Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps and Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team FAQs
Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps (RIMRC) - www.rimrc.org
Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team (RI-1DMAT) - www.ri1dmat.org
What is the Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps and its purpose?
The Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps is a component of the Citizens Corps that organizes local health professional volunteers to assist regular medical response professionals and facilities during a large-scale local emergency. RI MRC is a community-based, organized group of volunteers who can serve during a local emergency health situation and assist with local public health needs. The purpose of the RI MRC is to strengthen the medical and emergency resources within our own community. Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps allows residents to participate in addressing and solving the public health concerns within their community. Rhode Island, like other states and areas, has its own needs, issues, and concerns and there is no one better equipped to handle those needs than the professionals willing to volunteer their time and expertise to their own communities and neighborhoods.
What are DMAT's?
Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) assist in providing care for ill or injured victims at the location of a disaster or emergency. DMATs can provide triage, medical or surgical stabilization, and continued monitoring and care of patients until they can be evacuated to locations where they will receive definitive medical care. Specialty DMATs can also be deployed to address mass burn injuries, pediatric care requirements, chemical injury or contamination, etc.
DMAT's fall under the Emergency Support Function Annexes to the Federal Response Plan (ESP #8 Health and Medical Services). ESF #8 is the primary source of public health and medical response/information for all Federal officials involved in response operations.
Health personnel/teams from HHS will be deployed as needed, and appropriate medical and public health (including environmental health) assistance will be provided. NDMS DMATs will be activated and deployed as needed. DMATs may be activated for provision of patient reception, patient staging, casualty clearing, or other medical care activities.
The best source for more information, including how to join, can be found on the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) website at www.hhs.gov/aspr/opeo/ndms/teams/index.html NDMS is the parent organization of DMATs and other teams.
The RI-1 DMAT team manages the RIMRC, bringing the organizations’ response and training activities, as well as their respective members, in productive and close contact.
Who Can Volunteer for the MRC and/or DMAT?
Any Licensed health care professional can volunteer; active or retired. These include:
- MD
- Physician Assistant
- Nurse Practitioner
- Registered Nurse
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Certified Nursing Assistant
- EMT-B or EMT- C
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist and pharmacy technician
- Respiratory Therapist
- Any allied health professional
Many other non-medical positions exist, for your family and friends to also participate.
Some of these positions include:
- Administrative
- Communications
- Equipment Specialist
- Laboratory Technician
- Medical Records Unit Leader
- Medical Supply Specialist
- Safety Officer
- Security Specialist
- Supply Management Officer
- Team Leader (non-medical)
What is the commitment?
Commitment to the RI MRC is minimal. We ask that you give your time when you can. However, we do emphasize the need to keep up with training. Trainings are offered throughout the year and are posted on this website on the training page.
For DMAT, you will commit to being on-call for three months during the year. This means that during those months, you agree to be on a roster of team members to deploy within hours. You must purchase, gather, and organize a personal response bag, federal uniforms, and complete training missions as required by the federal government. You will get paid while activated (as a temporary federal employee), and will benefit from federal worker’s compensation, liability protection, and the provisions of the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA), guaranteeing the right to return to your primary employment in the same position; this is the act that governs National Guard deployments, for example.
