Public Health Emergency Preparedness

The Evanston Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of our community. MRC volunteers are both medical and non-medical professionals who have an interest in serving in public health emergencies and health-related events year-round.

Some areas of involvement include:

• Emergency Response Support: natural disasters like severe weather or tornadoes, or man-made emergencies like a biological threat or bombing incident.
• Public Health Initiatives; supporting efforts such as community vaccination clinics, disease outbreak surveillance, disaster and behavioral health support, disaster clean up, emergency shelter operations, mass dispensing, healthcare medical surge support,t and more.
• Preparedness Training and Exercises; following the City's written plans, MRC serves a critical role in making sure our emergency plans work, are effective, and inclusive to our diverse population. T & E are an annual requirement for local health departments, as well as our Office of Emergency Management, as a close partner to HHS.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, our MRC volunteers made significant contributions at over 60 of the City’s Point of Distribution (POD) sites, which act as mass vaccination centers during a public health emergency.

From January 7, 2021, to August 3, 2022, our volunteers, primarily local residents, filled crucial roles—from registration clerks and screeners to traffic assistants and language interpreters—helping administer over 18,000 vaccinations. More than 100 volunteers were onboarded during this time,  contributing over 3,640 hours of service and providing an economic value of approximately $105,808, showcasing their vital role in supporting community health.