26A-1-126

26A-1-126 is the portion of the Utah Code that outlines Medical Reserve Corps. It is important for all MRC members to be familiar with this portion of the code, especially as it pertains to deploying in an emergency.

To volunteer as a member of the MRC during an emergency the following conditions need to be met per 26A-1-126:

• A public health emergency has been declared
• MRC members are activated by and under the supervision of the local health department
• During the emergency the MRC member carries a certificate (or official ID) issued by local health department which designates they are an official member of the MRC

MRC members with professional licenses (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, etc.), can only perform within the scope of their license. However, in some circumstances the local health department may authorize individual MRC members to operate in a modified scope of practice if necessary to respond to the declared emergency. Never operate outside your scope of practice unless this has been authorized by the local health department during the emergency response.

Potential MRC Scam

Volunteer organizations like MRC and CERT are not immune to Internet scams trying to get people to share their personal information.

Last week MRC units in Washington, Oregon and Idaho received a troubling email from a software engineer inviting MRC members to use the new "website for your MRC program." The email was disguised to look like it came from the specific MRC Unit of the member. Once a user followed the link to website, it asked the user to input various personal information.

Please remember Davis County MRC information only comes from the Unit Director or the Unit Coordinator. When the MRC plans to utilize a new web-based program, Utah Responds for example, the Unit Director and/or Unit Coordinator will notify all membership before hand.

If members are ever concerned regarding the validity of information sent via email, or on a unit web site, please contact the Unit Director or Unit Coordinator for clarification.

Thank you.

MRC Summit Keynote Speech

The Keynote speech at the 2010 Healthcare Preparedness and MRC Summit last week was delivered by Nate Leishman, Manager of LDS Humanitarian Emergency Response. Mr. Leishman provided a summary of the initial response efforts in Haiti after the earthquake. Take home “lessons learned” messages include the following:

• Communications are always key. Come prepared with your own communication equipment and work with locals to bolster communication abilities.
• Collaborate. This includes collaboration with partner agencies and even those who are victims of the disaster. Local knowledge of the area can be very helpful.
• Complete training beforehand. Prepared and trained volunteers save a lot of time during the response phase.

Other insights from Mr. Leishman’s presentation included home ownership and construction in Haiti. Only 5% of Haitians own land. The remaining residents rent or are squatters. The low number of land owners greatly contributes to the large ongoing number of displaced people. Additionally, the majority of structures in Haiti are made out of cinder block or cement, and the quality of these building materials is less than what you would see here in the United States.

Finally, Mr. Leishman reminded the audience that FEMA models have indicated a 7.2 earthquake along the Wasatch Front could still result in as many as 3,000-5,000 deaths, thus the importance for us to take emergency preparedness seriously.

The Davis County MRC thanks Mr. Leishman for taking time to share his story with MRC volunteers in Utah.

National MRC Awards

Congratulations to our partner MRC Units and their volunteers who received National MRC recognition awards in 2010.

Community Resiliency Award
Honors MRC units that have demonstrated resiliency at the community level over the past year.
- Harris County Gateway to Care MRC (TX)
- Snohomish County MRC (WA)

Ambassador Award
Honors MRC units that have successfully carried out activities and initiatives over the past year that meet the Surgeon General Priorities of improving health literacy, increasing disease prevention, eliminating health disparities and improving public health preparedness.
- Calcasieu MRC (LA)
- Eastern Nebraska/Western Iowa MRC (NE)

Outstanding MRC Responder
Honors MRC volunteers who have played an instrumental role in responding to a disaster or public health emergency on behalf of their MRC unit during the past year.
- Angie Serota, Kauai MRC (HI)
- Anne Barylick, Rhode Island MRC (RI)

Outstanding MRC Public Health Volunteer
Honors MRC volunteers who have been actively engaged in carrying out public health activities (or specific public health initiatives) during the past year.
- Ellen Strack, Monmouth County MRC (NJ)
- Christine Erlach, Marin MRC (CA)
- L. Clark Hamilton, Southwest Florida MRC (FL)

