Franklin County and Columbus Medical Reserve Corps

Join our organization. Be a part of the response effort in your community during a public health emergency.

Our Mission
The Franklin County and Columbus Medical Reserve Corps is dedicated to establishing teams of local volunteer medical and public health professionals to contribute their skills and expertise during times of disaster and public health emergency, as well as throughout the year for community health promotion.

The Franklin County & Columbus Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a group of passionate volunteers, some with and some without medical backgrounds, interested in supporting and improving the health of their communities during a public health emergency. Our MRC is part of a nationwide initiative, and could include treatment of victims of a large-scale disaster or epidemic, administration of vaccines during a mass vaccination, distribution of drugs during a chemical or biological attack, or other health emergency situation.

Why should I join?
The satisfaction of giving back. The urge to take action in your community. The desire to make a difference when you are needed most. The feeling you had, as you watched the scenes of Hurricane Katrina on TV, that you wanted to do something. The MRC will help you be right where you need to be during a disaster situation, applying your skills where they are needed most. We strive to support capable, prepared, and knowledgeable volunteers to ensure that the citizens of Franklin County remain as healthy as possible in the face of a disaster.

Am I eligible?
Both medical professionals and dedicated residents, 18 years of age and older, are encouraged to join. Medical professionals include doctors, nurses, EMT’s, veterinarians, chiropractors, LPN’s, physicians’ assistants, mental health professionals, and many others in the health care field. If you do hold a medical license, that license will be verified to determine your ability to perform certain tasks during a disaster.

What about my family?
We recognize that during any disaster your family will be your first priority, so our volunteer training begins with family preparedness. If your family is not ready for a disaster, then you will not be able to leave them. With proper preparation and training, our volunteers and their families are ready for a disaster in Franklin County. We are also considering opportunities for medical experts to respond to inquires by phone during an emergency, possibly taking calls from home if need be.

Will I be trained?
All volunteers are asked to complete our MRC 101 course and chose from two levels of volunteerism. The Responder tier will complete this course and will become active only in the case of disaster. The Leadership tier of volunteers will complete several trainings, prepare for specific leadership roles in the case of disaster, and assist with MRC activities throughout the year. No times and dates have been set for these trainings, as we are still in the development stages.

Why is signing up now so important?
In previous national disasters, such as September 11th, 2001, and hurricane Katrina, the local public health infrastructure was overwhelmed and needed help. Volunteers arriving at the incident site, without being trained, without known credentials or without being affiliated with an organization, often hurt instead of helping recovery efforts despite their best intentions. Through hard lessons learned, we now know counties experiencing a disaster situation need pre-credentialed, screened and trained medical professionals. The MRC meets these needs by providing an organized, rapid response of medical volunteers in a disaster.

Click HERE to join the Columbus and Franklin County MRC. 

For more information about the Columbus and Franklin County MRC, visit www.volunteermrc.org.

If you have any questions or would like more information, call Robin Martin
at the Franklin County Board of Health at (614) 462-3608 or email mrc@franklincountyohio.gov.

Volunteers Building Strong, Healthy And Prepared Communities