Volunteers Needed
For Emergency Preparedness and Public Health Threats
National Public Health Week Recognized April 6-12, 2009

In recognition of National Public Health Week (April 6 – April 12) the Nassau County Department of Health reminds residents that the first response to any public health threat or disaster is a local response – whether the threat is an influenza epidemic, chemical spill or act of terrorism.

“Every emergency is local,” says Dr. Maria Torroella Carney, Commissioner of Health. “An emergency, whether it is a communicable disease or a weather-related emergency, such as a hurricane, requires an immediate local response. Being prepared to handle a large-scale emergency of any kind is a challenge for all communities in the county. To assist in large-scale emergencies, two volunteer organizations have been created: The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).”

Created in response to the outpouring of volunteer support in the days following September 11, 2001, the MRC is a network of over 500 licensed healthcare professions who volunteer through the Nassau County Department of Health. MRC assists their communities by being trained to mobilize quickly in order to minimize disability, death and emotional trauma. Practicing or retired medical professionals, such as doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, veterinarians and others can volunteer for the Medical Reserve Corps.

The goal of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is to train and maintain a cadre of volunteers from any walk of life to be ready for emergency deployment by the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management or the Nassau County Department of Health. To date, there are over 1,000 CERT volunteers.