Where We Help

Unit volunteers will provide surge capacity in local disasters, including but not limited to:

• Assisting with medical and non-medical functions at mass prophylaxis/vaccination clinics
• Exercise/drill participation
• Manning phone banks
• Making post-event follow-up calls after an incident
• Supporting continuity of operations for hospitals and clinics during a pandemic
• Helping to man alternative care centers
• Assisting community long-term recovery efforts through outreach and application assistance for benefits
• Data collection and entry
• General and post crisis education
• Foreign language education (Hmong, Spanish, Amish)
• Information technology support
• Local resource dissemination
• Other logistical support needed by community partners.

Benefits to The Community

Major local emergencies can overwhelm the capability of first responders, especially during the first 12-72 hours. Having citizens who are prepared to take care of themselves, their families and others during times of crisis will allow first-responders to focus their efforts on the most critical, life threatening situations.

An organized, well trained Medical Reserve Corps unit means that:

1. Volunteers can effectively respond to an emergency
2. Are familiar with their community's response plan
3. Know what materials are available for their use
4. Know who their partners in the response are and
5. Know where their skills can be utilized to their best advantage and in a coordinated manner.

An Organized Team Approach

During emergencies, Eau Claire County, the City of Eau Claire, (and other jurisdictions) the Health Department and Community Partners will activate their Emergency Management Plans (EMP). This plan defines how emergency personnel (fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and others) will respond to and manage the emergency. Spontaneous volunteers may hinder rescue efforts because they may not be familiar with local plans or procedures.

By creating a Medical Reserve Corps unit that is linked to the Eau Claire City-County Health Department’s Public Health Emergency Plan, the members of the Medical Reserve Corps can truly benefit the community by knowing what their role is during an emergency, how they fit into the emergency plan, and how best to respond so that they are a positive support structure for the first responders. Learn more about the History of the MRC.

Learn More About the History of the MRC

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