What you need to know about being a member of New Mexico’s Health

Preparedness Team

New Mexico Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Serves

Volunteer Orientation

Overview

This Orientation Module contains some of the basic information you need to know as a member of New Mexico MRC Serves, including:

– Where does MRC fit into the bigger picture– What volunteers will do during an emergency– How volunteers will be activated and notified – What volunteers can do now to prepare– What volunteers can do to prepare themselves

and their families– How you can help grow NM MRC Serves– How to contact NM MRC Serves and get

more information

Preparing for anything…It takes a village

NM Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is the lead organization however…

No disaster or emergency can be managed by only one agency

– Might need the assistance of such partners as: Utility Companies, Federal Reserve, State and Local Police, Fire, EMS, NM Department of Transportation, American Red Cross, Department of Education, State and Federal Governments, FEMA, Homeland Security, CDC, private partners, and more

ICS

All disasters and emergencies utilize the Incident Command System– Standardized way of structuring a response– Used nationwide– Systematic approach– Imposes a command structure

Incident Command

Responsible for overall management of incidentSingle Command: IC solely responsible for incidentUnified Command: All agencies having a jurisdictional responsibility at a multi-jurisdictional incident contribute to

– Determining overall incident objectives– Selecting strategies– Ensuring for joint planning– Maximizing use of all resources– Developing overall Incident Action Plan

ICS Organization Chart

Command Staff

Responsible for overall management of incidentIncident commanderPublic Information OfficerSafety OfficerLiaison Officer

General Staff

Operations Planning Logistics Finance/Administration

Exercise: Using ICS

Read the handout: ICS for Holiday Dinner Use the ICS handouts to plan this event.

Things to consider: – Who is in charge?– What are the logistics – chairs, food?– Who will do the cooking?– Are there any safety issues?– Who will be responsible for the clean-up?

NM Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

DHSEM is the primary organization in Disaster and Emergency Responses– Oversees all emergencies, large and small– Part of New Mexico government– Located in downtown Santa Fe– Watch Command– Emergency Operations Center

New Mexico Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Management

NMDOH manages health emergencies and disasters and works in partnership with DHSEM

Lead agency on: H1N1 Anthrax exposure SNS/POD Public Health emergencies

NM MRC Serves is housed in NMDOH

Why MRC?

September 11th attack

made it clear that we need

to find a way identify,

organize, and credential

volunteers in the event of

an emergency or

disaster.

History of the MRC

2002 State of the Union – President Bush called for all Americans to offer volunteer service in their communities– Senior Corps– Peace Corps– Citizens Corps

Medical Reserve Corps Civilian Emergency Response Team Volunteers In Police Service Fire Corps

National MRC Statistics

975 MRC Units 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico,

Palau, Guam, American Samoa, Saipan and the U.S. Virgin Islands

205,341 volunteers

What is NM MRC Serves?

The NM Department of Health’s (NMDOH), NM Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Serves, enhances New Mexico’s emergency preparedness by organizing a:

– pre-identified

– pre-credentialed and

– pre-trained group of volunteer health professionals that can rapidly mobilize to assist during a large-scale health emergency

Benefits of joining NM MRC Serves

Free specialized disaster and emergency trainings

Experience in disaster management and public health emergencies

Assisting your own community in times of need

What will I do as an NM MRC Serves Volunteer?

During a health emergency, NM MRC Serves Volunteers:

– will be used to supplement the work of NM first responders and healthcare personnel

– will only be activated when requested by the NM DOH or NM DHSEM

– may be called upon to assist the with mass sheltering operations, due to wildfires or frigid temperatures

– may be called upon to assist with a medical or pandemic surge, as during an influenza outbreak

What will I do as an NM MRC Serves Volunteer?

As a volunteer you may be asked to fill a number of different roles depending on your specific licensure and qualifications, including

– Medical evaluation, patient education, “psychological first aid,” patient “flow monitoring,” triage, screening, vaccination, or distribution of medication

Licensure requirements and standards of care may be altered during large emergencies, potentially changing the standard roles and responsibilities of a given profession

How do we prepare for the unexpected?

Exercises– Full scale exercises – e.g. Anthrax exercise, Mass Feeding

Exercise, Mass Casualty exercise, Full Scale POD exercise – Table top exercises – e.g. Bomb and Blast Injuries Exercise

Use of Public Health events– H1N1 – PODs – Flu shot clinics– First Aid Stations

Learning “best practices” from other localities

NM MRC Units

Albuquerque-University of New Mexico City of Gallup Pueblo of Zuni Southern New Mexico New Mexico Health Initiative 47TH Medical Company NMSG San Juan County

NM Jr. MRC Program

New Mexico was the first state with a Jr. MRC Unit 6 NM Jr. MRC Units Incorporates public health and medical education

into the school curriculum Serves as a pipeline program for students interested

in health sciences Students in units under Medical Direction, are

permitted to practice under their licensure on school grounds

Replace school nurse Onsite for afterschool events

Volunteer Protections

NM MRC Serves volunteers, requested to render volunteer services, are entitled to the liability protections of the New Mexico Tort Claims Act (TCA).

Licensed health care professionals are covered for professional liability as a result of negligence.

