2014 marks a 20-year high in measles cases, with566 cases reported as of July 11.In the United States, Ohio and California have seen thelargest numbers of cases, with a majority linked to travelto the Philippines. In Ohio, the largest outbreakoccurred near Knox County and contiguous counties,where travelers returning from a mission trip spreadmeasles to unvaccinated members of the community.

The Ohio measles outbreak expanded into a ninecounty area in central and north central Ohio. Due tothe large caseload, the Ashland County-City HealthDepartment requested assistance from their MRC unitand all MRC units in Ohio Homeland Security NorthEast Central Ohio Region 5 to augment servicesprovided by the nursing division. Since their activationon April 24, 14 Ashland County-City MRC volunteershave responded.

Volunteers have played a variety of roles, includinghelping to register clients, setting up clinics, greetingvisitors, providing health education, and modeling howto wear personal protective equipment to those who hadarrived to get vaccinated at a clinic after being exposed.

In the lengthy response to the measles outbreak, anumber of challenges occurred. Most notably, prior tothe outbreak, there were some difficulties in gettingmedical personnel integrated into working in thehealth department nursing division clinic. Although thehealth department nursing division was short half ofthe nurses from the six that are usually available, theremaining health department nurses wereaccommodating and helped to train MRC-registerednurses in giving vaccines.

Additionally, the health department faced challengesidentifying the credentials of medical professionals fromother MRC units and had difficulties in identifying theskills of volunteers without first interviewing them. Also,there were a significant number of nurses who have notgiven a vaccine in a long time, but the healthdepartment nurses were quick to educate. Thanks toquick response and dedication of MRC volunteers,Ashland County-City Health Department has been ableto augment theircapacity during themeasles response.

VOLUNTEERS BUILDING STRONG, HEALTHY, AND PREPARED COMMUNITIES

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3 ■ SUMMER 2014

MRCINFOCUS

Volunteers prepare vaccinations

2......Seacoast MRC Assists in Aftermath of Active Shooter Incident3......Coconino County MRC Responds to the Slide Fire4......Lowcountry MRC Educates Community about Hurricane Preparedness5......North Dakota Public Health Emergency Volunteer MRC Practices Plans for Hospital Patient Surge 6......Tulalip Tribes MRC Dedicates New Healthy Walking Trail7......Pettis County MRC Promotes Emergency Preparedness for Developmentally and Physically Disabled Individuals

Ashland County-City MRCResponds to Largest MeaslesOutbreak in 20 Years

WHAT’SINSIDE:

Volunteers at registration

Dear Colleagues,

The DCVMRC recentlyattended the launch ofthe National Strategy forYouth PreparednessEducation, developedjointly by the FederalEmergency ManagementAgency, the U.S.Department of Educationand the American RedCross, and I encourage allof you to review thisinteresting document athttp://1.usa.gov/1lcegxy.The strategy lays out aclear vision, outlines ninepriority steps, and explainswhy we should focus onyouth. For example, theydescribe three essential

benefits that arise from youth preparedness efforts:1) Empowered youth can help engage their families, theirpeers, and their communities in disaster readiness; 2)Youth are empowered through understanding of risksand knowing protective actions; and 3) Today's preparedchildren are tomorrow's prepared adults.

Many of you know that I have encouraged youthengagement with the MRC for several years - and manyof you have listened! Currently, over 20 percent of MRCunits report that they allow teens to serve as MRCmembers. And many other MRC units partner with youthorganizations to encourage their participation in localhealth and preparedness activities. Some communitieshave even created junior or youth-specific MRC units. Involving youth is really a “win-win” situation, as theyouth gains knowledge, skills, and experience (which canhelp as they pursue further education and jobs); the MRCunit gains energetic and enthusiastic members/partners

who are willing to assist and who can bring a uniqueperspective; and the community gains more individualswho are committed to improving health, reducingvulnerability, building resilience, preparing foremergencies, and responding when necessary.

At the national level, DCVMRC has worked closely withHOSA-Future Health Professionals for many years. Forexample, we have hosted HOSA interns in the Office ofthe Surgeon General to allow them a glimpse into thehigher level workings of the MRC and a number of otheroffices within the Department of Health and HumanServices. We have also participated at HOSA-convenedmeetings, including their annual National LeadershipConference. I was honored to judge their “MRCPartnership” competition again this year, and waspleased to see the level of effort, poise and leadershipdemonstrated by the 24 teams (and almost 100 HOSA members).

