Citizen Corps & MRC play vital role pandemic flu exercise

Fifth Anniversary of Citizen Corps

Ohio Citizen Corps Joins Weather Safety Team

College Student Volunteering Increases

Save the Date - Joining Forces Conference

Calendar of Events

A New Look!

Welcome to the NEW Ohio Citizen Corps Newsletter. The new design is a continuation of the OCC branding theme "Make Every Minute Count." The new look, which features the clock and volunteers in action, is part of a larger family that includes all Citizen Corps products from brochures and print ads to television spots.

To date, more than 35,000 brochures have been distributed at no cost to Citizen Corps Councils and Medical Reserve Corps units. Below is a list of products available and request forms for brochures and the table top display.

Coming soon the ServeOhio.org Web site, the home of Ohio Citizen Corps, will launch a revamped site featuring a calendar system for trainings and events.

Click Here for Larger Version

We want your feedback. If you have any comments or ideas about the design email Paul Bender at paul.bender@ocsc.state.oh.us.

Ohio Citizen Corps Liability Protection

The rule process for the registration of an Ohio Citizen Corps volunteer pertaining to Ohio Revised Code 121.404 was completed in January. The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) accepted the Ohio Community Service Council's rule filing. Click here to view the filing. The filing completes more than a year long process, which included a public hearing on December 14, 2006 at the Ohio Community Service Council in Columbus, Ohio.

Testimony at the public hearing

Ohio Revised Code 121.404 provides liability protection to registered Ohio Citizen Corps volunteers during local, state or federally declared disasters, emergencies, drills and trainings. The statute also exempts a registered volunteer's personal information on the Ohio Citizen Corps Database from public disclosure.

Highlights of therule include: types of registration, criteria for becoming a registered volunteer and conditions to remove a volunteer from the Database. Click here to read the rule and law in its entirety.

Medical Reserve Corps Major Expansion

$10,000 Grant Helps Local Units

An additional 20 Ohio Medical Reserve Corps Units were approved for official status in the last two months. The influx of new units was the result of a commitment to the growth and development of local Medical Reserve Corps programs at the national level. The United States Office of the Surgeon General, which oversees the Medical Reserve Corps Program, entered into a cooperative agreement with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). The agreement allows for local units to receive $10,000 in capacity-building funding to support the development of MRC units and to promote the integration of MRC units into their local public health and emergency response
system.

Nearly all units in Ohio completed the necessary paperwork and will receive notice of the award in the early Spring. Currently, there are 68 units serving 67 counties. This covers 77 percent of the Ohio's counties. Click here to see the new units and their contacts. Click Here for a Larger Map

OMRC Coordinators' Conference

Approximately 75 personnel attended the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps Coordinators’ Conference held at the State Emergency Operations Center/Joint Dispatch Facility, November 3.

The conference was organized by the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Citizen Corps. Attendees included representatives of the Medical Reserve Corps coordinators, Regional Medical Response System coordinators, state and county EMA personnel and Ohio Citizen Corps staff.

The conference focused on efforts to make local MRC units stronger. State operations and procedures were also highlighted. Agenda items included the Ohio Citizen Corps database, marketing and recruiting materials, and the Volunteer Reception Center.

New Law Signifies Importance of MRC

On December 19, 2006, President Bush signed S. 3678, the
"Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act," into law (Public Law No. 109-417). This legislation authorizes appropriations to improve bioterrorism and other public health emergency planning and preparedness activities. One significant feature of this law is that it codifies the Medical Reserve Corps.

At this point there are still many items included in the legislation which need clarification, but this is an important step in MRC's role in disaster response and demonstrates recognition of the program by national leadership

New Citizen Corps Council

Ohio Citizen Corps is proud to announce the formation of the Pickaway County Citizen Corps Council.

On November 30, representatives from Ohio Citizen Corps and the Ohio EMA were invited by County Commissioner Ula Jean Metzler and John Monce to guide an informational session on the formation of Pickaway County Citizen Corps Council.

Commissioner Metzler spoke of the uncertain times we live in and, disasters, whether manmade or natural, can happen without warning. She stressed the importance the community preparedness. Monce, former Director of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said that Citizen Corps provides the mechanism to engage residents of Pickaway County in disaster preparedness and response. He also stated that participation on the Citizen Corps Council by local officials and first responders is imperative for coordination and planning for an emergency.

Attendees at the event, held at the Circleville Fire Department, included civic leaders, school administrators and township fire departments and first responders.

