The Summer 2010 Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) "Introduction to Federal Deployment Training" took place in  Washington, D.C.  Twenty-nine MRC leaders and volunteers from around the country participated in this 5th annual training session, to learn and gain experience that will be applied during future MRC deployments. Participants were chosen though a selective process from approximately130 applicants from MRC units across the country.

"This Deployment Training was a great opportunity for the MRC and its members. Participants were specifically trained on skills that could be utilized in a federal deployment, but they can also take what they learned back to their communities. This will only further strengthen the resiliency of their hometowns and the nation," said OCVMRC Director CAPT Robert Tosatto.

Sandra Vyhlidal, RN of the Eastern Nebraska-Western Iowa Medical Reserve Corps attended the Summer 2010 session. "This was a rewarding experience to train with the Federal responders and other MRC members across the nation, so we can improve our emergency response for disaster," Sandra said.

The training included disaster preparedness and response related lectures and hands-on activities facilitated by experts from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and members of the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. The course culminated with attendees participating in a mass casualty exercise held at the National Mall in Washington, DC.

MRC units are community-based and engage medical, public health, and other civilian volunteers to strengthen public health and improved emergency preparedness and response. In 2006, Congress passed and the President signed the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. This law allows willing, able and approved members of the MRC to be deployed to support the Federal response in areas of need during a public health emergency.

The Washington training was hosted by the Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OCVMRC). There are more than 927 MRC units and almost 209,471 volunteers across the nation. For more information on the Medical Reserve Corps, please visit www.medicalreservescorps.gov.