Union County, NJ – In celebration of National Volunteer Week 2012 from April 15 to April 21, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders extends a message of appreciation to the volunteer members of the Union County Medical Reserve Corps.
“The Medical Reserve Corps is an exemplary group of Union County residents from all walks of life, who have made the commitment to step up during an emergency and help provide for the health and safety of the whole community,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.
The Union County Medical Reserve Corps consists of more than 200 medical and non-medical professionals. It was organized seven years ago in order to help the County prepare for emergencies on a regional basis.
Through the Reserve Corps, disaster planners can swiftly identify community members who have a professional background that enables them to provide assistance during an emergency. The additional volunteers enable trained responders to focus their efforts on priority situations that require specialized skills.
The Reserve Corps also helps to ensure that more citizens throughout Union County are prepared to provide assistance in an emergency. In case an extreme event makes travel difficult, Reserve Corps members can help out locally until career responders arrive.
“Whether it’s a destructive storm, a public health threat or a purposeful attack in the metro region, Union County is now better prepared to respond to emergencies, thanks to citizen involvement through the Medical Reserve Corps,” said Mirabella.
Many Medical Reserve Corps volunteers have a background in health care fields, but medical training is not needed in order to join. Communications, transportation, emergency shelter management and other related skills play a critical role in effective emergency response.
Medical Reserve Corps volunteers participate in training and planning sessions, and they also conduct public outreach efforts on a regular basis.
For more information on the Union County Medical Reserve Corps, contact the Union County MRC Unit Coordinator, Ella Shaykevich, at 908-518-5620 or email mrc@ucnj.org.
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