The State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Georgia (SERVGA) integrates government-sponsored local, regional and statewide volunteer programs to assist emergency response and public safety organizations during a disaster. It is part of a national initiative to coordinate and mobilize volunteers to respond to all types of emergencies.
Experience has proven that effective emergency response requires volunteers to be organized and pre-credentialed before a disaster or event occurs. This alleviates the issues associated with non-certified and spontaneous volunteers simply showing up at disaster sites. Under the SERVGA program, all volunteers are pre-certified and coordinated according to each event. To register, visit www.servga.gov
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of more than 300,000 volunteers who help make their communities stronger and healthier during disasters and every day. Volunteers are organized into community-based units that work to improve local emergency response capabilities, reduce potential public health risks and vulnerabilities, and build community preparedness and resilience. The Georgia MRC units are comprised of local and statewide units dedicated to ensuring we are prepared for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. MRC volunteers also regularly contribute to community preparedness—engaging in activities like CPR/AED training and assisting with community vaccination clinics.
MRC units organize and utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies and to support ongoing preparedness initiatives. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds who want to improve the health and safety of their communities. Georgia MRCs are active members of their health care coalitions and play active roles in trainings and exercises, shelter operations, behavioral health support, community education and outreach, and more. To learn more about the MRC, visit aspr.hhs.gov/MRC
For more information email: VolunteerProgram@dph.ga.gov