Region 7 Healthcare-Public Health Combined Michigan Volunteer Registry Deployment Exercises

From: Guardian of Public Health Article
             June 14, 2013          
             The Michigan Update 
 
This year, the Healthcare Preparedness (HPP) and Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) programs participated in two Michigan Volunteer Registry (MVR) deployment exercises in the region. 
The exercises were used to test the MVR messaging system as a mechanism to bring pre-selected volunteers in for preplanned events. The successful use of the volunteer registry for actual deployment was demonstrated in exercises that took place in January, and most recently in May of 2013.

The volunteer registry was used during the MVR conference held on January 10, 2013. The region 7 health care coalition sent out a call to 346 general volunteers within the region one month prior, inviting volunteers to attend an informational session at the University Center in Gaylord. In a recruitment effort, volunteers were given a challenge: bring with them other potential volunteers. Participants learned more about how their regional health care coalition team and emergency preparedness coordinators (EPC) help to prepare the region for all-hazards response.

Of the 346 registry volunteers contacted through the MVR, 38 responded and 34 attended. During the hour-long luncheon conference in January, volunteers were given an overview of the HPP and PHEP programs along with important information of how they, as volunteers in Michigan, can serve a vital role in an emergency situation. Volunteers were anxious to learn how they could be useful in the community. The conference also generated several new volunteers, who signed up on site. Information was given about the forming of a mobile medical field team.

After the January volunteer conference, in the spirit of grant alignment, the HPP and PHEP programs worked together to provide volunteers for the May 9 mass casualty training that was a part of the HPP-sponsored Advanced Disaster Life Support (ADLS) class offered at Camp Grayling. The Region 7 HPP office sent out a volunteer request for mock victims and the PHEP team sent out a reminder message using the MVR system one week prior to the event. Volunteers served as mock victims to provide a more realistic training environment for the ADLS students. Recruitment information was again provided about the mobile medical field team. Seventeen medical professionals expressed their interest in being part of the team.

Both the Region 7 health care coalition team and the Region 7 EPCs learned a great deal from the use of the MVR. The exercises reinforced the commitment and value of volunteers and their potential to serve a significant role in disaster medical response. The January and May use of the MVR messaging system provided the team at OPHP with feedback on important improvements that could be made to the system. 

For more information about this exercise, please contact: Gary Rapelje, Region 7 Regional Coordinator, Region 7 Healthcare Coalition atrc@mir7hcc.com