In our pledge regarding the National Strategy, weaffirmed that we would strive to meet several of thepriority steps. Thus we are committed to continuing ourwork with HOSA, and developing new partnerships withother youth-related organizations such as 4-H. I stronglyencourage you to develop these relationships in yourcommunities as well. There are many youth in yourcommunities who are motivated to make a difference inthe world, and your engagement helps them to gainexperience in public health and preparedness, and alsocontribute to the current and future resilience of yourcommunity. Through the information you enter into theMRC Unit Activity Reporting System, DCVMRC will ensureyour efforts and progress are included in the NationalStrategy’s annual reports, which will heighten awarenessof the MRC network’s contribution to the nation’scommitment to youth preparedness.

Warmest regards,

2 SUMMER 2014

National Notes

CAPT Rob Tosatto, DirectorDivision of the Civilian VolunteerMedical Reserve Corps

A police officer was called to a residence in response to adispute and was fatally shot in the chest. The perpetratorwas actively shooting and setting fires within the home andit exploded. In response to this incident, the neighborhoodwas designated as a crime scene and was evacuated.

The emergency operations center in Brentwood, NH sentout a request to open a shelter for residents of theevacuated community in case they needed a place to stay.Six Seacoast MRC volunteers responded immediately tothe request to assist at the shelter, arriving within an hourand a half of the call. Volunteers staffed the shelter fornearly four hours.

Additionally, four Seacoast MRC volunteers assisted withthe memorial service for the fallen officer 11 days later.Volunteers worked as support staff, setting up tables,providing water and snacks, collecting trash, and directingtraffic at the service, where 3,000 attendees gathered tohonor the officer.

Seacoast MRC Assists in Aftermath of Active Shooter IncidentOn May 12, the Seacoast MRC (NH) responded to an active shooter incident in East Rockingham County.

Seacoast MRC volunteers

SUMMER 2014 3

Coconino County MRC Responds to the Slide FireOn May 20, a fire was reported north of Slide Rock state park in Sedona, AZ.

With 300 structuresthreatened by the fire,Sedona Fire and theCoconino County Sherriff’sdepartment began to issuemandatory evacuationsthat night, affectinghundreds of people. Toopen shelters for residentsand animals, CoconinoCounty EmergencyManagement and PublicHealth EmergencyPreparedness coordinatedwith the American RedCross, Coconino County

Humane Society, and the local Olsens’ Grain and Feed.By the next morning, the fire was estimated to haveburned nearly 1,200 acres.

The American Red Cross and the local CommunityEmergency Response Team requested assistance from theCoconino County MRC to support a shelter forapproximately 250 people displaced by the fire. ElevenMRC volunteers responded, performing a variety of tasksover the ten days the shelter was open. Seven registerednurses filled the role of shelter nurses for multiple shifts,donating 92 hours of service, and two nonmedicalvolunteers assisted with general needs and tasks for theshelter manager, donating 90 hours of service.Additionally, two volunteers donated 54 hours workingin a call center to address questions from the community.

The fire was contained on June 4 after burning over21,000 acres. The Slide Fire was the largest fire inCoconino County history, and the nine-day emergencyoperations center activation was the longest for thecounty in recent memory. As the community recoversfrom the Slide Fire, the MRC will continue to assist byfilling sandbags for those in the area who now faceextreme flooding risks during the upcoming monsoonseason. Additionally, volunteers will staff an advisorycheckpoint for visitors entering Oak Creek Canyon fromFlagstaff during a National Weather Service Flash FloodWatch to hand out informational material about the risksand emergency notifications that will happen if a flashflood warning is issued.

Response to the fire

NACCHO ResourcesReady for Launch in September: The New MRC Connect Application!

In September, NACCHO will officially launch MRCConnect, the new web and mobile-based application forthe MRC! MRC Connect is the only application createdspecifically for the needs of MRC unit leaders. It includestwo major components: first, select communities forvarious discussions, including regional, event, and issue-based topics; and second, tasks to share best practicesand activity highlights, with the ability to earn points fortask completion.

