With the possibility of large-scale natural disaster ever-present in this region, islanders working to bolster Vashon’s medical preparedness in such a situation are seeking volunteers with and without medical training.
Currently, individuals are sought for the island’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), a volunteer group that was formed on the island several years ago to assist in large-scale emergencies, but which has been relatively dormant more recently.
Now, leaders of the group are aiming to get the group active again, working to update old contacts and putting together a new list of people willing to step up and assist medically should the need arise. Islander Barb Owdziej (pronounced oud-zī,), a nurse at Virginia Mason, is spearheading the effort.
While Owdziej said she believes many health professionals would report to assist in a disaster, practice would make that process go more smoothly. She expects there will be a drill this fall in preparation for a genuine event or the Cascadia Rising drill next June.
“We need to make sure we know how to open the closet and pull out the cots,” she said in a recent interview.
Owdziej said she would like to hear from health care providers of all kinds — physicians, nurses, medical assistants, first responders, mental health professionals and veterinarians. People with no medical training will also be needed for administrative and organizational tasks, she added.
At Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR), which is the sponsor of the group, interim acting chief George Brown said he welcomes the reactivation of the corps.
“We view them as our safety net on the medical side in the event of a disaster,” he said.
MRC volunteers would be particularly important in case of a regional disaster, he added, as the department likely would not be able to call in outside reinforcements, as it would for an island disaster.
At VIFR, firefighter/EMT Jason Everett recently stepped forward to serve as the department’s liaison to the MRC. The department has enough equipment for a disaster, he noted, but not enough people. Both he and Owdziej say they would like as many community members as possible to volunteer for the corps in part because so many islanders are away for long periods of time.
“We would like everybody we can,” Everett said. “If it (a disaster) happens at 10 a.m. Wednesday, the turn out will be different than if it happens at 10 p.m. Sunday night. … That is the nature of volunteerism on Vashon.”
In an emergency, Everett said MRC volunteers should first care for themselves and their families and then report to VIFR to assist.
“As soon as you feel able, we want you to be part of our system,” he added.
The island has some strong volunteer groups to help with disaster, he noted, such as the Emergency Operations Center and Community Emergency Response Team, and he foresees strengthening the MRC in a similar way.
“A year from now we will be tighter,” he added.
Medical Reserve Corps exist throughout the United States, with nearly 1,000 community-based groups and more than 200,000 volunteers, according to the national MRC website.
In many instances, the groups prepare for disaster — as on Vashon — but also assist with public health emergencies, such as disease outbreaks, and community health efforts, such as vaccination clinics.
On the island, however, both Owdziej and VIFR officials say the current focus is solely on disaster preparation.
“We just want people to know if they have the capability and we have the big one, come and help,” Everett said.
— For more information or to sign up for the corps, contact Barb Owdziej at mrc@vashonbeprepared.org. Those who are medical professionals should include their contact information as well as the type of medical training they have and note whether or not their license is current.
