Join our team of students, faculty, and staff who make a difference when our community needs it the most.
The Augusta University Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Program offers students, staff, and faculty members from the university and health system an opportunity to serve in their community when it is most needed, during a public health emergency or disaster, while gaining “hands-on”, real-life experience in disaster relief and emergency response procedures.
The Augusta MRC unit will play a critical role in emergency response and public health initiatives on campus and at the local level and supports the university's mission of providing world class educational and clinical opportunities for our students, staff, and faculty through meaningful service to our community.
Join the Augusta MRC NowHere is a look at the steps involved in becoming an active member of the Augusta MRC unit.
Submit your volunteer application through SERVGA
Under “Organizations”, choose ‘Richmond County’ to select “Augusta University Medical Reserve Corps.” The Augusta MRC Office will notify you through SERVGA of your acceptance as an Augusta MRC volunteer.
The Office of Volunteer Services and Engagement will contact you to schedule a brief in-person volunteer overview meeting to cover: Verification of Professional Certifications, Background Check Form Completion, Schedule Training & Orientation Appointment.
Complete online MRC volunteer orientation and attend mandatory MRC introductory training.
You must participate in at least 1 additional MRC training exercise per year.
Upon completion of all requirements, you will receive an MRC member certification card along with an MRC uniform shirt.
Once we have processed your volunteer application and your background check has been cleared, we'll send you an invitation to Phase Two Orientation, where you will meet team leadership and the other new team members. You will have an opportunity to have any questions you have answered, find out about upcoming training and receive your Medical Reserve Corps ID badge and T-shirt.
The Augusta University MRC conducts regularly scheduled training on myriad topics relating to emergency management and emergency response.
Classes include MRC Orientation, Personal Disaster Preparedness Training, and Incident Command Training. There are many additional training opportunities and disaster drills throughout the year. All courses are free to MRC members and will be shared with MRC members as they become available.
All MRC Volunteers are required to complete the following training courses prior to attending an in-person orientation session:
ADDITIONAL MRC VOLUNTEER TRAINING RESOURCES
Until Help Arrives and Stop the Bleed are national awareness campaigns and a call to action, intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in an emergency before professional help arrives. From a basic first aid, need, to bystander CPR and bleeding control, these programs prepare our volunteers to truly make a difference. We’ll share more information when you join us for training.
A Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is part of the Citizen Corps program, a national initiative to mobilize and coordinate volunteers. MRC members are health professionals and others who are willing to be called in the event of a public health crisis or large scale disaster.
The MRC program provides a structure to pre- identify, train, credential and organize medical and public health professionals, as well as non-clinical personal to supplement and support health emergency response systems.
Communities benefit from having MRC volunteers ready to respond to emergencies. People volunteer for many reasons, but some volunteer for the MRC because:
Volunteers are at the very heart of the MRC. The existence of this nationwide, community-based movement is due to the willingness of volunteer medical and public health professionals to serve their communities in times of need. Without that generous offer of service, there would be no MRC.
Depending on the nature of the emergency, members may have clinical and non-clinical roles. Potential activities include, but are not limited to:
Non-clinical staff may be needed to:
The MRC Program has developed the MRC Core Competencies, which is a suggested guide for training MRC volunteers at the local level. Core Competencies represent the baseline level of knowledge and skills that all MRC volunteers should have, regardless of their roles within the MRC unit. They also provide a framework for units' training component and assist in describing what communities can expect of their MRCs. Because the core competencies establish only a minimum standard, units may choose to expand on the competencies in order to train volunteers at a more advanced level. Units may also choose to link the MRC core competencies to other existing sets of competencies for health professionals. For more information, please view our Core Competencies.
Emergency preparedness and response is a highly coordinated effort that allows communities to maximize their capabilities during times of extraordinary disorganization and stress. Volunteers may already know how to perform some of the necessary medical and health functions. In most cases, training as an MRC volunteer focuses primarily on learning local emergency and health procedures, trauma response techniques, use of specialized equipment, and other methods to enhance volunteer effectiveness.
Perhaps the most important part of training is learning how to work as a team member. An organized, well-trained MRC unit is familiar with its community's response plan, knows what materials are available, knows its response partners, and knows where its skills can be put to best use in a coordinated manner.
All MRC volunteers need to undergo some form of orientation to the Augusta University MRC, which includes an overview of the system in which the MRC's activities occur, whether in relation to emergency response or public health, or both.
Support/administrative volunteers receive guidance on how to perform their particular functions, which vary depending on the needs of particular communities. They may need to participate in practice drills if their duties interface with those of the front-line/direct-service volunteers. Overall, the training includes support skills training, communications, public speaking, and Incident Command System, or other local command systems.
Training requirements for front-line/direct-service volunteers is typically extensive and specialized. Generally, these volunteers receive training in primary emergency response and public health procedures, including basic life support and CPR; Community Emergency Response Team training; identifying the signs, symptoms, and treatment of hazardous materials (including nuclear, biological, and chemical agents); and basic first aid skills to deal with emergencies such as shock, allergic reactions, bleeding, broken bones, burns, chemical splashes, choking, eye injuries, skin wounds, dislocations, head trauma, heat exhaustion, stroke, and poisoning.
Liability protection standards require volunteer-based organizations to train their volunteers in accordance with all policies and procedures, particularly those intended to reduce the incidence of harm. Different localities are subject to different legal liability laws and standards. All volunteer organizations want to protect their volunteers; liability protection for volunteers is an advocacy issue and a reasonable concern for many MRC units.
