Thank you for your interest in joining the North Dakota Public Health Emergency Volunteer Reserve (PHEVR)/ Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Our mission is to improve the health and safety of communities across North Dakota through the organization of volunteers sharing the common goals to serve their communities in times of need, prevention, and proactive planning.
Public Health Emergency Volunteer Reserve / Medical Reserve Corps FAQs
PHEVR/MRC stands for Public Health Emergency Volunteer Reserve/Medical Reserve Corps. It is a partnership between the state and local health departments and communities throughout the state of North Dakota. The PHEVR/MRC program is sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Health Emergency Preparedness and Response division. It enhances the ability of North Dakota’s health and medical system to respond in a public health emergency situation.
PHEVR/MRC’s mission is to provide medical and non-medical personnel to assist in a public health emergency. The purpose of the PHEVR/MRC program is to recruit volunteers (medical and non-medical) and train them before an event occurs to thus save time in the response phase of a public health emergency.
A database of PHEVR/MRC volunteers will be maintained by the North Dakota Department of Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Section. It should help minimize the number of spontaneous volunteers and maximize the response capacity in the event of an emergency.
Every disaster has a public health component. A public health emergency situation could range from a flood to an influenza epidemic. Having a pool (database) of identified and pre-screened volunteers will aid in the response time, and enable officials to help the community recover from the disaster quicker.
For safety reasons, all PHEVR/MRC volunteers must be at least 18 years old and live, work, or go to school in North Dakota. Individuals deployed as PHEVR/MRC volunteers will be covered under ND Worker’s Compensation if injured while assisting as a PHEVR/MRC volunteer in an emergency situation.
A variety of medical positions would need to be filled in the event that a mass clinic was needed to dispense antibiotics or to provide immunizations to the general public. These might include:
- Nurse LPN, RN, APRN, NP
- CNA, Medical Assistant
- Phlebotomist
- Pharmacist
- Medical Doctor
- Dentist/Dental Assistant
- EMT/EMR/Paramedic
- Social Worker
- Veterinarian
Volunteers that perform non-medical tasks are just as critical as medical personnel. Some of the roles for non-medical staff may include:
- Administrative (Data Entry)
- Security/Safety
- Logistics/Supplies
- Interpreter
- Communication Support
- Technology Support
- Driver (CDL)
- General Volunteer Assistance
- Clergy
In the event of an emergency requiring PHEVR/MRC volunteer assistance you will be contacted through our Health Alert Network (HAN) through email or phone message.
Volunteers from local areas impacted by an exercise or emergency are contacted first. If enough volunteers are not available to fill a local need then volunteers from surrounding areas may be asked. Please remember that all deployment is voluntary meaning you are not required to respond.
The Health Alert Network message will be the first means of communication. The first HAN message will let you know that a request is being made for volunteers. The message will instruct you to go to a website to indicate that you are available to volunteer for this event. A second HAN alert message will inform you that your offer to assist has been accepted and you will be directed to the website to receive your assignment and other important information. A volunteer is not deployed unless both HAN messages are received.
At a minimum, PHEVR/MRC volunteers must update their contact information and volunteer profiles when information is no longer current, or at least once every six months. Even if the information hasn’t changed within that time period, volunteers are asked to renew their application at least once every six months so the Department of Health knows that the information is up to date and the volunteer is still available. PHEVR/.MRC volunteers are required to fulfill the training requirement by watching the PHEVR/MRC orientation video.
Volunteers are also expected to participate in drills with the ND Department of Health. Periodically, the ND Department of Health will conduct a drill to contact volunteers using the established process. These drills will help work out any problems in advance of an actual emergency. Volunteers will be contacted by telephone or email and instructed how to respond. It’s very important that all volunteers who are contacted for these drills respond in the established way in a timely manner so the ND Department of Health can verify what works well and what part of the process might need minor adjustments.
Once you are an activated PHEVR/MRC volunteer and serve as designated agents of the North Dakota Department of Health during a public health emergency, you are covered by worker’s compensation and state tort laws that cover liability.
The PHEVR/MRC system will include volunteer contact information, licensure (when applicable), certifications, degree, and skills.
PHEVR/MRC volunteers will receive “Just in Time” training at the site where they are directed to report. PHEVR/MRC volunteers have the option of participating in local, regional or state trainings. Many trainings are available at the North Dakota Department of Health Website www.ndhealth.gov/ET/WebcastCalendar and can be completed at your convenience by clicking the Archived Webcasts/Trainings link.
You can register online to become a PHEVR/MRC volunteer. Register online.
Privacy
This system is the property of the State of North Dakota and is for authorized use only. Unauthorized access is a violation of federal and state law and violators may be subject to criminal, civil, and/or administrative action.
All information on this computer system may be intercepted, recorded, read, copied, and disclosed by and to authorized personnel for official purposes, including criminal investigations. Such information includes data encrypted to comply with confidentiality and privacy requirements. Access or use of this computer system by any person constitutes consent to these terms:
Use
- All information on the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) form is confidential. I will not use or disclose this information except for its authorized purposes or share information obtained on the ESAR-VHP form with anyone other than authorized ESAR-VHP users.
- I agree to apply appropriate safeguards to protect the confidentiality and security of the information obtained on the ESAR-VHP form.
- I agree not to share my login credentials (i.e., Login ID, Password) with anyone other than ESAR-VHP support staff.
Photo Consent
By completing the PHEVR/MRC application I give my permission to use my name, likeness, image, voice, and/or appearance as such may be embodied in any pictures, photos, video recordings, audiotapes, digital images, and the like, taken or made on behalf of the North Dakota Public Health Emergency Volunteer Reserve (PHEVR)/ Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) or the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) activities. I agree that PHEVR/MRC and the NDDoH have complete ownership of such pictures, etc., including the entire copyright, and may use them for any purpose consistent with the PHEVR/MRC mission. These uses include, but are not limited to illustrations, bulletins, exhibitions, videotapes, reprints, reproductions, publications, advertisements, and any promotional or educational materials in any medium now known or later developed, including the Internet. I acknowledge that I will not receive any compensation, etc. for the use of such pictures, etc., and hereby release the PHEVR/MRC program and the NDDoH and its agents and assigns from any and all claims which arise out of or are in any way connected with such use.