Contact Information for the Pickaway County Citizen Corps Council:

John Monce
monceter@earthlink.net
424 Glenmont Court,
Circleville, OH 43113
740-474-2088

Ohio Citizen Corps Joins
Weather Safety Team

Ohio Citizen Corps is now a part of the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness.

Since 1978, the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) has been dedicated to educating Ohioans about natural disasters that typically affect the state, and how to plan and prepare for severe weather incidents before they occur. Committee members include the National Weather Service, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies. Click here to see the entire list.

Ohio Citizen Corps Public Information Officer and resident meteorologist Paul Bender called the addition a natural fit. "Ohio Citizen Corps is committed to preparing Ohio's residents for a disaster. Being part of the committee will allow us to share OCSWA safety information with our large volunteer pool. In return, we have a new way to advertise our message and recruit new volunteers."

The committee conducts statewide severe weather safety campaigns twice a year – once during a week in March promoting flood and tornado safety, and once in November, promoting winter storm safety.

Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week this year is March 25-31, with the statewide tornado drill scheduled for Wednesday, March 28, at 9:50 a.m.

For information about Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness visit http://www.weathersafety.ohio.gov

Week Long Pan-Flu Exercise

Ohio Citizen Corps and Medical Reserve Corps play an important role

From January 4-12, public health officials in 10 counties conducted a simulation of how they would respond when disease invades the region for real.

The health departments and emergency management agencies from Athens, Hocking, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton Counties participated in the exercise.

The simulation did not require any actual response, but prompted officials to make decisions base on given scenarios. With every new piece of news, players responded as they would during a real flu outbreak -networking, sharing resources, setting up command centers and keeping the public informed.

One important result of the exercise showed the importance Ohio Citizen Corps and Ohio Medical Reserve Corps as officials realized their need for additional manpower. CERT and Citizen Corps Councils were called into action. Medical Reserve Corps Units were activated and Volunteer Reception Centers were simulated in all counties.

Report Finds Sharp Increase in College Student Volunteering

Evidence Points to Rising Civic Engagement Since 9/11

Volunteering among college students has risen sharply in the years since the 9/11 attacks, suggesting the possible emergence of a new civic generation, according to the most comprehensive federal study ever conducted of college student volunteering in the United States.

Click Here for the rest of the story.

Fifth Anniversary of Citizen Corps

Citizen Corps Celebrates Five Years!

This month marks the fifth anniversary since President George W. Bush announced the creation of Citizen Corps during the State of the Union Address in 2002. Created as a component of the USA Freedom Corps initiative following the events of September 11, 2001, Citizen Corps is based on the simple premise that we all have a role in hometown security. Our remarkable growth these past five years is due to the many thousands of citizens across the country, who recognize the importance of civic responsibility and participation to achieve community preparedness. Citizen Corps Councils, one of the central tenets of Citizen Corps, is to bring together government and non-governmental community leaders to develop a more inclusive approach to community preparedness by involving the public in all-hazards emergency preparedness,
planning, mitigation, response, and recovery.

Click Here to Read More

Basic Disaster Life Support Classes

Numerous Basic Disaster Life Support Classes are being offered across the state. The classes are free for registered MRC members.

BDLS is delivered through in-person didactic and interactive lectures with standardized slide sets and an accompanying text. Information can be delivered over 1 day.

The BDLS course is a review of the all-hazards topics including natural and accidental man-made events; traumatic and explosive events; nuclear and radiological events; biological events; and chemical events . Also included is information on such critical areas as the health care professionals role in the public health and incident management systems, community mental health, and special needs of underserved and vulnerable populations.

Click here to learn about classes in your area.

Forging New Links

Ohio's Volunteer Conference is scheduled for March 12-15. There are several sessions focused on community preparedness and response.

Click here to see the complete registration guide.

Calendar of Events

Many trainings are posted on our Citizen Corps Web site including CERT and Volunteer Reception Center trainings.

Click here to see what is happening in your area.

Joining Forces Conference

Purpose: Develop and/or strengthen partnerships between emergency response personnel, behavioral health providers and volunteer leaders to maximize resources engaged in disaster preparation, response and recovery.

Objectives:

Registration materials will be available in March.
For more information contact Garrison & Associates at eg@garrisonevents.com or 614-273-1400.

New Volunteer Reception Center Manual

The Volunteer Reception Center Manual has been overhauled and reprinted.

To request a copy contact Rusty Groselle at gloria.davis@ocsc.state.oh.us