Liability also is a highly complex area of the law, compounded by innumerable differences at the local level. Understanding and interpreting liability is based on individual cases and varied interpretations of the statutes in specific states. Because the rules and laws vary, it is not possible for the MRC Program Office to provide information applicable to all 50 states and to all jurisdictions within them. Even within a specific jurisdiction and given a specific set of facts, no one can predict with certainty whether a liability suit will succeed.
State offices may provide information about its liability rules. Some states offer greater protection to medical volunteers than others. Additionally, some response partners may be able to extend the liability and workers compensation privileges that normally apply to regular workers.
The MRC program seeks volunteers to assist with emergency preparedness and response efforts. Volunteers in the MRC program include:
No. The MRC program seeks medical and public health professionals to assist with emergency preparedness and response efforts. However, other volunteers who have no medical or healthcare backgrounds also are needed to properly conduct emergency preparedness and response efforts. Community members without medical training can assist with administrative and other essential support functions. These volunteers give their time on an ongoing basis in coordination with other experts willing to donate their time and knowledge for special aspects of the effort.
Major emergencies can overwhelm the capabilities of first responders, particularly during the first 12 to 72 hours. Medical and other health volunteers can provide an important "surge" capacity during this critical period. They also can augment medical staff shortages at local medical and emergency facilities. In short, communities often need medically trained individuals to fill in the gaps in their emergency response plans and to improve their response capabilities overall.
Possible types of "front-line" medical and public health volunteers include:
Individuals with a non-medical or healthcare background typically serve their community by assisting with administrative and other essential support functions. Possible types of administrative and other support volunteers include:
Although the MRC volunteers are ready to respond to disasters or emergencies, part of the MRC program's mission is to foster disaster preparedness. MRC volunteers also are called to help during non-emergency times.
During non-emergent times, MRC volunteers strengthen the overall health of Americans by participating in general public health initiatives such as flu vaccination clinics and diabetes detection programs. MRC volunteers also promote improving health literacy, increasing disease prevention, eliminating health disparities, and supporting public health preparedness.
Yes. MRC's are established throughout the state of Georgia. There are over 980 MRC units across the country. The AU MRC unit works collaboratively with MRC units across the state.
Volunteer availability is discussed during the MRC volunteer application process. MRC volunteers do not have to be available all the time. Some volunteers may only be interested in making a minimal commitment during times of crisis or for other specific community needs. These preferences are respected, given that they can be accommodated by the MRC unit's mission and work plan.
MRC Unit Coordinators match community needs for emergency medical response and public health initiatives with volunteer capabilities. They also determine prospective volunteers' availability and whether they have other obligations, such as regular work responsibilities, that might conflict with serving the MRC in times of limited advanced notice. Different people will have different amounts of time to give. Some may not be available year-round, and others may need to be utilized throughout the year to remain engaged with the MRC.
SERVGA is the online scheduling and notification system for the AU Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). This system will allows the AU MRC Coordinator to rapidly communicate with MRC members through text and email.
MRC members will register for training events, strike team meetings, and deployments through SERVGA. In the event of a deployment, MRC members will be able to view the available job shifts and sign up for the one that fits best with their skills, interests and availability
The first step in becoming an Augusta University MRC volunteer is to Apply Online.
We require everyone take IS-100 and IS-700 Emergency Incident Command online training modules. The online training links can be found on AU MRC homepage under "Training”. Once you have registered, our office will contact you shortly to schedule a time for you to come in and complete some additional MRC volunteer paperwork prior to attending volunteer orientation.
Additional training courses are available to assist members in preparing for their role in a public health disaster. Information on available training courses can be found in the Training Section of the Augusta MRC Website.
Strike teams have been developed to offer an opportunity for small group interaction and provide for better alignment with member expertise and interest. Strike teams also provide a structure for targeted training, operational planning, and exercises.
The principal focus of this strike team is to minimize the harmful psychological effects of stress and trauma on surviving individuals and families immediately following a disaster. Members of this team must have behavioral health professional experience or be a graduate student working towards licensure in a behavioral health related profession. All team members receive specialized training, including Psychological First Aid training.
Members of this strike team are responsible for resource management before and during U of M MRC deployments. They are responsible for the physical set up of the deployment site. Pre-deployment physical set up includes setting up signage, queuing line Tensa barriers, tables, chairs, equipment and other supplies as needed.
A select group of MRC members have been identified to serve in an advisory role to determine direction of MRC training and development activities, serve in leadership roles at a Mass Dispensing Site and to serve in an advisory role during strike team development.
This team is designed to respond to local and national public health emergencies that have a pharmaceutical response component.
This team has been trained and drilled in the method used to fit-test N95 masks on an emergent basis.
Members of the Student Advisory Group (SAG) assist in determining MRC training and development activities, serve as a resource during training event planning, and act as liaisons between MRC Program and student organizations
Receives request for assistance
Seeks approval for deployment from leadership
Notifies Registered MRC Members
Obtains approval/permission from instructor/supervisor
Signs up for scheduling and deployment via SERVGA
Provides liability protections
Supports member
Provides training
In September, 2017, Hurricane Irma caused many GA counties to evacuate to safer areas throughout GA including Augusta. More than 400 Augusta University volunteers jumped into action serving in evacuee shelters across our community providing medical care and support to our neighbors from Chatham County.
