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Organizing an MRC Unit: Operational Components and the Incident-Response Cycle

The operational or functional components of a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit can be organized into three areas. In practice, they occur simultaneously and interdependently.

External Coordination
Volunteer Relations
Internal Organization

At any given time, the combination of these organizational activities also is determined by which area the MRC unit is in relative to the incident-response cycle.

PRE-Emergency or Engagement Activities
TRANS-Emergency or Engagement Activities
POST-Emergency or Engagement Activities

The unit’s activities occur prior to an engagement or emergency, during and after the engagement or emergency, or during a critical period of post-response activities and recovery. Utilization of MRC volunteers follows a cyclical process.

In the following table, the MRC unit’s operational components—and the coordinator’s changing role—are segmented according to where these activities fall relative to the engagements and emergencies involving MRC volunteers.

The Coordinator's Changing Role (in relation to the primary operational components)
Coordinator's Role	PRE-Emergency or Engagement Activities	TRANS-Emergency or Engagement Activities	POST-Emergency or Engagement Activities
Collaborate with response partners to ensure proper coordination of volunteer contributions (External Coordination)	Familiarization with the community’s emergency response system and contacting all parties Conducting needs assessments with response partners Planning jointly for training and utilization; defining roles and procedures Participating in emergency exercises with response partners	Supporting health and medical response organizations Verifying volunteer credentials and qualifications Relaying information between health and medical response organizations and volunteers	Critiquing events with response partners Assessing unit performance (lessons learned) and applying corrective actions, as needed Identifying possible public health and medical issues Identifying non-emergency activities
Allow volunteers to make the best use of their skills (Volunteer Relations)	Recruiting, public relations, and public awareness Interviewing and screening volunteers Training and participating in emergency exercise with response partners Volunteer retention activities Advocating for volunteers	Contacting volunteers Ensuring volunteers are apprised of the situation Verifying volunteer credentials and qualifications	Assessing unit performance (lessons learned) and applying corrective actions, as needed Providing follow-up support Recognizing volunteers Engaging in non-emergency activities
Secure funds, resources, and infrastructure necessary to achieving primary objective (Internal Organization)	Tracking volunteer, local contacts, and other information Clarifying policies and strategic priorities Grant writing and leveraging public and private resources Ensuring local officials are aware of activities Identifying needs and resources (equipment, supplies, communications, etc.) Managing other administrative functions	Assessing whether internal organizational activities need to be postponed depending on the engagement or emergency Verifying volunteer credentials and qualifications	Assessing unit performance (lessons learned) and applying corrective actions, as needed Organizing and summarizing all engagement-specific information Communicating successes

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Last Updated on 8/16/2006