Outstanding MRC Housing Organization
Honors MRC Housing Organizations that have served as exemplary host agencies to the MRC and have successfully supported, advocated on behalf, and helped integrate the MRC into the local community’s public health and preparedness infrastructure.
- Loudoun County Health Department (VA)
- Berkeley County Health Department (WV)

Outstanding MRC Partner Organization (or Partnership)
Honors MRC Partner Organizations (or Partnerships) that supported MRC units in carrying out their local missions and have provided MRC units with more opportunities to participate in public health, preparedness, and response activities.
- KidneyWise

Innovator Award
Honors a MRC unit that has initiated and carried out a novel and innovative activity over the past year that has helped build on MRC unit and housing organization efforts, engaged unit volunteers in the process, and contributed to strengthening the community’s public health, preparedness, and response system.
- ColoradoSTAR MRC (CO)
- Eastern Shore MRC (VA)

Mentor Award
Honors a MRC unit that has successfully collaborated with other members of the MRC network over the past year to share practices, participate in activities, and carry out initiatives that have strengthened individual and collective groups of MRC units.
- Maine Township Regional MRC (IL)
- Lake County MRC (IL)

National CERT Newsletter

The CERT National Program Office publishes a national newsletter 3-4 times a year full of preparedness information and CERT activities across the country. Many of our MRC members are also CERT trained and will find information in these newsletters valuable.

Click here to view the most recent newsletter, and click here to access prior newsletters. The April edition also includes a story on how CERT volunteers have helped in the H1N1 response.

12 Points of Emergency Preparedness

Brigham City has posted on their web site A 12-Program for Individuals, Family & Community Preparedness.

This quick list by Al Cooper goes beyond the typical checklist for emergency kits & preparedness. It also encourages people to think about finances, keeping a complete inventory of items in their homes, and to plan for pets and those with special needs.

The Davis County MRC encourages members to read this short article for ideas to expand personal and family emergency preparedness.

H1N1 Impact in Utah

The following article is from KSL's web site (weblink included at bottom).

MURRAY -- Researchers say a new study suggests a change in vaccination priorities should be considered for H1N1 flu in Utah.
According to the study, led by Intermountain Medical Center researchers, Utah doctors began to see a pattern early on: the sickest patients being admitted to intensive care units were more likely to be young adults, obese, of Hispanic or Pacific Island descent, and less likely to be insured.
For the study, researchers examined the records of 47 of the first confirmed H1N1 patients admitted to adult intensive care units at Intermountain Medical Center, LDS Hospital, and the University of Utah Health Sciences Center between May 19 and June 30, 2009 -- the initial outbreak period of novel H1N1 influenza in Utah.
That information was then compared to influenza statistics for the general population of Salt Lake County.
In a news release, Dr. Russ Miller, MD, MPH, said, "This information exemplifies how H1N1 affects a different population than seasonal influenza."
Children, pregnant women and people with lung problems were among those in the priority group to receive vaccinations.
The study is published in this month's issue of Chest, the scientific medical journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. IMC says it is the first comprehensive demographic examination of the H1N1 outbreak that swept through Utah last spring.
Last month, the Utah Department of Health said women and minorities in Utah were hit the hardest by the swine flu. But state health officials said it doesn't mean gender and race are high risk factors for flu complications.
Article Link: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10442930

H1N1 Still Out and About

Even though it's the middle of April, people are still getting sick from the H1N1 virus. The best way to prevent getting the flu is though vaccination. Free vaccines are still available at all Utah local health departments.

Last week there were some reports in the news about an increase in the number of H1N1 cases and the number of H1N1 related hospitalizations in Georgia and other states in the south. Some health professionals wondered if this may be the first indications of a third wave of H1N1 disease. The following image from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows the impact of H1N1 for the week ending April 3, 2010. Notice the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Hawaii and the territory of Puerto Rico show the highest levels of influenza activity.

CDC released an updated report this week showing influenza activity has decreased nationwide, including some of the southern states that had experienced an increase the week before. One working theory for the increase of flu activity in Georgia and other southern states is because they had a lower vaccination rate than other states. The image below shows influenza activity for the week ending April 10, 2010.

Weekly updates on influenza activity can be viewed at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/.

