October 10, 2007
Contact:
Julie Spechler
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5348 Office
954-591-3361 Cell
kennma@nova.edu
Nova Southeastern University Joins Forces with Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties to Train South Florida Citizen Volunteers to Prepare for Disasters
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. -- Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM) is teaming up with Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties on Saturday, Oct. 13 to train citizens for the Medical Reserve Corps, a national program for volunteer emergency responders under the U.S. Surgeon General. Volunteers will be trained to assist in both natural and man-made disasters. Citizen volunteers will be representing both health and non-health professions.
NSU-COM’s Center for Bioterrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness (CBAP) will work with emergency officials from the three counties to offer training that meets the new core competences for MRC training as established the Office of the Surgeon General. This program is significant because it’s one of the first attempts nationwide to develop a standardized training program for MRC volunteers based on the newly developed competencies. Over 100 South Florida residents, who have volunteered to be emergency responders in the event of a disaster, will participate in this day-long training program.
The Medical Reserve Corps plays a significant role in assisting during and following disasters throughout our country, especially here in South Florida. This new training program aims to develop a standardize training model for MRC. Months of planning for this training have taken place and the planning itself represents a team effort from all levels. The training program has the potential to become a state and national model for training in addition to personal and professional preparedness for MRC volunteers.
CBAP will offer the training on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Intercontinental West Miami Hotel in downtown Miami. Pre-registration is required.
Some of the topics will include MRC core competencies training, psychological first aid, roles and responsibilities of individual volunteers, vulnerable and hard to reach populations, anthrax preparedness, among others.
Some of the speakers will include James T. Howell, M.D., M.P.H., Project Director for NSU’s CBAP; Maribel Zayas, B.P.A., J.D., Interim Administrator, Miami-Dade County Health Department; Leonard Levy, D.P.M., M.P.H., Director of NSU’s CBAP; Pete De Jesse, EMT-P, EFO, Battalion Chief, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services; and Jay Lee, Ph.D., Palm Beach County MRC Coordinators.
About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 26,000 students and is the sixth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences. For more information visit www.nova.edu.
