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Local Medical Reserve Corps looking for volunteers
Norma Engelberg
Neil Botting is calling for medical volunteers.
Botting, who directs the Teller County Medical Reserve Corps, announced at the monthly Teller County Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting Dec. 4 that the local corps is now actively recruiting.
“We need everyone from respiratory technicians to doctors to sign up,” he said, adding that this would include emergency medical technicians, paramedics, nurses and others.
Medical Reserve Corps volunteers make themselves available during medical emergencies. Many local people with medical expertise live in Teller County and work in El Paso County.
“If an emergency keeps these people from getting to work in El Paso County they might be available to help out up here,” Botting said. “We have to plan for anything and everything. Who knows what might be coming.”
Applications are available at Teller County Public Health and will soon be available online at the Teller County Citizens Corps Web site: www.tellercc.com.
Bill Stevenson, Citizen Emergency Response Team director for the county, said he has had little success in getting people to make at least minimal preparations for emergencies. He agreed with Botting.
“We need things like the medical reserves because many counties are cutting back on emergency preparedness and county health funding,” he said. “This might be penny wise in this economy but it’s pound foolish. The reserves might have to act as our health department.”
Teller Public health director Chris Rubin said emergency preparation just makes sense.
“Studies show that if trucks can’t bring groceries to local stores people usually will be out of food in three days,” she said. “Even getting people to prepare for a typical Teller County winter is difficult.”
The next emergency planning committee meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. Jan. 8 at the Divide fire station.
Neil Botting is calling for medical volunteers.
Botting, who directs the Teller County Medical Reserve Corps, announced at the monthly Teller County Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting Dec. 4 that the local corps is now actively recruiting.
“We need everyone from respiratory technicians to doctors to sign up,” he said, adding that this would include emergency medical technicians, paramedics, nurses and others.
Medical Reserve Corps volunteers make themselves available during medical emergencies. Many local people with medical expertise live in Teller County and work in El Paso County.
“If an emergency keeps these people from getting to work in El Paso County they might be available to help out up here,” Botting said. “We have to plan for anything and everything. Who knows what might be coming.”
Applications are available at Teller County Public Health and will soon be available online at the Teller County Citizens Corps Web site: www.tellercc.com.
Bill Stevenson, Citizen Emergency Response Team director for the county, said he has had little success in getting people to make at least minimal preparations for emergencies. He agreed with Botting.
“We need things like the medical reserves because many counties are cutting back on emergency preparedness and county health funding,” he said. “This might be penny wise in this economy but it’s pound foolish. The reserves might have to act as our health department.”
Teller Public health director Chris Rubin said emergency preparation just makes sense.
“Studies show that if trucks can’t bring groceries to local stores people usually will be out of food in three days,” she said. “Even getting people to prepare for a typical Teller County winter is difficult.”
The next emergency planning committee meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. Jan. 8 at the Divide fire station.
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