Utah Responds

The new MRC Deployment and Unit Management website, Utah Responds, is now live. Current Davis County MRC members can now go to the site and register (https://utahresponds.org/). Initial registration can be completed in as little as 5 minutes. Full registration (which can be completed at a later time if necessary) takes less than 15 minutes. For emergency deployments within Utah and outside of Utah, the Davis County MRC will now utilize the Utah Responds system which will send notifications via email and phone. Davis County MRC encourages all members to register on the site as soon as possible.

Thank you to the Utah Department of Health and other MRC Units in Utah for their hard work on acquiring this management and deployment system for Utah.

MRC Core Competencies

The Medical Reserve Corps has identified a set of Core Competencies that serve as a training guide for local MRC volunteers. These Core Competencies are the baseline knowledge and skills that all MRC volunteers should have. MRC members can utilize the Core Competencies Matrix as a way to assess current knowledge level and plan future training and study.

The Core Competencies include the following subjects:

• Safety & Personal Preparedness
• Mental Health During Emergency Response
• Communication
• Incident Command, Chain of Command
• Volunteer Role
• Response Procedures & Policies

The Davis County MRC utilizes the Core Competencies Matrix when planning and evaluating training opportunities for members. As members use the matrix to assess their own baseline knowledge, they can contact the Davis County MRC Director or Coordinator for additional information on specific subject areas.

AM 1700

Davis County Emergency Services has set up an AM radio station to broadcast emergency information to residents during time of an emergency. The station also broadcasts information on local emergency exercises and preparedness information. During the H1N1 flu response information on handwashing, and vaccine clinics was also announced.

The Davis County station is 1700 AM and can be heard in most parts of the county. Residents are encouraged to include this frequency as a pre-set station in all vehicles and at home. The station is easier to hear during the daytime, and when the car engine is not running. Other area emergency radio frequencies include: Box Elder County (1600 AM), Cache County (1610 AM), Clearfield City (1680 AM), Morgan County (530 AM), and Weber County (1350 AM).

Remember to include a battery-operated radio as part of your emergency preparedness kits, valuable information will be shared via these radio frequencies, even when the power is out.

MRC Deployment Training

The Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OCVMRC) has announced they will be holding a second MRC Deployment Training June 14-18 in Washington DC.

The training is for MRC volunteers who are interested in future Federal Deployment activities. MRC volunteers who are interested in this training must submit an application at http://eweb.naccho.org/eweb. Space for the training is limited and only a select few will be invited. Expenses for those attending the course will be covered by OCVMRC.

Additional instructions on completing the online application are at the following web site: http://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/MRC/upload/website-instructions.pdf.

Quake Data on Google Earth

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides real-time location and size data on earthquakes for Google Earth. Visible information includes when the earthquake took place (color coded for past hour (red), past day (orange) or past week(yellow)), the size of the quake (larger circles = larger quakes), and the epicenter of each quake (where the circle is placed). Other data provided by the USGS includes fault lines, plate boundaries and their direction of movement.

The following image shows quake data for the California/Mexico border this past weekend.

To add earthquake data to Google Earth on your computer, click here.

Emergency Water Supply

Every family emergency preparedness kit should include a supply of water. Families and individuals should store enough water to last a full 2 weeks. If you cannot store a 2 week supply, always store as much as you can.

How much water goes into that 2 week supply? Enough water to provide each member of your family 1 gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person will drink at least 2 quarts (half gallon) of water a day, and water will also be needed for food preparation and hygiene.

Where do you get your water supply? The easiest and safest way is to purchase commercially bottled water. To help adhere to the “expiration date” placed on most bottled water, create a rotating supply of bottled water by using water from your supply and replacing it with new purchases all year long.

The following FEMA publication outlines how to properly select and clean other water storage containers, where to find safe hidden water sources in your home (and which ones are not safe), and what water sources may be available outside. The publication also covers the proper way to treat water. http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf

Utah Volunteer Snapshot

According to data posted on the national MRC web site, the state of Utah has a grand total of 1,422 MRC volunteers in 13 MRC units. These volunteers come from all parts of Utah, and include health professionals and many non-medically trained members.

The pie graph below illustrates the breakdown of backgrounds of Utah MRC volunteers. Kudos to our non-medically trained volunteers who are truly the backbone of MRCs in Utah!