What is the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)?
A national network of local groups of volunteers engaging local communities to strengthen public health, reduce vulnerability, build resilience, and improve preparedness, response and recovery capabilities.

Community Members who are medically trained (Practicing, retired, or otherwise employed medical professionals):

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Emergency Medical Technicians
• Pharmacists
• Nurses' Assistants
• Public health professionals
• and others

Community members without medical training can assist with security, safety, technology, transportation, planning and other essential support functions.

CT Responds!
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is now requesting that all MRC volunteers register through CT Responds! even if you have been a member of our MRC unit for years. We will no longer be using the paper application. CT Responds! is the State of Connecticut's new web-based volunteer management system that will maintain a registry of volunteers' skills and credentials available within the state. Please visit: https://ctresponds.ct.gov to complete the online application.

What do MRC Volunteers do?
The responsibilities of MRC volunteers vary, depending on the nature of the needs in the community. MRC volunteers can:

• Assist during emergencies: Major emergencies can overwhelm the capabilities of first responders, particularly during the first 12 to 72 hours. Medical and other health volunteers can provide an important "surge" capacity during this critical period. They also can add to medical staff during shortages at local medical and emergency facilities. In short, communities often need medically and non-medically trained individuals and others to fill in the gaps in their emergency response plans and to improve their response capabilities overall.
• Assist with public initiatives: MRC volunteers also strengthen the overall health of Americans by participating in general public health initiatives such as flu vaccination clinics and diabetes detection programs.
• Get Involved with ongoing community health outreach and education efforts. The U.S. Surgeon General has outlined her priorities for the health of individuals and the nation as a whole. MRC volunteers are encouraged to work toward the prevention of disease and injury, eliminating health disparities, and improving public health preparedness.

What Training Will I Need?
Emergency preparedness and response is a highly coordinated effort that allows communities to maximize their capabilities during times of extraordinary disorganization and stress. You may already know how to perform some of the medical and health needed. In most cases, your training as an MRC volunteer will focus primarily on learning your local emergency and health procedures, trauma response techniques, use of specialized equipment, and other methods to enhance your effectiveness as a volunteer.

Perhaps the most important part of your training will be learning to work as part of a team. An organized, well-trained MRC unit will be familiar with its community's response plan, will know what materials are available for use, will know its response partners, and will know where its skills can be put to best use in a coordinated manner.

Helpful Resources: National MRC