Vashon MRC New Volunteer Registration & Orientation

Vashon MRC applicants,

Welcome to the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). We have volunteer opportunities for medical providers, mental health and spiritual health professionals and administrative support volunteers. We look forward to working with you!

During this current crisis, we appreciate your interest in helping out with virus response efforts. As we are trying to get volunteers ready to help us NOW for this event, there are some modified instructions for registration in order to be able to volunteer with us.

The "normal" process for becoming a Registered Emergency Worker (REW) involves 4 steps. Completing the REW is necessary both for malpractice protection and for liability protection related to our MRC activation events.

We would like you to eventually complete the entire REW process (to include step 4). The truncated 3 step process - as well as the complete 4 step process is noted below.

There are 4 steps with 3 required during the Covid event

If you have ANY questions during this process, please email our membership team at MRCmembership@VashonBePrepared.org

Thank you!  The MRC Membership Team

Step 1: Orientation Video

In this orientation we:

  • Provide an overview of the Public Health Reserve Corps (PHRC),
  • Discuss your role as a volunteer,
  • Go over:
    • PHRC policies and procedures,
    • Trauma informed principles, and
    • Cultural humility,
  • Discuss personal preparedness and
  • Emergencies you could be called to respond for (like the current virus outbreak),
  • Give some past, present, and future examples of PHRC involvement in emergency response and the community,
  • & more!

Public Health Reserve Corps Orientation VideoDue to the Covid-19 pandemic we are having you watch the orientation at home. Discuss any questions you have with your on-boarding mentor. Once this event is over, we will resume LIVE orientations.

To view the video, click here or the image to the right.

  • Once you are finished with the video, email the membership team at MRCmembership@vashonbeprepared.org and let them know you finished and WHAT DAY you viewed the orientation. We have to notify the county that this is complete or they cannot proceed with your background check.
  • If you have any trouble getting it to load, let the membership team know.

Step 2: Create a WASERV Account

Step-by-step instructions with screenshots are available here.

  1. First, open Google Chrome as your browser and ALLOW Pop-ups.
  2. Next go to Waserv:  https://www.waserv.org/
  3. Click “Add Organizations”
  4. Click the + next to “Washington State Responders”
  5. Scroll down to “King County Organizations” and click the + box
  6. Look at the dropdown list and click the empty boxes to the left of BOTH Public Health Reserve Corps (MRC) AND Vashon Island (MRC)
  7. Click the “Select” button on the lower right-hand corner of the screen
  8. You should now see both organizations have been added to your profile
  9. Next, you will create a username and password. Be sure to write them down for later reference
  10. Next you choose a secret question for password retrieval
  11. Next you add your demographic information
  12. Next you add your email, contact information and occupation
  13. Answer the last question about how you heard about the site (From your MRC) and click NEXT
  14. It should then tell you that you have successfully created your Waserv account
  15. NOW you will complete your WASERV PROFILE – go through each of the tabs:  Identity, Deployment Preferences, Contact information, Occupation, Training, Skills and Certifications and Medical History. Edit information or add things as needed. If nothing needed just move on to the next section, but make sure to open EVERY section
  16. When you are done you click the Summary tab on the far left – it should show you are 100% complete on all sections. If it shows an incomplete section, open that tab again and see what is needed
  17. Once you are done, you can go back into your Chrome browser settings and put the Pop-up blocker back on if you want to

Email us to let us know it’s done: MRCmembership@vashonbeprepared.org.

We can then review your Waserv registration and approve your Waserv profile to be added to the Vashon MRC. Once WE complete that step, you will get an email that confirms this has occurred.

If you don’t receive an application, or want to expedite the process, you can email the membership team at MRCmembership@VashonBePrepared.org and request a paper copy of the application which can be filled out and scanned in and emailed to phrc@kingcounty.gov, or mailed to the county. 

Step 3: Receive and Complete a PHRC application

Once we know your orientation and WASERV registration is complete, we will send an email to the county and they will send you a digital PHRC (Public Health Reserve Corps) application and handbook to sign via DOCUSIGN.

After you have completed those documents, the county will initiate a background check. Once the background check is cleared, you will be given an REW number and will be able to volunteer with the MRC.

Please let us know when your forms are done, so we can help track the final step with the county.

Vashon Medical Reserve Corps

Step 4: FEMA Courses - can be postponed during the Covid event

Due to the Covid crisis, this requirement is relaxed, but still needs to be done eventually and will provide helpful background. It is required for you to become a Registered Emergency Worker (REW).

There are two FEMA Incident Command System courses numbered 100 and 700 that are required to complete and REW. You watch the course and then have to take a test. They can be a little tricky, but you are allowed to keep the course material on your desktop to refer to, which can help. When you finish each course you will get a COMPLETION certificate. SAVE a copy of the certificates to your desktop.

When you have BOTH certificates, email them to phrc@kingcounty.gov and let them know “I have completed these 2 courses as part of my application for REW to participate with the Vashon MRC”

  1. FIRST you need to create a FEMA student ID  - go to this website to do so:
    https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid/register
  2. SECOND You need to take the IS (Incident Command Systems) Course 100 – here is the link:
    https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-100.c
  3. FINALLY you need to take the IS (Incident Command Systems) Course 700 – here is the link:
    https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-700.b

The person who receives your forms at PHRC, Emily Laskowski, is very experienced and can answer any questions. If you have trouble with WAserv registration, Emily can help with that or reach out to us!

Vashon MRC

Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a group of local medical and non-medical volunteers who provide surge support to the Operations Section of the Vashon EOC under Vashon Fire during a public health emergency or disaster.
The mission of Vashon MRC is to enhance Vashon Fire's ability to respond to public health emergencies or disasters to limit injury, illness, suffering and death.
When every minute counts, Vashon MRC will play a major role with:
  • Setting up, and running a medication center
  • Supporting the health and medical needs of people in emergency shelters
  • Dispensing medications or administering vaccinations
  • Providing information and support to the community
  • Conducting health screening
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