The Medical Reserve Corps
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of local groups of volunteers engaging the local communities to strengthen public health, reduce vulnerability, build resilience, and improve preparedness, response and recovery capabilities. The MRC network comprises nearly 1,000 community-based units and almost 20, 000 volunteers located throughout the United States and its territories. Connecticut has 23 MRC units, grouped into the five ESF-8 regions of the state.
MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers, as well as local and state-level partners, to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities, and build community resiliency. They prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, like disease outbreaks.
At the federal level, MRC is supported by the Medical Reserve Corps program, the national office of the MRC housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In Connecticut, the Department of Public Health's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, working in conjunction with the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, serves as the state MRC coordinator.
Connecticut MRC Strategic Plan
2019 Deployment Readiness Guide
Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security