Start an MRC

Starting a Medical Reserve Corp Unit

• Obtain permission to use MRC name (register on www.medicalreservecorps.gov )
• Obtain list of licensed and certified persons in county/area
• Formulate strategy for recruitment
  • Direct mailings
  • Newspaper articles/press releases
  • Contact schools/professional societies
  • Use special incentives
• Devise a database (or acquire one)
• CHOOSE TRAINING
  • Be aware of time commitment
  • Be sure to establish incident command and protocol AND incorporate into trainings
  • Give some basic skills to be uniform (i.e. CPR, basic First Aid, even for administrative)
  • Allow for flexibility of amounts and kinds of “additional training”
  • Keep it simple and uniform as possible
  • Try to use existing resources
• Decide what kinds of badges, equipment you will be using for each individual volunteer
  • Picture ID
  • Color-coded vest (can be used summer or winter)
  • Individual equipment (modeled after CERT training)
• Recruit, background check, database information
• Hold first training
  • Be careful not to overwhelm with too much information
  • Thank the participants in writing afterwards
  • Come up with ways to keep volunteers involved.
• Eventually, try to hold a full mock scenario with trainees

Liability: This issue has not been solved to anyone's satisfaction in Illinois . You must either proceed as though it is not an issue, or address it on a local level at this time.

Workman's Comp: This can be circumvented by blanketing the MRC volunteers into the ESDA volunteer system. You MUST work with your ESDA coordinator to make this aspect work!

Use your resources! Do not try to make things, such as trainings from scratch if it can be helped.

Try not to exclude- make the MRC as inclusive as possible. Also, look outside of the normal parameters for people resources (i.e. clergy, schools, etc).

There is room in an MRC to be flexible enough to make it work for a smaller community or a larger one, an urban community or a rural one. Do not tie yourself to “strict” guidelines.

List of Other Illinois MRC Units