AbstractID: 10130 Title: Radiation Reserve Volunteer Corps
Establishing a Radiation Response Volunteer Corps
Debbie Bray Gilley
Florida Bureau of Radiation Control
Environmental Manager, Training and Quality Assurance
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1741
In the event of a radiological emergency, population monitoring for large numbers of
individuals must be available assist in identifying citizens who may be contaminated with
radioactive material and to reassure those who are not contaminated. The National
Response Framework assigns coordination of federal support for population monitoring
to HHS through ESF 8, Public Health and Medical Services. This coordination of federal
support does not necessarily include equipment and personnel resources for the actual
monitoring; this is expected to be provided by the state and local government.
In an effort to satisfy this mission, the State of Florida Department of Health established a
Radiation Response Volunteer Corps (RRVC) as a sub specialty of the Medical Reserve
Corps (MRC). Members of the medical and health physics community were identified as
potential volunteers. Training was provided to the volunteers by the Florida’s Bureau of
Radiation Control with assistance from the HPS, CDC and the MRC and they were
encouraged to volunteer for this activity through the Florida Medical Reserve Corps. The
sub-special “Radiation Response Volunteer Corps” was created by expanding the MRC
registration to capture, professional license and national credentialing information.
At the conclusion of the presentations, attendees will have the tools to establish their own
Radiation Response Volunteer Corps within the Medical Reserve Corps in their state or
region.