Press Release

Date: September 10, 2019

Contact: David Heiden, 203-881-3255 or dheiden@nvhd.org

Website: www.nvhd.org and www.nvmrc.com

September is National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month, and the Naugatuck Valley Health District (NVHD) will be partnering with FEMA and Ready.gov by offering preparedness tips on our social media pages and giving free presentations in the community. Being prepared is one of the easiest things you can do to help reduce the impacts of disasters and emergencies on you and your family. Whether it’s a loss of power, winter storm, hurricane, or some other disaster, being prepared helps you and your family get through it safer, with less stress and fewer problems.

The theme for this year’s Preparedness Month is “Be Prepared, Not Scared” and each week in September will feature a different preparedness topic to help educate the public on how to be better prepared for emergencies and disasters. Week 1 will focus on preparing financially for disasters and the steps you can take now to insure you and your family have all the financial tools needed such as an Emergency Financial First Aid Kit.  Week 2 will be about planning and preparing such as having enough food, water and medication on hand prior to a disaster.  Week 3 will emphasize engaging youth in the disaster planning and preparedness process. And, Week 4 will focus on getting involved in your community to help build resiliency.

One way to get more involved is to join the Naugatuck Valley Medical Reserve Corps (NVMRC). Both medical and non-medical volunteers are needed to help. If you are you interested in emergency preparedness or just want to give back to your community, you can volunteer with the Naugatuck Valley Medical Reserve Corps. Volunteers must be 18 years and older and no medical experience or prior training is necessary! Liability coverage is provided to volunteers at approved activities under Title 28 of the CT General Statues. All volunteer training is provided free of charge.

NVMRC will be holding an open house and informational session for those interested in volunteering on Tuesday September 17, 2019 at 6:30 pm the NVHD Office, 98 Bank Street, Seymour, CT 06483. Registration is strongly encouraged (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019-MRC101) for those who want to find out more about how they can help in the community.

Many recall how community members offered their skills in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and other events that followed, and the need for a more organized approach to using volunteers with both medical and non-medical training during an emergency became a priority.  Officially launched in 2002, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers that now has units in every state and U.S. territory. The NVMRC is one of several in Connecticut.

MRC units are community-based and function to locally organize and utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies, promote safety among their communities, and promote public health education and programs.

In today’s environment, public health emergencies whether natural or human-made, may threaten the health and safety of the citizens within the jurisdiction of the Naugatuck Valley Health District. The Naugatuck Valley Medical Reserve Corps (NVMRC), as part of the NVHD, serves the communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Naugatuck, Seymour and Shelton, and their goal during a public health emergency is to minimize the impact of these adverse events on the population they serve.

Whether it’s supporting emergency response after a natural disaster, assisting at a seasonal flu clinic, or helping promote community preparedness, NVMRC volunteers are needed to help make the community safer. Specific roles are based on the volunteer’s background, interests and skills, as well as the needs of the NVMRC unit and the community.

NVHD continues to increase its capacity to respond to emergencies thanks to its dedicated staff, a committed volunteer force, and continuous review and exercising of emergency response plans. The Public Health Emergency Preparedness division works with police, fire, EMS, and other authorities to develop functional plans to use during emergency response. The division continues to recruit and train individuals to join the volunteer force and serves as an educational resource for personal and community preparedness.

For more information, please visit www.nvmrc.com and “like” and “follow” the NVMRC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @NVMRC!