Recorded presentation

LT John Mallos, BSN, U.S. Public Health Service, Commissioned Corps Readiness Force, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 520K, Rockville, MD 20857, 3014438591, jmallos@osophs.dhhs.gov and CDR Angela Martinelli, DNSc, Commissioned Corps Readiness Force, U.S. Public Health Service, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20857.

In 1984 a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was developed between the American Red Cross (ARC) and the U.S Public Health Service. The purpose of this MOU was to establish policies and procurers for disaster planning, operations, and emergency response whereby the PHS and the ARC could work together in their public health response to national disasters. In 2003, through a series of meetings and discussions with the ARC leadership, the Commissioned Corps Readiness Force (CCRF) rekindled this relationship between the PHS and the ARC. The CCRF is a cadre of PHS officers prepared to respond to natural and man-made disasters and other national and international emergencies. In May of 2003, CCRF officers responded to the first in a series of ARC requests for support. During this first response, CCRF nurses assisted ARC volunteers in caring for victims of the Midwest Tornadoes. This response set the pattern in a series of actions taken to solidify and amplify the CCRF and ARC's alliance. In September of 2003, CCRF nurses and mental health provides worked along side ARC voluntaries in caring for victims of Hurricane Isabel. No sooner had CCRF members returned from Hurricane Isabel, the 2003 Southern California Wildfires gave reason for another response. During these fires, CCRF officers provided nursing care and mental health care in shelters and through outreach activities. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the commonalties between the mission of the ARC and CCRF, to describe types of disasters in which the ARC may call upon CCRF for their support, and to discuss various activities that CCRF officer perform when working with the ARC.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the commonalties between the mission of the American Red Cross and that of Commissioned Corps Readiness Force of the U.S. Public Health Service.
• Describe types of disasters in which the American Red Cross may call upon Commissioned Corps Readiness Force for their support.
• Discuss various activities the Commissioned Corps Readiness Force officers perform when working with the American Red Cross during disasters.

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Disasters

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation