Medical Reserve Corps are present in all 50 U.S. states, and also in U.S. territories, like Puerto Rico. The need for such an effort was brought to life after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. There wasn’t an official channel to organize public health professionals that offered to volunteer. The Medical Reserve Corps were formed to recruit, train and deploy medical personnel after a disaster or public health emergency.
Equipping First Responders for Disaster Response
Direct Relief has a long history of working with Medical Reserve Corps throughout the United States to ensure first responders have the medical tools they need, and thousands of backpacks have been distributed to MRC chapters. Direct Relief initially developed, designed, and field tested Emergency Medical Packs specifically for MRC members to ensure volunteers had immediate access to appropriate, standardized gear when activated and deployed in emergencies.
