Serving a county of over 4,000 square miles, 88 incorporated cities,
more than 250 additional communities, and a population of 10.1 million,
it is estimated that the Department of Public Health (DPH) will need
over 45,000 volunteers to assist in responding to a large scale
public health emergency. DPH has sponsored the MRC Los Angeles (MRC LA),
a local unit registered with the National Medical Reserve Corps under
the Office of the Surgeon General for the organization of health and
non-health volunteers. The MRC LA volunteers are maintained in an
electronic registration system, the Los Angeles County Emergency System
for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (LAC ESAR-VHP).
Under the coordination of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Program
of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH EPRP), MRC LA
will assist the large numbers of Angelenos affected during a disaster or
public health emergency. Volunteers with various skills and experiences
are needed to assist with our emergency response (e.g. vaccinating or
dispensing pharmaceuticals, screening, distributing information, directing
people, providing mental health consultation, and entering data).
