Ottawa County Medical Reserve Corps

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General Information

The Medical Reserve Corps (pronounced “core”) is a group of medical and non-medical volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare and respond to emergencies. The volunteers supplement local public health workers and responders and could be called upon to assist during disease outbreaks, natural disasters or even acts of terrorism. Ottawa County’s Medical Reserve Corps is recruited and coordinated by the Ottawa County Health Department. Ottawa County’s Corps is one of fourteen Medical Reserve Corps in the State of Michigan.

How to join the OCMRC?

If you are interested in joining the Corps, please complete the online application form and submit it to the Ottawa County Health Department. After we receive your form, we will contact you to schedule an orientation session. Service is always voluntary. If you are interested, but have additional questions before you complete the application, please contact the coordinator at (616) 393-5655.

Submit the Application
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Why should I become a Corps volunteer?

Whether is be a flood, tornado, disease or terrorist act, when an emergency impacts your community, people want to help. While well intentioned, spontaneous volunteers are often not pre-credentialed, pre-trained or pre-qualified to perform certain duties. The Corps ensures that volunteers are identified, screened, trained and prepared to volunteer in a way that is valuable and safe to the individual and the community as a whole.

Communities benefit from having MRC volunteers ready to respond to emergencies. People volunteer for many reasons, but some volunteer for the Corps because:

  • They have wanted to help in previous emergencies
  • They have skills and life experience that they wish to offer to their community, such as medical training, teaching or emergency response
  • It is a chance to belong to a group with a strong sense of mission and purpose

What are the commitments and requirements for membership?

  • Complete and submit an OCMRC Application
  • Attend an two hour Orientation Session at the Health Department
  • Attend one meeting, training, drill or exercise per year
  • Complete Member Forms (4 Forms provided at Orientation Session)
  • Register with MI-Volunteer Registry
  • Complete the Personal/Family Disaster Preparedness Plan
  • Report to a staging area to be dispatched when activated in the event of an emergency
  • Complete two online classes (classes will also be offered in classroom form), with the option to complete more depending on the level of commitment selected by volunteers. For additional information on courses, click here

During a public health emergency, the level to which to Corps is called upon will depend on the magnitude of the situation and the need. There is room for flexibility to accommodate volunteers’ schedules and participation during emergencies is always voluntary.

Do I have to live in Ottawa County to be a volunteer?

No. Residents of the surrounding counties are welcome to apply for membership. However, we recommend you visit the federal MRC site, www.medicalreservecorps.gov to determine if there is an MRC unit closer to your work or home than the Ottawa County unit.

Will there be any travel involved?

At this time, the Ottawa County Medical Reserve Corps will serve primarily the communities in Ottawa County. Travel to assist other counties is elective. Volunteers will need to provide their own transportation to local volunteer activities.

Are tax credits possible for volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps?

Yes. Volunteers should ask their tax preparation specialist for information on deducting volunteer expenses. For more information go to www.irs.gov, to review Publication #526 Charitable Contributions.

Will being a volunteer interfere with my regular job?

Non-emergency volunteer activities should be done in accordance with the volunteer’s schedule, and should not interfere with a volunteer’s regular employment. During a public health emergency, volunteers may be needed during times that they would normally work at their job. Volunteers should discuss this possibility with their employer and understand their employer’s policies and procedures for outside volunteering, so that an MRC volunteer will be prepared to respond in an emergency. Should you request additional help with your employer, the Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator will be happy to work with them and Ottawa County Emergency Management to outline your program.

Preparing your Family:

Family Preparedness Plan (PDF)
Bill’s Pamphlet Family Preparedness Guide (PDF)
Preparing for a Public Health Emergency (PDF)

Orientation Evaluation Form

Related Resources:

Medical Reserve Corp Brochure (PDF)
Michigan Department of Community Health
MI Volunteer Registry
Medical Reserve Corps
FEMA: Emergency Management Institute Independent Study Program

Contact Information

Jennifer Sorek
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
Ottawa County Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator
Ottawa County Health Department
12251 James Street, Suite 400
Holland, MI 49424
(616) 393-5655 Direct
(616) 393-5624 Fax
jsorek@miottawa.org

Navigating the FEMA Training Website:

  • Go directly to the FEMA website to obtain course information and take the exams.
  • Click in the right hand corner for the ISP course list.
  • Scan through the options and click on the course of your choice.
  • You may read over the overview for the CEU’s available and course length to ensure this is the course you wish to take.
  • To begin the course, click in the right hand corner where it reads, TAKE THIS COURSE, click on the Interactive web-based course link.
  • Simply go through each lesson by clicking the next button and answering the questions that may appear.
    NOTE: Once an activity is completed if the next screen does not just pop up please close the screen with the red X box in the upper right corner and then the next screen should appear. This will only happen on a few internet systems.
  • Once you have completed the course, you may click on close to bring you back to the course overview or click take the final exam. You must complete the final exam to get credit for completing the course.
  • Click on Take Final Exam in the box under TAKE THIS EXAM on the right hand side of the window.
  • You must check the box to agree that you are completing this exam on an individual basis, then click on continue to begin the exam.
  • After completing the questions on each page, click on next to bring to you to the next page of questions.
  • Please review your answers and when you are ready to submit the exam, click on the continue button and complete the online enrollment form for the course.
  • You will then receive an e-mail confirming submission of the materials, please forward this e-mail to it a href="mailto:jsorek@miottawa.org">Jennifer Sorek.
  • In a few weeks you will receive the certificate in the mail or via e-mail, please make a copy of it and mail it to or e-mail it a href="mailto:jsorek@miottawa.org">Jennifer Sorek.