Lay volunteers are entitled to immunity from tort liability (if not waived under the TCA) or to liability coverage (if immunity waived) for their negligence.

Volunteer Protections (2)

NM MRC Serves volunteers are not employed by the NMDOH

Deployed licensed healthcare professionals are covered for workers’ compensation benefits for volunteer services

Lay volunteers are not covered by workers’ compensation

How are volunteers activated?

Volunteers will be officially activated and assigned by the NMDOH using a web-based notification system, ESAR-VHP, using the contact information provided

Volunteers should never self-deploy

Volunteers will receive specific mission assignments, and all necessary briefings and instructions at their emergency work site

NMDOH will coordinate with hospitals for emergency deployment of hospital-based volunteers

MRC Notification System

Annual Notification Tests are generally conducted between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays– Volunteers receive e-mails to the email addresses on

file (as applicable)– To respond, you must reply to the email and follow the

instructions

How can I prepare myself to deploy now as an MRC volunteer?

Professional Licenses must be kept current Keep contact information in the ESAR-VHP

up to date! Trainings

– Attend Orientation training

– Take FEMA online courses

ICS 100b http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS100b.asp

ICS 700 (NIMS) http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700a.asp

Trainings

In person trainings offered:– MRC 101, Introduction to the Medical Reserve

Corps. To register, please visit:

http://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/ldnub

– Volunteer Training Summit, February 8-10, 2013 in Albuquerque, NM. Contact staff for more information.

How do I take care of myself and my family?

All volunteers are expected to have a Family Emergency Plan.

Includes information about:– Where you and your family will meet – Who will be your contact person – What you will do in case of an emergency – Important phone numbers and other information

Make a Family Plan

Family Plan templates are available through the following web sites

– NMDOH website at http://nmhealth.org/hem/documents/Family-Emergency-Preparedness-Guide.pdf

– US Department of Homeland Security at http://www.ready.gov/

Family Plan Elements

Decide where your household will reunite after a disaster. Identify two places to meet: one right outside your home and another outside your neighborhood, such as a library, house of worship.

Identify all possible exit routes from your home and neighborhood.

Designate an out-of-state friend or relative that household members can call if separated during a disaster. If phone circuits are busy, long-distance calls may be easier to make. Text messaging may also be efficient.

Family Plan Elements (2)

Account for everybody's needs, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers.

Ensure that household members have a copy of your household disaster plan and emergency contact information to keep in their wallets and backpacks.

Practice your plan with all household members. When developing your family's disaster plan, you

should assemble and make copies of vital contact information for each family member.

For Families with children

Information for parents about preparing their children for emergencies is available from:

– The American Academy of Pediatrics at http://www.aap.org/family/frk/aapfrkfull.pdf

– UCLA Center for Public Health Preparedness at http://www.cphd.ucla.edu/pdfs/standardbaby.pdf

Go Bags

Prepare: “Go-Bags” and “Home Kits” contain important supplies you may need in an emergency

Most supplies for the “Go-Bags” and “Home Kits” can be purchased at drug stores, discount stores such as Target, or home improvement stores such as Home Depot

Complete “Go-Bags” and other supplies are available for sale through the American Red Cross Store at https://www.redcrossstore.org/

Similar backpacks are available at http://www.herringtoncatalog.com/w453.html

Exercise:What will you put in your Go Bag?

Work in your group to make a list of all the items you think are important to keep in your go bag.

Choose one person to be the scribe to write your list and to report back to the whole group.

Suggestions for a GO BAG

Poncho thermal blanket; personal hygiene and medical first aid kits; signal mirror and whistle; compass and magnifying glass; leather work gloves; writing tablet and pen; multi tool 3-day supply of food and water Over the counter medications Copy of prescriptions and prescription medications Copies of important documents, such as passports, credit cards, drivers license Cash waterproof cash and document bag

Volunteer Data Management

All NM MRC Serves volunteer information is stored in the ESAR-VHP database– Volunteer credentials to be verified every 6

months– Allows volunteers to indicate interest in serving

State as well as local MRC– With user ID and Password,

volunteers can update their

records

How do I update my information?

To update your profile, including contact information, emergency contacts, and license information please visit:

http://nmmrcserves.org/

Or call Bobbie MacKenzie at 505-476-8302

How do I get more information about NM MRC Serves?

http://nmmrcserves.org/ FAQs

Everything you need to know about the MRC and the volunteer experience. Volunteer Deployment ManualMRC Brochures can be downloaded from the website and shared with colleagues and employers

Core competencies Determined by the national MRC program and represent the skills and knowledge all volunteers should possess to carry out their responsibilities

How YOU can help Grow NM MRC Serves

Share MRC program materials with colleagues or your professional society

– Interested colleagues may contact the MRC staff for more information

At your invitation, the MRC may come to your school, professional society, or hospital to make a presentation to groups of health professionals and/or interested volunteers

How do I contact NM MRC Serves?

Staff Contact Information– Ashley M. Vander Jagt Medical Reserve Corps State Coordinator

Phone: 505-272-4523email: amcconnell@salud.unm.edu

– Bobbie MacKenzieESAR-VHP State CoordinatorPhone: 505-476-8302email: Bobbie.MacKenzie@state.nm.us

Website: http://nmmrcserves.org/