TRAINING

We often hear that one of the best benefits of MRC membership is a wide variety of training opportunities. On this page you’ll find requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to ‘deploy’ with the Medical Reserve Corps AND additional training options for specific service teams…

REQUIRED TRAINING FOR DEPLOYMENTS BELOW

For your convenience, you may complete the following two Core MRC Courses online.  (These trainings are required by Berkshire and Franklin MRC). Note: Hampshire and Hampden County volunteers – please check with your coordinator to confirm training requirements.

MRC Orientation (MRC 101) (55 minute recording) click the link

This course will familiarize you with the Core Competencies required of all disaster response volunteers and your responsibilities as an MRC Volunteer.

By the end of this session, participants should be able to:

  • Summarize the purpose of the MRC. 
  • Recognize the possible roles that MRC members may perform. 
  • Describe the Incident Command System (ICS) how it applies to the role of an MRC member. 
  • Identify key measures to take at home to prepare for a potential emergency. 

ICS and Public Health  (40 minute video) click the link

When a disaster or incident requires a response from multiple agencies and volunteer groups (such as the MRC), effective coordination is critical.  The Incident Command System (ICS) provides a flexible, standardized framework for coordinated and collaborative incident management.  You might think of ICS as a common language that everyone speaks when different response groups need to work together

NEXT STEPS! 

1. Log Your Training (no certificates needed)

Once you complete these trainings, please record having done so in your MAResponds.org profile –  – here is how to do so  

ADDITIONAL TRAINING BY RESPONSE SPECIALTY

Working with CHILDREN

Over the past few months, MRC has collaborated with two expert organizations in the field  of children in disasters to offer training to prepare volunteers to align with our Children’s Response Team.  Here are the recordings: 



“The Pandemic is No Time To Stop Playing
with Second Response Program

This webinar series examined the theory supporting the somatic therapy known as PLAYshops and simple practices to enhance a volunteer’s ability to nurture children who have been impacted by trauma (and nurture themselves as the carers).  

Session One 
Session Two 

NOTE: Please let us know if you watch these webinars so we can count your time, and recored the training in MAResponds.  (Second Response Training #1 and #2)

 “CDS Kit’s of Comfort and Protocols Webinar
with Children’s Disaster Services 

CDS has specialized in working with children in disasters for over 40 years, employing methods of creative play that have helped thousands of kids around the world who have been impacted by disaster.  This is a brief overview of the CDS signature training for MRC volunteers who are interested in helping kids thrive in creative ways in challenging times. 

Session One  ( Password: ?5.nT7YC )
Session Two  ( Password: d4gHJX$@ )

Since these trainings, members of the MRC Children’s Response team compiled 100 MRC Kid’s Kits filled with special items that encourage creative and healing play !   Thanks team! 


NOTE: Please let us know if you watch these webinars so we can count your time, and log record the training in MAResponds.  (Children’s Disaster Services #1 and #2)

EMERGENCY SHELTERING” with Liisa Jackson

 Sheltering Part 1 – RECORDED SESSION

Part one covers the basics of shelter setup and operations – including Intro to shelter, Types of Shelters, Roles, Incident Command System (ICS), Job Action Sheets (JAS) and more.

Sheltering Part 2 – RECORDED SESSION

This advanced train the trainer session covers leadership aspects of shelter operation, Just-in-time (JITT) training roles, regional shelter templates, and forms and checklists used to open and close emergency shelter facilities, and more.

Animals In Disasters with David Schwarz/SMART

ANIMALS in DISASTERS – Recorded Session