MOUNT VERNON — Terri Hillier and her troupe of volunteers know that Knox County isn’t likely to be hit by any big disasters — earthquakes, cyclones or hurricanes, for example. But they know that residents could become the victims of much smaller, even microscopic, problems.
“Our group exists for health emergencies like a flu pandemic,” Hillier said. “We would be ready to set up a mass vaccination clinic and make sure people get the treatment they need.”
Hillier is the coordinator of the Medical Reserve Corps, a new group of volunteers that is organized under the Knox County branch of the Ohio Citizen Corps. The Knox County MRC was officially established in December of last year, and since then Hillier has rounded up and trained a team of 17 volunteers.
“Within the MRC, volunteers contribute skills and expertise so that we can have a team of people ready to help in the event of a medical emergency,” she said.
The Medical Reserve Corps is a nationwide organization with individual chapters in local communities, like Knox County. The MRC was founded after President Bush’s 2002 State of the Union Address, in which he urged Americans to support the country through volunteer work.
The members of the MRC in Knox County meet once a month and undergo periodic training in incident management, first aid, blood-borne pathogens and mental health, among other topics.
“During big emergencies, we’re familiar with first responders — the firefighters, the EMTs, the police officers,” said Pam Palm, the public information officer for the Knox County Health Department, which has helped oversee the development of the MRC. “But what we don’t usually see is the network of volunteers behind the first responders, the people who set up tents, monitor vaccines, put gas in vehicles and ensure everyone gets a break.”
The Knox County MRC is funded by a grant from the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. The same grant is used to fund the Citizen Corps, the MRC’s parent organization.
Hillier is the Emergency Response Coordinator for KCHD, and she’s also the secretary for the local Citizen Corps. As coordinator for the MRC, she is responsible for registering volunteers in the state’s volunteer database and ensuring that they receive the proper training.
“We’re currently in the process of recruiting more people from a medical background. We need people from all backgrounds, but right now we’re especially trying to find medical professionals,” Hillier said.
Hillier’s goals is to build a 100-member MRC volunteer force. She says the county’s Community Emergency Response Team, another volunteer group organized under the Citizen Corps, has been recognized by the state Citizen Corps as one of Ohio’s best.
Hillier and Palm hope the MRC will prove to be just as successful.
“Recent disasters around the world show the need for local volunteers,” Palm said. “The MRC provides a unique way to tap into local resources. A lot of people have experience that lends itself to this work.”
Hillier said the MRC will work closely with the Red Cross in the event of an emergency.
“We aren’t a substitute for the Red Cross. We’ll work together,” she said.
The Knox County chapter of the Ohio Citizen Corps was founded in 2004. According to the OCC Web site, the goal of the organization is to “establish a pool of volunteers who will supplement first responders in the event of a disaster.”
Anyone interested in joining the Medical Reserve Corps or Citizen Corps should contact Terri Hillier at 392-2200, ext. 2226.
