FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 7, 2014

Contact: Olga Connor                                                                                        

                Rosa Oses-Prealoni

                                                                                                                 786-336-1276

MIAMI - The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (DOH-Miami-Dade) has developed a partnership with Medical Academy for Science & Technology (MAST) Academy in Homestead through the Miami-Dade Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) to train the dedicated students to be members of the first Junior MRC group in Miami-Dade County. These students will further the Medical Reserve Corps mission to pre-identify, train, credential, and support dedicated medical and non-medical professional volunteers for an all-hazard emergency response in Miami-Dade County.

The first orientation session was held for over 100 MAST Academy students. During this orientation, the students participated in a four-hour training session on the Medical Reserve Corps as well as two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) courses that introduced the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System. After the session, the students successfully passed two tests required to complete the FEMA courses designed for adult responders.

The Miami-Dade Medical Reserve Corps unit was established in 2004 and has successfully trained and credentialed hundreds of deployable volunteers. In an emergency event, these volunteers will work with traditional responders during the response and recovery process. Our unit has a majority membership of medical professionals but we also support over 200 professionals that work outside the medical field. The MRC is available to assist in alternate care sites, medical evacuation shelters, point of dispensing sites, or hospitals to address any medical surge.

The Miami-Dade Medical Reserve Corps unit will be working closely with our new Junior MRC group to help prepare the community for an emergency by providing preparedness and health education.  

If you would like to find out more about the Miami-Dade Medical Reserve Corps or to join please call 786-845-0100.

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