Medical Reserve Corps: Team Development

The objectives of Team development are to build a mission‑ready MRC unit that is

• Maintained, credentialed, and trained

  
  

• Capable of providing pre-incident community health support and post-incident surge operations

  
  

• Integrated with local public health, emergency management, fire/EMS, hospitals, and Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) partners

  
  

Governance and Roles

• Unit Lead: Manages program, partnerships, and budget and is the activation authority liaison.

  
  

• Deputy/Operations Lead: Oversees deployments, mission sets, and safety.

  
  

• Training & Exercise Lead: Is in charge of curriculum and HSEEP‑aligned exercises.

  
  

• Volunteer Coordinator: Handles recruitment, onboarding, and retention.

  
  

• Logistics Lead: Tracks equipment, personal protective equipment, supply caches, and resource staging.

  
  

• Medical Director/Clinical Advisor: Oversees the scope of practice and protocols.

  
  

• PIO/Comms Lead: Handles messaging and rumor control and serves as the Joint Information Center liaison.

  
  

• Administration Finance Lead: Manages timekeeping, reimbursement, and documentation.

Recruitment Pipeline

You will be recruiting licensed/credentialed health professionals and general public (nonclinical) volunteers who have training (or who you will train). Look for volunteers at hospitals, clinics, federally qualified health centers, private practices, EMS service providers, behavioral health clinics, dentist offices, pharmacies, and veterinary practices. Also consider students and faculty in nursing/medical/public health). Reach out to faith‑based groups, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs), and outdoor/expedition clubs with austere‑environment capability (WFA/WFR–ready cohort).

Onboarding and Credentialing

Once you have identified potential volunteers you will need to onboard and credential them by following these steps:

1. Review their applications and verify their identities.

   
   

2. Conduct background checks (per local policy).

   
   

3. Verify licenses and credentials of clinical volunteers via the state system and/or the ESAR‑VHP registry (https://aspr.hhs.gov/ESAR-VHP/Pages/default.aspx). Capture specialties and privileges.

   
   

4. Have volunteers sign the code of conduct, the confidentiality/HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) awareness forms, and photo consent form.

   
   

5. Provide baseline training assignments.

   
   

6. Issue volunteers with a unit ID/badge after minimum requirements are met.

During the onboarding process, capture the following data:

• Name

  
  

• Date of birth

  
  

• Operational tier (0, 1, 2, 3)

  
  

• Emergency contact

  
  

• Certifications and dates of expiration

  
  

• Immunization status relevant to deployment

  
  

• Language skills

  
  

• Deployment availability windows

  
  

• Equipment issued

Training and Competency

All volunteers must complete the following within 60–90 days of onboarding:

• FEMA IS‑100 (Incident Command System) and FEMA IS‑700 (National Incident Management System); maintain transcripts. FEMA Training+1

  
  

• Basic orientation including unit scope of practice, safety, standard operating procedures, reporting, and just culture.

  
  

• Stop the Bleed training course. ACS Stop the Bleed+1

  
  

• Psychological First Aid (PFA) quick‑start (module or field guide). PTSD.va.gov+1

  
  

The additional following trainings are role specific:

• Leads/Team Leads: FEMA ICS‑200 (Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response), FEMA IS‑800 (National Response Framework, An Introduction); HSEEP L/K‑0146 (exercise design). Preparedness Toolkit+1

  
  

• Clinical Volunteers: Basic Life Support (or ACLS/PALS per role) and vaccination/medical countermeasures (MCM) POD ops. FEMA+1

  
  

• Shelter Operations: mass care basics, infection control, functional needs support.

  
  

• Field/Austere: Wilderness First Aid/Responder for non‑licensed or field‑support roles (annual or semiannual offerings).

  
  

In addition each role must align to MRC Core Competencies and tiered readiness:

LEARNING PATHS

Suggested Tiers for Credentialing

• Tier 0: Orientation only (support, non‑deployable).

• Tier 1: Orientation + FEMA IS‑100 (An Introduction to the Incident Command Sytem) + FEMA IS-700 (An Introduction to the National Incident Managment System) + Stop the Bleed + PFA (deployable, supervised).

  
  

• Tier 2: Tier 1 + role training (e.g., POD, shelter, vaccinator) + exercise.

  
  

• Tier 3 (Leader): Tier 2 + FEMA ICS‑200 (Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response) + FEMA ICS-800 (National Response Framework, An Introduction) + HSEEP + leadership eval.

Track all completions and set the currency criteria (e.g., CPR every 2 years; ICS once; PFA refresh every 3–5 years; Stop the Bleed every 3–4 years unless policy dictates otherwise).

Integration and Pre‑Incident Engagement

Keep skills sharp and relationships active through the following activities:

• Staff first‑aid stations at permitted community events, health fairs, sports, and parades; run screenings and health education; deliver Psychological First Aid lite and Stop the Bleed classes to the public.

  
  

• Support closed/open Point of Dispensing drills for medical countermeasures (MCMs) with Public Health; train on dispensing flow, and roles.

  
  

• Shadow fire and emergency medical services (EMS) for non‑response activities, take tours of the Emergency Operations Center and local health department, and perform joint communications checks.

  
  

Fire/EMS and Partner Coordination

• Meet with the fire chief(s) and Emergency Manager to map where MRC adds value in non‑disaster operations (e.g., rehab sector at training burns, public education, standby first aid at large events).

• Draft memorandums of understanding with local government and first responder agency governing MRC activation triggers, supervision of MRC volunteers, liability of MRC volunteers, radio access, staging procedures, and demobilization.

  
  

• Include partners in Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)–aligned tabletop exercises and functional exercises at least annually.

