To strengthen and support the health security of the city, to save lives, and to protect against public health threats. To support individual, family, and business preparedness for all citizens including those with access/functional needs. To enhance community resilience by providing training and education for the public about all aspects of preparedness and response.

• In emergencies, work together 24/7 with state and local first responders to save lives and safeguard communities.
• Build a community response network that includes agencies, organizations, schools, health care providers, houses of worship/congregations and many others (e.g., convening a Citizens' Preparedness Advisory Committee/Council composed of representatives of various organizations and segments of the community, including classically underserved/underrepresented segments).
• Assist community organizations, businesses and agencies with the development and testing of Continuity of Operations Plans (COOPs).
• Identify, develop and access the preparedness and response resources that already exist in Springfield and surrounding communities; actively participate in resource coordination.
• Develop and test operationalized plans for public health response interventions, including distribution of MCM, evacuation/sheltering, sheltering in place, isolation and quarantine in an infectious disease emergency, mass fatality management and non-pharmacologic interventions to reduce the spread of disease.
• Enhance community resilience by engaging all of Springfield's citizens in individual, family and business preparedness planning.
• Represent the public health preparedness needs and challenges of the citizens of Springfield in interdisciplinary preparedness planning and response committees and initiatives such as full-scale exercises and the development of emergency management plans.
• Serve as public health subject matter experts and advocates during preparedness planning and emergency responses.
• Safeguard the health of Springfield's citizens during incidents involving potential exposure to infectious, occupational, or environmental hazards and risks.
• Develop a robust corps of medical and nonmedical community public health volunteers, and ensure that they are optimally trained and exercised.
• Lead the City of Springfield with public health preparedness and response activities by providing direction, support, and coordination across the region and with public health partners.

Public Health Preparedness and Response supports many initiatives that improve the city's health security, preparedness and resilience:

• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) - prepares individuals to help in the event of a disaster. With CERT training, individuals will possess the skills to assist emergency responders in saving lives and protecting property.
• Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) - improves healthy literacy and disease prevention, reduces health disparities, and educates individuals on public health preparedness.
• Continuity of Operations Planning - coordinates the development and implementation of continuity of operations plans for the municipal departments of the City of Springfield; assists the community organizations and agencies with the development of their own COOPs.
• City of Springfield Medical Countermeasures Program (CSMCM) - provides training for entities and individuals that are part of the city medical countermeasures (MCM) leadership structure.

• "Know, Plan, Prepare" community preparedness training.
• Coordinating and participating in emergency drills and exercises.
• Environmental health priority planning.
• Disaster behavior health plan development.

• Community preparedness/public education
• Development of community resilience
• Community recovery
• Emergency public information and warning
• Fatality management
• Continuity of operation plans
• Violence prevention
• Volunteer recruitment, retention and management
• Medical countermeasure dispensing
• Evacuation, sheltering, and sheltering-in-place
• Infectious disease response including the dispensing of MCM

The City of Springfield Health and Human Services MRC is seeking non-medical and medical volunteers to join the Medical Reserve Corp. MRC volunteers are trained to assist public health officials and respond to community emergencies or disasters. Volunteers of the Medical Reserve Corp will also participate in health related events such as health fairs, flu clinics, and others. Springfield's Medical Reserve Corp needs to be diverse both culturally and linguistically, to assist all residents of Springfield. For more information about Medical Reserve Corp visit www.wmmrc.org or call (413) 787-6761; 1145 Main Street, Suite 208; Springfield, MA 01103.

To become a MRC volunteer, download the form here.

CORI Form