Camden
County Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps
WE
NEED YOU!!!
As
part of Camden County’s Public Health Emergency Planning efforts,
we are joining the State of New Jersey Department of Health &
Senior Services in establishing a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
Just
what is that? The MRC will be comprised of a group of volunteers
from all professions and walks of life from our general population.
We are looking for community residents, medical professionals and
retired folks to become part of this Corps.
And
what will you be doing? In the event of a catastrophic
emergency, such as a contagious disease outbreak (for example Asian
Bird Flu, Smallpox, SARS), the Health Department will be setting
up Points of Distribution (PODs) throughout the county so that we
can quickly and efficiently dispense medication to the general population.
In
our practice runs where we have set up actual PODs, we have been
able to determine the kinds of help we will need from the general
public. In addition to staffing a distribution center with medical
personnel, we have a need for:
-
Hospitality workers – to give out coffee and donuts for
instance
-
Greeters – to present a friendly face and direct residents
to the proper lines
-
Housekeeping folks – to help us keep the areas picked up
and organized
-
Childcare Workers – to help monitor and comfort children
while their parents are being inoculated or counseled
-
Clergy – to offer support and comfort to residents who may
be anxious
-
Translators – to help ease the fears of residents who are
not fluent in English
-
Traffic controllers – to direct vehicles in and out of the
POD area
-
Security – to help us maintain a smooth operation
-
Clerical Support – to help us facilitate the necessary paperwork
distribution, collection and sorting
From the medical professions, we are
seeking volunteers who are:
-
Physicians
-
Nurses
-
Physicians’ assistants
-
Dentists
-
Veterinarians
-
Social workers
-
Mental health professionals
-
Emergency medical technicians
-
Medical assistants and others
After
September 11, 2001, it became apparent throughout our communities
that we need to make a concerted effort to identify and assign people
to help with the many tasks required during a public emergency. It
isn’t unusual for people to panic during a catastrophic event,
and we want to be able to assure residents in Camden County that we
have a plan in place to prevent that from happening. Government, Law
Enforcement and Emergency Management personnel cannot do the job alone.
We need your help. We will offer training and information to all who
get involved. The work isn’t hard and it is very personally
rewarding.
In order to
volunteer, you should be able to provide your own transportation
to/from a POD site. You should be in good health to the extent that
you will have the physical and mental stamina to respond in an emergency.
We
need your help. Please join us in becoming a part of our
Public Health Emergency Planning response team. Just fill out the
registration form below and click on ‘submit’…..we
will be in touch with you shortly.
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