  
  

Standard Operating Procedures 

You will need to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for your MRC. Ensure that they contain at least the following:

1. Purpose, authorities, and alignment with local Emergency Manager and public health plans.

   
   

2. Governance, roles, and delegation of authority.

   
   

3. Volunteer lifecycle (recruit → onboard → credential → deploy → retain).

   
   

4. Activation/notification (who can request, who approves, alerting cadence, acceptance/decline rules, muster, check‑in/out).

   
   

5. Safety and clinical scope (Medical Director advisories, personal protective equipment, reporting, and fit testing if applicable).

   
   

6. Legal and liability summary (state/local frameworks, Volunteer Protection Act overview, Good Samaritan context, and ensuring volunteers act within scope and under official activation). Legal Information Institute+2GovInfo+2

   
   

7. Communications (call‑down, Incident Command System forms, radio/phone trees, Join Information Center).

   
   

8. Logistics (putting together kits, cache control, maintenance, issue/return).

   
   

9. Information security and privacy (handling personally identifiable information, or PII, and personal health information, or PHI).

   
   

10. Finance/admin (timekeeping, cost capture, reimbursements).

    
    

11. Demobilization, AAR/IP process.

Pre‑Disaster Actions

• Roster validation (quarterly), contact tests (semiannual), credential checks/licensure re‑verification (annual), equipment inventory

  
  

• Training and exercise execution

  
  

Post‑Disaster Actions

• Safety check, demobilization, rehab (restoring responders and victims), documentation (time, activities), exposure reporting

  
  

• Hotwash, or post-incident debriefing. Within 30 days, deliver an After Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) per Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) with corrective actions, owners, due dates

  
  

• Wellness follow‑up; Psychological First Aid peer-support options

  
  

Participation and Currency Policy

At a minimum, require 1–2 events or exercises per year and refreshers per tier. Define grade periods and remediation for lapses in certification. Offer recognition through service pins, letters of commendation, and continuing education units where available.

Annual Plan

Create an annual plan for trainings and exercises. Here is an example:

• Q1: Recruit class; orientation + FEMA IS‑100 (An Introduction to the Incident Command System) + FEMA IS-700 (An Introduction to the National Incident Management System); Stop the Bleed + PFA modules.

  
  

• Q2: Point of Distribution (POD) tabletop exercises with the Health Department; shelter operations skills lab; communications drill.

  
  

• Q3: Joint event support with Fire/EMS; Wilderness First Aid weekend; mid‑year roster/credential audit.

  
  

• Q4: Functional exercise (Point of Distribution or shelter) with partners; After Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP); next‑year plan and budget.

Design and evaluate exercises using Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) doctrine and templates.

Equipment & Go‑Kits

• First‑aid stations: trauma kits (tourniquets, pressure dressings, hemostatic gauze), AED per site, basic meds if authorized, forms, flagging/tents.

  
  

• Point of Dispensing operations: vests/badges by position, job aids, Form ICS 214, communications technology, signage, privacy screens.

  
  

• Shelters: infection control supplies, functional needs aids (per plan), forms.

  
  

• Leader kit: contact rosters, checklists, safety brief cards, extra Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

Legal and Risk Notes

• The Volunteer Protection Act (42 U.S.C. ch. 139) provides certain liability protections for volunteers of nonprofits/government acting within scope. States may provide more protection or opt out altogether. Include local policy and state law control. See more here.

  
  

• Good Samaritan protections are state‑specific. Teach volunteers that protections vary and are not universal and that they should operate only under official activation and within their credentialed scope. Provide state‑specific handout. Read more here. 

  
  

• ESAR‑VHP: Pre‑verify clinical credentials to speed deployment using the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP).

  
  

Activation Flow

The Unit Lead ensures alignment during activation with Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) concepts and local Emergency Operations Center processes. Follow this flow:

1. Requesting agency asks for assistance.

   
   

2. Unit Lead issues approval and a tiered alert.

   
   

3. Volunteers accept or decline within the permitted window of time.

   
   

4. Volunteers report to staging for muster.

   
   

5. Unit Lead issues assignments per the Incident Command System (ICS).

   
   

6. Unit Lead provides a safety brief and check‑in using Form ICS‑211.

   
   

7. The Unit conducts the operation.

   
   

8. The Unit Lead tracks timekeeping using Form ICS‑214.

   
   

9. The Unit demobilizes.

   
   

10. The Unit Lead conducts a debrief.

    
    

11. The Unit Lead creates and submits an After Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP).

SOP Templates and Checklists

Include the following in your Standard Operating Procedures:

• Role cards (Unit Lead, Operations Lead, Volunteer Coordinator, Point of Dispersing Greeter/Screening/Vaccinator, Shelter Nurse, Public Information Officer aide).

  
  

• Activation checklist (who requested activation, the mission set, hazards, Personal Protective Equipment needed, communications, span of control, medical oversight, logistics, reporting).

  
  

• Event support checklist (permit, footprint, staffing matrix by hour, EMS link, weather plan, egress).

  
  

• After Action Report/Improvement Plan one‑pager (observations, issues, corrective actions, owners, due dates), consistent with Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) lexicon.

  
  

Training Matrix

Create a Training Matrix for your Standard Operating Procedures. Here is an example:

References for course content and alignment: FEMA EMI/NIMS; MRC Core Competencies; state Department of Public Health tiered matrices.

Metrics

Gather the following data quarterly and update the Standard Operating Procedures as needed:

• Roster: total, deployable by tier, clinical/non‑clinical mix.

  
  

• Training: percent current on baseline; ICS course completion; exercise participation rate.

  
  

• Readiness: average response time to alert; time‑to‑staff (TTS) for 12‑person Point of Dispersing cell; equipment availability rate.

  
  

• Engagement: pre‑incident service hours; partner satisfaction (post‑event survey).

  
  

• Improvement: After Action Report/Improvement Plan close‑out rate on time.