Summer Deployment Training

The Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OVCMRC) has announced another session of Federal Deployment Training for MRC volunteers. The 2010 Introduction to MRC Federal Deployment Training will be held August 23-27, 2010 in Washington DC. Any MRC member can apply to attend this competitive and all-expense paid training.

To apply, MRC volunteers must complete the online application. To be considered, applications need to be completed by July 13, 2010.

Volunteering in America

This information was shared with MRC Units today from the Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OCVMRC):

Corporation for National and Community Service’s Releases 2010 Annual Volunteering in America Report
Despite difficult economic times, the number of Americans volunteering in communities across the country has increased at the fastest rate in six years, according the Corporation for National and Community Service’s annual Volunteering in America report. The research, produced by the Corporation as part of its efforts to expand the reach and impact of America’s volunteers, is the most comprehensive data on volunteering ever assembled. The report found that 63.4 million Americans volunteered last year, giving more than 8.1 billion hours of volunteer service worth an estimated $169 billion. You can see the full report at www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.

NOAA Weather Radio

Everyone should have a battery operated radio as part of their emergency preparedness kit. Another good too is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio that will provide ongoing updates on weather conditions including severe storms and tornadoes.

To learn more about NOAA Weather Radio, the information they broadcast and different frequencies, visit their web site.

MRC Summit Presentations

The 2010 Integrated Medical, Public Health, Preparedness and Response Training Summit (also the National MRC Summit) took place in Las Vegas, NV June 1-3, 2010.

Presentations from the summit can now be viewed on the presentation page of the Summit Website. In a few weeks time photos taken at the summit will also be available on the National MRC Website.

For those interested in attending the 2011 Summit to be held in Texas, return to the Summit Website in a couple of months to view updated information as it is posted.

Sacramento H1N1 Clinics

This link is to a You Tube video summarizing the H1N1 vaccination campaign experience in Sacramento, California.

Much of the information outlined in the video was experienced by public health departments across the country. Good information for MRC members who have not participated in a POD drill.

Try An App

For those who have an iPod Touch or an iPhone there are a number of free, and not so free apps that could come in handy for an emergency. Below are the names of some apps you may want to take a look at and assess their usefulness in your emergency preparedness. By using the iTunes Store search option you can find many, many more. (The Davis County MRC does not officially endorse any of these apps, they are listed here as reference material only.)

Flashlight
Pocket First Aid & CPR from the American Heart Association
wikiHow: How to and DIY Survival Kit
5-o Radio Police Scanner Lite
The Merck Manual - Home Edition, Professional Edition
Emergency Response Guidebook

MRC Deployment Info

For MRC members interested in learning more about the Federal deployment process during a large scale emergency, the Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OCVMRC) has lots of information on their website. The site not only contains a list of frequently asked questions, but also includes photos and videos of the past two deployment trainings held for MRC volunteers.

Mass Casualty Incident Training

The Utah Department of Health is sponsoring a webinar from the UCLA Center for Healthcare Preparedness and Disaster entitled, "Emergency Healthcare Responders: Mass Casualty Incidents and Disaster Events - Response Differences."

The webinar will discuss differences that affect responses in areas of emergency healthcare providers and responders when the event exceeds or overwhelms the response capacity of emergency responders and providers.

Registration for this webinar is through MRC-Train, course ID# 1022449. The training will take place on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm (mountain time).

2010 Hurricane Season

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a very busy hurricane season for the Atlantic.

While the upcoming hurricane season won't directly impact Davis County residents, there is the possibility of MRC members being requested to respond to any emergencies resulting from hurricane storms. View the story on the upcoming hurricane season on NOAAs web site.

Google SMS

In an emergency responders find they need information that is not always readily available. However, with a cell phone, a text messaging plan and Google SMS, some information can become easier to access.

Google has a text short code, 466453 ("GOOGLE" on most phone devices) that can provide quick information using a set of search words. For example, if you want to know the weather forecast text the following message to Google: "weather (name of city, state)" and you will receive a reply message with a 3-day forecast. If you want to know where the closest place to get gasoline for your vehicle is, send the message, "gas (zip code or city)" to get addresses.

Google can also translate basic words. The message "translate medicine in Spanish" will return the message, "'medicine' in English means "medicina" in Spanish."

To view all the search terms visit the Google SMS web site. (You can also get sports scores, stock updates and movie times too!) The service is not perfect, but it can be very helpful when you don't have other means of accessing information.

While Google provides this service for free, your cell phone company will charge you for each outgoing and incoming text message. If you have a unlimited text messaging plan, you won't see an increase in your phone bill.