” During the Hurricane Katrina response, Snohomish County developed a color-coding system for their volunteers by profession, local/national activation, and availability. When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asked for volunteers, they selected the individuals that matched the HHS request for specific professions and mission dates. They also developed a checklist to reduce volunteers from becoming a liability when activated. Those who were eligible for national deployment were provided with an ID card, shirt, and travel packet before deployment.

What are Some of the Unit’s Activities?

Snohomish County DEM developed “Files of Life” for seniors to place medical information in a small plastic envelope file and displayed on their refrigerator. This would allow EMTs to easily access their information when called for an emergency. Also, during large-scale emergencies, seniors would be able to bring their files to medical shelters.
Snohomish County DEM also has developed community triage centers that consist of volunteers who activate and support their local community in the event of a disaster.
Snohomish County DEM is setting up medical special needs shelters with the ARC.
Snohomish County DEM also has completed training with CERT training response teams and an advanced disaster life support class.
Snohomish County DEM deployed five volunteers to the Gulf Coast to support the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, which included a physician, respiratory therapist, two nurses, and a mental health counselor.

What are Some of the Unit’s Achievements?

The Snohomish County DEM had pre-planned for a disaster, allowing them to quickly mobilize their volunteers to the Gulf Coast to support the Hurricane Katrina Response. In addition, the volunteer application process allows them to quickly process an influx of people and deploy an individual who wants to join the unit. The Snohomish County DEM activated volunteers within a 2½-hour time period. Deployed volunteers were issued uniform shirts and ID tags that were-color coded based on their position and skill level.

The Snohomish County DEM has completed their first newsletter, and a Web page is currently in development.

Interesting Facts About the Unit

Snohomish County DEM has volunteers that are both physicians and HAM radio operators that advocate for communication with area hospitals.
Unit volunteers are currently advocating a bill (HB 1850-2005-06) for Retired Medical Volunteer and Licensure before the Washington State Legislature, to have liability protection for retired medical professionals.
A large portion of the unit’s community is comprised of water. Therefore, a quarter of the population commutes by ferry boat, making transportation an issue for the community. The development of community triage centers comprised of MRC volunteers who can support their immediate community in an emergency is significant and important.
Snohomish County DEM uses a color-coded filing system to identify and track volunteers who can and cannot be deployed.

Last Updated on 5/25/2006