Medical Reserve Corps

Welcome

The mission of the Thurston County Medical Reserve Corps is to allow local health professionals and others to voluntarily contribute their skills and expertise to provide public health surge capacity.

Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a community-based volunteer program that strengthens and expands the local public health system's response during a health emergency or disaster. Members include medical and non-medical professionals who contribute their unique skills and expertise to prepare for and respond to health emergencies.

The Thurston County MRC unit is one of over 1,000 nationally recognized Medical Reserve Corps units. Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek serves as the Medical Director of the Thurston County MRC.

Members of Thurston County MRC have assisted in a range of health emergencies that include response to local flooding, H1N1 influenza pandemic, state pertussis outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic response.

Membership Requirements

Thank you for your interest in Thurston County Medical Reserve Corps. Currently, we are actively recruiting medical and non-medical volunteers in Thurston County. Please select the options that fit your skills below and email mrc@co.thurston.wa.us to obtain a Medical Reserve Corps application.

Non-Medical Volunteers -

Jobs include: flow monitors, traffic control, greeters, guides, data entry, logistics and reception. Work may include indoor and outdoor locations.

Medical Volunteers -

Jobs include: vaccinators, medical screening/observation, and vaccine draw. These positions require any of the following retired and/or active medical licenses in Washington State: MD, DO, PA, ARNP, RN, DODPA, Pharmacist, Pharmacy Tech. Click for more information, regarding Washington State DOH: List of providers authorized to administer vaccines. Work may include indoor and outdoor locations. Must work within the scope of your license.

Basic eligibility requirements for the Thurston County MRC include:

Be at least 18 years old
Pass a criminal background check
Have a valid driver's license and auto insurance
Work well in stressful situations
Have good customer service skills
Work well in a team
Be current on required immunizations (Measles/Mumps/Rubella, Hepatitis B, Seasonal Influenza, COVID-19 primary series)

See MRC Membership Handbook and Application Requirements for more information.

We invite you to join and expand the public health surge capacity for the residents of Thurston County.

All new Thurston County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) members are required to attend a volunteer orientation and a Welcome to Medical Reserve Corps training. The National Medical Reserve Corps program has established core competencies for all Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units. The Thurston County MRC is emphasizing knowledge of personal preparedness, Incident Command and first aid.

The following training must be complete during the first 6 months of becoming a MRC member to become active and eligible for deployment:

Personal and Family Preparedness Plan
IS-100.C Introduction to Incident Command Systems
IS-700.B Introduction to National Incident Management System (NIMS)
Psychological First Aid
CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillator)

An annual Readiness Review training is required. Additional training through drills, exercises and community events are available. All members are expected to attend a minimum of 1 activity/event per year to be better prepared for a health emergency to stay in active status.

All MRC volunteer members are registered with the Washington State Emergency Worker program. Being registered is a requirement to be eligible to volunteer for an emergency response with the Thurston County MRC. The Emergency Worker program provides MRC volunteer members with benefits and legal protections found in RCW 38.52.180.