In July, 50 unit leaders pilot tested MRC Connect to tryout the system and discover the best uses of MRCConnect for their unit. Pilot testers found MRC Connecteasy to use and helpful to keep in touch with the MRCnetwork. “Overall I thought the system was excellent,”said Kara Marsh, Macomb County Health DepartmentMRC (MI) volunteer coordinator.

MRC Connect includes a website and an optional mobileversion available for download on smartphones, and theapplication will be available to all MRC unit leaders uponlaunch in September. Stay tuned for more informationfrom NACCHO about the launch of MRC Connect andhow you can access the application.

4 SUMMER 2014

Thanks to a relationship that their housing organization,the South Carolina Department of Health andEnvironmental Control (DHEC) Lowcountry Region, haswith the Medical University of South Carolina, theLowcountry MRC has participated in annual HurricaneAwareness days with the university. The relationshipbegan in 2009 when the Medical University of SouthCarolina extended an invitation to DHEC to participatein Hurricane Awareness Day and DHEC invited the MRCto attend also. Since the first Hurricane Awareness day,the MRC has participated annually, making 2014 theirsixth year in attendance.

In addition to the Hurricane Awareness day, this yearseven MRC volunteers have participated in threeHurricane Preparedness expos sponsored by theCommunity Emergency Response Team. These eventsare held at Lowe’s and Walmart stores to reach localresidents. At these events, MRC volunteers speak tocommunity members about emergency preparedness,distribute emergency food supply shopping lists, andhost children’s preparedness games from Ready.gov,including “Build Your Kit” and “Hidden Treasures.”These expos provide a valuable opportunity forvolunteers to speak to residents about the role of theMRC, upcoming volunteer opportunities, and all-hazardspreparedness, in addition to hurricane preparedness.

The Lowcountry MRC (SC) has engaged in community hurricane preparedness education events to helpresidents prepare for the area’s risk of hurricanes.

Lowcountry MRC Educates Community about Hurricane Preparedness

Lowcountry MRC volunteers at a Hurricane Expo

MRC-TRAINFinding Courses that Build MRC Core Competencies on MRC-TRAIN

Did you know that courses on MRC-TRAIN(www.mrc.train.org) can be searched by the MRC CoreCompetencies? With limited time and resources,encouraging volunteers to complete competency-basedtraining remains vital to a more prepared, resilient volunteercorps. MRC-TRAIN is designed to help unit leaders buildtheir volunteer and overall unit competency base.

Volunteers looking for applicable training can searchcourses specifically by MRC Core Competency by usingthe “By Competency/Capability” option found under theAdvanced Search link. Unit leaders can direct volunteersto courses that meet competencies the volunteer couldbuild upon. Additionally, units who post their trainings toMRC-TRAIN (such as unit orientations or personalpreparedness workshops) can also identify the

competencies those trainings build, formalizing thecomplete training experience of volunteers on one,competency-focused transcript.

By centralizing MRC Core Competency-based trainingrecords in one location on MRC-Train, units can thenreport where there may be gaps and work towardsbridging knowledge in those areas.

A resources guide on finding and completing courses isavailable at http://bit.ly/1qYziDZ. Remember, the MRC-TRAIN Support Desk (mrcsupport@train.org) is availableto provide assistance and field questions, includingposting trainings, finding courses, and much else. MRC-TRAIN is FREE (including continuing education), available24/7, and on track!

Frances Becker has beena volunteer with theKauai MRC (HI) since2007 and is theFinance/AdministrativeOfficer for the KauaiMRC Leadership Team.Since joining the KauaiMRC, Frances hasparticipated in nearlyevery event, and has alsoplayed a central role inestablishing and

maintaining the Kauai Junior MRC. Through the JuniorMRC, high school students can connect withopportunities to define and attain their educational andprofessional goals. Frances’ efforts to raise awareness ofHawaii’s acute shortage of health practitioners, coupledwith her ability to nurture young talent, are encouragingmore of Kauai’s youth to pursue careers in health andwellness fields. Her accomplishments as a mentor will

also help to offset Hawaii’s growing problem of demandfor health care services exceeding the available supply ofqualified practitioners.

