Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps and Red Cross team up

The Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps and the Southwest Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross are joining in a relationship that will strengthen the community. The groups, which both utilize volunteers and fulfill a vital role in disaster relief, are collaborating to share human, facility and material resources.

The Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps is designed to assist the parish by building a team of healthcare professionals who will activate and augment the existing medical response during a man-made or natural disaster, as well as address community needs on a daily basis.

Representatives of the American Red Cross and Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps gather after signing the Memorandum of Understanding. They are, from left, Rosa Hill of the Red Cross; the Medical Reserve Corps' Toby Osburn, Angela Jouett and Craig Ryan; and the Red Cross' Jane Morgan, Bobbi Zaunbrecher and Brian Burton.

The Memorandum of Understanding  recognizes the parallels and distinctions so that both organizations can serve their respective missions and the citizens of the community with skill, compassion and efficacy.

Bobbi Zaunbrecher, CEO of the local American Red Cross, and Angela Jouett, of the Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps, signed the agreement today at a press conference.

“It’s a win-win situation for all of us (in the community) to come together,” Jouett said. “There will be more efficiencies, and we have a lot of volunteers, which we would be able to share. This arrangement will make us a more experienced and powerful community.”

For example, the Red Cross could support the Medical Reserve Corps in its activities, such as administering FluMist to some public school students, and the MRC could help support the Red Cross in sheltering and staffing and help train individuals who respond to disasters.

Jouett said lessons from Hurricane Katrina show that the ability to work side by side during disasters and parallel planning strengthens the community.

“Louisiana is at a high risk from multiple disasters, especially hurricanes. This partnership will enable us to better integrate resources and maximize the skills and abilities of both organizations in helping Louisiana prepare for and respond to disasters,” said Jane Morgan, Red Cross disaster officer for Louisiana and Mississippi.

Within the agreement:

• Each organization retains its independence – neither can commit the other to a course of action without specific agreement.
• A person can volunteer for both groups, but not at the same time. Each organization has distinct identification in order to make it clear which role a person is serving.
• The groups will cooperate in readiness activities and training, including developing a process to work side-by-side in a shelter.
• Common paperwork will be used.
• If Southwest Louisiana is not threatened or impact by a disaster, the local Medical Reserve Corps will consider sending resources to assist the Red Cross outside Calcasieu Parish.
• The Red Cross will provide mass care and logistical support to Medical Reserve Corps personnel.

“The Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps is recognized as one of the strongest, most innovative in the entire country,” said Zaunbrecher, of the American Red Cross. “So I am please beyond measure that our Southwest Louisiana Chapter is hosting the first Louisiana execution of a national agreement.”

The relationship between the field units of the Red Cross and Medical Reserve Corps is a local iteration of a national joint memorandum signed in 2009 by the American Red Cross, the Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps, the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.