Mission

Steven Fettner,
Executive Director
Southwest Florida MRC
2995 Victoria Avenue
Fort Myers, FL 33901
(239) 461-6109

The SW Florida Medical Reserve Corps is designed to bring together practicing and retired healthcare professionals from a diversity of fields, including physicians, nurses, hospital and public health workers, mental health experts, and other medical professions. In addition, volunteers without a background in medical training are needed. The SW Florida Medical Reserve Corps program works together with State and County Health Departments and Emergency Managements agencies in the following counties: Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades, DeSoto, Highlands and Okeechobee.Healthcare professionals and other citizens are recruited to help these communities respond during disasters, emergencies or terrorist attacks. Volunteers also assist with public health initiatives, such as widespread immunization efforts during disease outbreak. Other examples of disasters and threats that could require mobilizing and deployment of Southwest Florida MRC volunteers include: Biological and chemical threats; Explosions; or Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornados and flooding.

Benefits

Individual

Provide self-protection training preparing you to respond safely. Your safety is paramount to our mission.
Give you a sense of belonging and establish a feeling of comrade.
Provide you with CEU, CMEs or other forms of continuing education.
Provide exposure to skills you may not have used or needed since your initial training.
Provide you a way to keep your skills up to date if not currently practicing.
Provide you with liability coverage when responding to the events.
Give you opportunities to work in fields you have been unable to thereby giving you experience for Resumes.
Provide you the opportunity to help your community.
Knowledge of the overall response plan for your community and the ICS training that is mandatory for all first responders.

Organization

Gives a response mechanism for the volunteers that is controlled and planned for.
Associates volunteers with hospitals prior to an event happening allowing those hospitals a chance to train and exercise the volunteers prior to the incident.
Gives the organization a recognizable sponsor to promote their participation in community preparedness.
Protects the liability of its personnel who want to volunteer their services.
Promotes a preparedness level and safety aspect that will help in the protection of its personnel in the event and incident occurs.

Community

Prepares the community for catastrophes.
Allows a mechanism for the medical needs to be planned for and coordinated.
Provides a means for volunteers to get involved in their community.
Opens up more services that will be available for the needs of the community ie Free Clinics, Immunization Clinics and Wellness Centers.

What can you give the SW Florida MRC

Your skills, knowledge and experience
Leadership abilities.
Subject Matter Expertise: you will be able to instruct some personnel in your field of expertise helping to better the group on a whole.
Assistance in exercises from Mass Casualty to MIPS .
Open up avenues of recruiting new members .
Fresh Ideas.