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Developing: Qualifications of MRC Volunteers

Qualifications of MRC volunteers vary among communities. Generally, qualifications for volunteers are a combination of:

1. Adequate training (locally determined)
2. Credentials (state/federally determined)
3. Legal restrictions on practice (based on local/state liability and workers compensation regulations)
4. The scope of the volunteer’s practice for the MRC (determined by the MRC’s role in collaboration with response partners)

Each response partner may have different requirements or criteria for qualifications and different procedures for verifying credentials of paid staff and volunteers.

However, the term “qualified” is not defined the same among volunteers. Rather, qualification consists of specific activities or skills that volunteers can be asked to perform, and some indication of the types of situations or work settings for which they will have clearance (The topic of including volunteer qualifications on identification cards is addressed more extensively in another publication in this series, Establishing and Maintaining Your MRC Unit’s Organization.)

All of these and many other needs would be addressed in the planning effort conducted with your MRC unit’s response partners, some of whom may be responsible for emergency and public health response in the community.

A Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer’s Qualifications Summary

The following items summarize an MRC volunteer’s qualifications:

1. Adequate training (locally determined)
2. Credentials (state/federally determined)
3. Legal restrictions on practice (based on local/state liability and workers compensation regulations)
4. Scope of the volunteer’s practice for the MRC (determined by MRC’s role in collaboration with response partners)

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Last Updated on 8/23/2006