The WRMRC values our volunteers. It is our goal to equip every volunteer with the training and resources necessary to build a stronger, healthier, and more prepared community.
To this end, we have provided extensive lists of online training and resources to make learning convenient. We have also outlined the basic requirements or Core Competencies that we expect our volunteers to work towards and achieve.
Volunteers who have all the Core Competencies and have utilized all our training and resources have impacted their communities. The Gallery and Volunteer Spotlight sections demonstrate some of the great things your fellow volunteers have done.
Become a Volunteer
As a WMMRC volunteer, you will be able to put your skills and expertise to use in your community. Whether it be training or community events throughout the year or a one-time disaster relief effort, you will get the satisfaction of knowing you have made your community a safer, healthier, more prepared place.
Volunteer Membership benefits
Membership in the MRC entitles you to:
- Free training and continuing education credits, as you learn emergency management and disaster medical operations.
- Skills development, to ensure that you will be ready to pitch in when a medical crisis occurs.
- Delivery of medical care within your level of expertise – commensurate with your background, skills, and expertise – as required by the incident.
- Esprit de corps and camaraderie, and networking with other health care providers, as part of a critically important and specialized team.
- Options to participate in initiatives that enhance public health, such as vaccination and education programs.
- The ability to serve the emergency public health needs of family, friends, neighbors, and loved ones in your own community.
- During a biological outbreak or infectious disease event, you and your family will be given medication before the opening of any Emergency Dispensing Sites (EDS) to allow you to serve your community.
Emergency Dispensing Sites (EDS)
During an emergency, EDS are critical to distributing medications and medical care for disaster relief. EDS are used during natural disasters, when diseases spread (flu pandemic, smallpox or SARS epidemic), and during attack. EDS are especially important in the case of a Weapons of Mass Destruction Attack (WMD)—nuclear, chemical, or biological. The first 24 hours of such an attack determines the spread of disease and how many lives are saved.
As one of WRMRC’s core responsibilities is preparing for a situation like this, WRMRC has identified the following requirements for its volunteers.
Requirements for non-medical MRC volunteers:
- must be willing to work in at least one 12 hour shift, possibly assisting in a second shift in a subsequent day.
- will be assigned to an Emergency Dispensing Site and will be doing such things as reviewing forms, directing patient flow, greeting, triaging, and assisting special populations.
- can expect to stand for long periods of time.
- must be capable of working in a high stress environment.
- food and breaks will be provided to all volunteers.
- are asked to fill out a pre-screening form for themselves and each family member so your community can reserve antibiotics in their name.
- will be asked to attend training classes.
Requirements for medical MRC volunteers:
- will be responsible for distributing medicines and helping facilitate Emergency Dispensing Sites during an emergency.
- will be responsible to care for "Special Populations" citizens during an emergency.
- can expect to be called during an emergency outbreak or epidemic in central Massachusetts and to provide medical services and vaccines in assigned locations.
- can expect to volunteer in locations that provide shelter for citizens in case of a city or town evacuation.