Also, Frances serves as the MRC unit’s hearing/visionscreening instructor and has helped the Kauai MRC toprovide this service at community health fairs that targetmedically underserved families. Hearing/vision servicescan diagnose children with vision or hearing impairmentand connect them to treatment at an earlier age, therebyaddressing a problem that might otherwise remainunrecognized and potentially hamper their ability tosucceed in school.

Frances joined the MRC to learn new skills to make thecommunity healthier and more prepared for potentialdisasters, and also to mentor more students through theirhealth careers journey. “I especially enjoy being part of ateam that embraces making a difference in the healthand wellness of its community,” said Frances.

SUMMER 2014 5

North Dakota Public Health Emergency Volunteer MRCPractices Plans for Hospital Patient SurgeOn April 11, the North Dakota Public Health Emergency Volunteer MRC (PHEVR/MRC) participated in anexercise to practice plans for a hospital patient surge situation.

The event was organized as a joint effort among SanfordHealthcare, Essentia Hosptial of Fargo, and FM Ambulancein Fargo. The North Dakota Department of Health,through the PHEVR/MRC program, provided volunteerresources and credentialing checks. The scenario involved atornado that swept through a West Fargo neighborhood,resulting in 68 patients who needed transport by ambulanceto nearby Sanford and Essentia healthcare systems.

MRC volunteers were used as victims to test hospitalpreparedness and the ability to handle a surge in patients.At least eight medical volunteers assisted in transportationand triage as would likely be the case in an actualemergency. Sanford Healthcare had approximately 60 staffactively involved in the process between IncidentCommand, Emergency Room, Operating Room,Radiology, Supply Chain, Registration, and evaluators tosimulate the real-world emergency. Essentia Hospitalreported that nearly 140 staff members exercised, and 15staff were used by FM Ambulance were involved in thetransport of patients to both hospitals.

Following the exercise, PHEVR/MRC volunteers noted thatthey appreciated the opportunity to serve their communityin a way outside of an actual emergency situation orroutine activities. The volunteers experienced some of thesame chaos and stressful situations that would be part of areal event as well. In the course of supporting this exercisefrom an administrative angle, staff discovered forms anddocumentation in need of updating, which they were ableto complete and use in time for this exercise.

“Exercises like these are a great opportunity to engagevolunteers in their communities, and it really helps theemergency services to test their plans and coordinate theiractions with entities outside their own,” said Marie Ricketts,PHEVR/MRC Coordinator. “The PHEVR/MRC program isexpanding, and we hope to have more opportunities towork with our emergency partners for a more preparedNorth Dakota.”

Exercise participants practice transportation of victims

A “victim” gets transported via ambulance

Volunteer Spotlight

Frances Becker

The Tulalip Tribes MRC, in partnership with TulalipHealth Clinic Diabetes Care and Prevention Program,Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Department, EarlyLearning Center, and Tulalip Tribes Elders Center,proposed a walking trail as a safe and central location onthe reservation to increase physical activity. The trail willbe about a half-mile long and will encircle the clinic anda neighboring wetland area with plants important to thenative culture.

The trail is another step in the tribes’ efforts to create asustainable diabetes-free community. Current diabetesprevention efforts include using oral traditions, culturalactivities, healthy foods, community-centeredscreenings, education, conventional treatment, andoutreach that encourage a return to traditional wayswhile respecting individual needs and preferences.

“The walking trail was an idea we had to connecteverything in the community,” said Rochelle Lubbers,Tulalip Tribes Emergency Manager. “Multiple partnerswanted to build a trail but the Challenge Award reallygave us the ability to move forward with the project.” Thetrail is scheduled to be complete at the end of August.

6 SUMMER 2014

Tulalip Tribes MRC Dedicates New Healthy Walking TrailOn July 15, the Tulalip Tribes MRC (WA) celebrated the groundbreaking of their new healthy walking trail,made possible through NACCHO’s 2013 MRC Challenge Award.

Tulalip health clinic and community garden

Healthy walking trail dedication event

News from NACCHOApplications for the NACCHO MRC Awards are Opening Soon!

