A recent article (Recorder, Oct. 16) announced Ashfield’s plan to form a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). I write to let our neighbors know about an existing, companion organization that was organized in Franklin and Berkshire counties in 2002 — the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the MRC is a community-based, volunteer emergency response organization that trains, vets, and organizes volunteers to respond to needs and support their community when disaster strikes. New volunteers are always needed and welcome!

The Franklin and Berkshire MRC units (FMRC/BMRC) and our 800-plus sister units across the country (including units in Hampden and Hampshire counties), recruit, train and deploy both medical and non-medical volunteers to respond to emergencies and build community resilience. Our current initiatives include community education and special programs to help vulnerable populations — such as older adults, children, and animals — survive and thrive during emergencies and in everyday life. MRCs also provide opportunities for ongoing training in a variety of preparedness areas including, among others, an upcoming conflict resolution and de-escalation training on Nov. 16; CPR certification classes; Narcan training; and Stop the Bleed, a first-aid training for bystanders at the scene of an accident to provide life-saving care until medical professionals arrive.

During the lockdown early in the COVID-19 pandemic, MRC units delivered food, masks, and other PPE to individuals and first responders and provided staff for screening stations at hospitals and at seasonal flu vaccine clinics. Once the COVID-19 vaccine became available in early 2021, the Franklin and Berkshire MRCs staffed clinics in both counties, providing over 20,000 hours of support during the first months of the rollout. Both MRC units continue to provide essential staffing to the public health entities currently holding clinics for flu and COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 testing. The FMRC has over 300 active, trained, and background-checked volunteers — both medical and non-medical — and more volunteers are always needed.

Check out the Western Mass MRC website, WMMRC.ORG, for information about how to become a volunteer, how to prepare for emergencies, and how to request volunteer support from the MRC unit. In addition to emergency needs, MRC volunteers help staff community events and public health initiatives. For specific questions, email info@wmmrc.org for a quick response. If you’re looking for ways to volunteer in support of your community, please consider signing up with the Medical Reserve Corps. Carmela Lanza-Weil Franklin MRC.

Carmela Lanza-Weil

Shelburne Falls