Frequently Asked Questions

The MRC is a national network of local volunteers committed to improving the health, safety, and resiliency of their communities. MRC units identify, screen, train, and organize the volunteers, and engage them to support routine public health activities and to augment preparedness and response efforts. Visit their website for more info!

Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps’ (APP MRC) mission is to recruit and train volunteers in order to better support rural public health operations and bolster community resilience and preparedness.

We are so happy you are considering joining our team of dedicated volunteers! Volunteer work is incredibly important to the success and support of local communities.

1. Fill out our “APP MRC Member Interest Form” form! This is how we will collect your email address in order to send you important materials and keep you in the loop on in-person events.

2. Attend an in-person or virtual NC TERMS registration event. We will host various registration events, both in-person and on Zoom, to provide instructions on how to register for NC TERMS and walk you through the process. We will follow up with you to inform you of when/where these meetings will take place. You can also create an account on your own by starting here.

3. Accept the MRC unit invite within your TERMS profile! Check your profile for an invitation to officially join the MRC unit. Once accepted, you will be an official volunteer for the Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps.

4. Complete all onboarding tasks required by the unit. Before you can be officially active as a volunteer, you must complete the required onboarding tasks such as a background check, orientation/onboarding, and Psychological First Aid training (PFA).

Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps (APP MRC) volunteers focus on emergency preparedness and response by assisting with public health emergencies (natural disaster, disease outbreaks, bioterrorism, power outages, etc.), public health outreach through various projects and events (immunizations, education, food safety and security, clinics, etc.), and ongoing staff support (capacity surges, administrative work, data collection, etc).

Most recently, APP MRC volunteers assisted in the Hurricane Helene response and recovery efforts by staffing a non-emergency call line, unloading supply trucks, and staffing emergency shelters across the region.

Your exact role will depend on your skills, interests, licensure/certifications, as well as the event itself. Volunteer jobs could include distributing medication to the public, assisting schools with vision and hearing screenings, running health education sessions, performing data entry, stocking supplies, and more.

The time commitment depends on you! At a minimum, volunteers must take the required trainings and participate in volunteer orientation and onboarding. We also expect all volunteers to participate in one event per year (presentation, training, deployment, etc). The time commitments of an APP MRC volunteer should not interfere with regular jobs. Disasters, of course, are not scheduled and potential volunteers should determine if their job will allow them to be available in the case of a major emergency.

MRC volunteers gain valuable knowledge, skills, and abilities through classes, trainings, exercises, drills, and real-world disaster response.

Most events occur locally. This does require, however, the ability to arrange your own transportation to and from events.

The MRC is divided into tiers for volunteering. The levels of leadership are as follows: 

Level 1: Reserved for volunteers who choose to be available only in the event of a large-scale public health emergency. Typically, volunteers who are a part of this tier do not have much time to participate in pre-event training or exercises. 

Level 2: Reserved for volunteers who are interested in obtaining pre-event training, and participating in exercises, and may also choose to volunteer in non-emergent public health events upon request.

Level 3: This level is reserved for volunteers who are interested in accepting leadership roles within the Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps. Level 3 volunteers may choose to attend local and nonlocal training events and meetings. They agree to participate in meetings and exercises, and may also choose to participate in non-emergency public health functions upon request.

Yes, and you should! Volunteer work is an extremely marketable experience. In addition to various trainings and certifications you will receive, you will also gain or strengthen other skills such as teamwork, leadership, community engagement, triage, etc.

We continually seek free training opportunities for volunteers such as a list of available web-based training, rapid psychological first aid (PFA), incident command systems (ICS), basic first aid and CPR/AED training, etc. When you register as a volunteer, be on the lookout for scheduled trainings, presentations, and more!

Anyone! Membership in the APP MRC is open to the public (18 years or older). We also heavily encourage any active, inactive, or retired health professionals.