NACCHO’s two MRC awards provide fundingopportunities to address your community's local needsand interests in public health activities and/oremergency response for projects, training, andinnovation. The Capacity Building Award providesfunding to eligible MRC units and is available for MRCunits that meet basic eligibility and applicationrequirements. The Challenge Award is a competitivefunding opportunity that supports MRC units todevelop new projects and programs that can bereplicated on a national level, and in 2013, 29 MRCunits were selected to receive the award.

Applications for the 2014 awards will open this fall.Visit mrcnaccho.org to learn more about theCapacity Building and Challenge awards and for tipsto prepare for the awards process. Additionally, 2013Challenge Award winners have posted blog, photo,and video updates to the site and will continue toprovide more summaries and resources as theirprojects progress; view their profile pages to stayupdated on their projects and get ideas to replicatewith your MRC unit. Stay tuned for more informationabout the 2014 NACCHO MRC awards!

The project began in 2013 when the local public healthemergency planning committee, of which the MRC is amember, put together emergency preparedness foodboxes for senior citizens. The boxes contained a three-day food supply, emergency preparedness information,and a door hanger that says “CHECK on ME” withemergency contact information on the back. This year,the committee expanded upon the project to reachpeople with physical and developmental disabilities.Project 150 is especially critical since Pettis County has alarge number of physically and developmentally disabledindividuals living in the community. While the countyhas resources, activity centers, group homes, andtraining programs that support these individuals,emergency preparedness needed to be addressed.

“Pettis County MRC would like for each individual andgroup home resident to have a well thought out planand emergency kit to use should the need arise,” saidMalinda Nevils, Pettis County MRC Unit Coordinator.Thus, 35 volunteers got involved and regularly donateapproximately 20 hours over the course of the project toassemble the boxes.

To ensure the success of the project, representativesfrom diverse local organizations have worked togetherto execute the delivery of the preparedness boxes.Seventeen girls from New Hope Baptist Church Girls inAction mission group held an overnight “Rock-A-Thon”and raised $700 to purchase LED lanterns, batteries,and food; State Fair Community College nursingstudents collected food donations; the local Open DoorFood pantry contributed additional food; and severallocal teenagers and adults helped with the delivery andunloading of boxes.

To protect the privacy of recipients, the boxes weredelivered to the West Central Missouri IndependentLiving Solutions, which provides assistance for disabledindividuals to remain independent and live in their ownhomes, and staff have delivered the boxes as part oftheir routine home visits. The emergency preparednessboxes have helped local residents to start to build theirpersonal emergency supply kit and raise awareness ofthe importance of emergency preparedness.

SUMMER 2014 7

Pettis County MRC Promotes Emergency Preparedness forDevelopmentally and Physically Disabled IndividualsThe Pettis County MRC (MO) organized Project 150 to distribute emergency preparedness boxes tovulnerable populations within the county.

• Please include contact information (e-mail and telephone number) for follow-up.• If you include photos, please send as high-resolution JPEG, TIF, or EPS attachments. • Digital cameras should be set for high-quality images using the maximum megapixel setting available. • Photo submissions should also include a caption or description of the event.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!We need your help to make this newsletter informative, interesting, and beneficial to MRC units nationwide. We are alwaysaccepting stories and best practices on the MRC. Remember that stories with photos are more likely to be included. For the upcoming newsletter... Please submit stories and photos for consideration by September 19, 2014 tomrcnewsletter@naccho.org. We look forward to your submissions!

SubmissionGuidelines

Preparedness box

Pettis County MRC volunteers pack boxes

NOVEMBERAmerican Diabetes Month

20Great American Smokeout

27National Family Health HistoryDay

OCTOBERNational Breast Cancer Awareness Month

5-11Mental Illness Awareness Week

20-24National Health Education Week

SEPTEMBERNational Preparedness Month

8-14National Suicide Prevention Week

16Get Ready Day

A L O O K A H E A D

1100 17th Street, NW, Seventh FloorWashington, DC 20036Phone: 202-783-5550Fax: 202-783-1583www.naccho.org

To report changes in your contact information, please email mrcnewsletter@naccho.org. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

This publication is made possible by the support of the Office of the Surgeon General under the terms of Cooperative Agreement MRCSG061001-01-00.

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Share your expertise at the2015 Preparedness Summit!Abstracts are now being accepted for the 2015 Summit through September 23, 2014. Visit www.preparednesssummit.orgto start your abstract today.