Vashon Medical Reserve Corps

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the MRC grew and created innovative programs that were used in other communities around the country. For evaluating our response and preparing for the next incident, our island community needs you as a health care professional, those of you involved in mental health care and spiritual care, and those with administrative skills.

Join us!! : All you need to do is send us an email to:   MRCmembership@vashonbeprepared.org
Include your background and your contact information.  

We work with 4 teams:  clinicians, nurses, Community Care Team (mental and spiritual health), and administrative support.


Click here to watch our short video about the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps

 

Who we are.  Our team includes clinicians and nurses, mental health professionals and chaplains, pharmacists, veterinarians, funeral home staff, administrative support staff, and others.   We organize ourselves using an ER team as a model - from initial encounter and triage, hands-on care and mental health support, to medication management.

The national MRC program rose from the rubble of the 9-11 attacks, recognizing the need for health-care professionals to prepare for disasters. The MRC is a partner program of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security. Citizen Corps, along with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Peace Corps, are part of the President's USA Freedom Corps.  

Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is modeled on the national MRC program and was formed to provide care for members of our community in case of any disaster that would overwhelm the resources of the fire department and clinics, and very likely isolate us by interruption of ferry service. 

We are a part of the VashonBePrepared coalition, and support Vashon Island Fire & Rescue during any incidents. Our group includes medical professionals, such as MD, RN, NP Paramedics, EMTs, MA, DVM, and counselors.

On this island, we have no urgent care and no emergency room.  We have a single pharmacy without a stockpile of medications.  For these reasons and more, we as a health-care professionals will need to be able to secure our homes and family, and then meet to provide emergency care for our island community.

When the Island is cut off during an earthquake or other disaster we need to be trained to step in and help in a planned manner. You can be part of that team whether you're licensed, retired or just interested: we can help you help your neighbors!

Join us, it's interesting, it's fun and it's important!

Our mission in 3 parts:

  1. Training
  2. Medical support to VIFR
  3. Put in place medical care "surge capacity" for disasters, both local and regional

When the emergency call comes:

We will report to Vashon Island Fire & Rescue, our MRC's sponsoring agency.  We will also be working closely with paramedics of Medic One on Vashon and BLS providers of VIFR.  Just like an ER team, we'll need to be able to do provide basics of triage, treat and support, and transfer when appropriate and when we can.

Please Join Us:

Our MRC's housing agency and fiscal agent is VashonBePrepared.   Our MRC is one rope in a safety net woven and supported by VashonBePrepared through the island's multiple volunteers.  Included are:

EOC – Emergency Operations Center

CERT -  Community Emergency Response Team

MERT – Marine Emergency Response Team

ACS – Auxillary Communications Service

NERO – Neighborhood Emergency Response Organization

Thank you for your interest. 

Please join us.

 

Vashon Medical Reserve Corps

Community Care Team

The Community Care Team (CCT) is the volunteer counseling and behavioral health unit of Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), which is charged with responding to increased medical and mental health needs during a disaster or emergency. To learn more about CCT or to volunteer click here.

Volunteer with the Vashon MRC

To be able to volunteer with the Vashon MRC, you need to become a Registered Emergency Worker (REW). This process has four steps:

  1. Complete the MRC Orientation
  2. Register and create a WASERV profile
  3. Complete an online application as well as signing the online handbook with King County
  4. Complete two on-line FEMA courses with certificates of completion

As health care professionals, we all undergo credentialing.  For our MRC, credentialing is done through Public Health - Seattle & King County (PHSKC).  Recognizing the staffing time that goes into this process, we are deeply appreciative of PHSKC's support in providing this HR service.

For more on this 4-step process, with links and contacts, click on Join the Vashon MRC.  If you have questions or run into problems, contact us at MRCmembership@vashonbeprepared.org

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