EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
Is Vanderburgh County ready for a disaster?
According to the health department, the answer is no. Officials say it's time to change that and took the first step Tuesday by announcing that they are creating a Medical Reserve Corps.
Dr. Ray Nicholson says 26 counties in Indiana already have Medical Reserve Corps, including neighboring Warrick County.
"If you look at those two faults and look at where the epi-centers would be, where the significant damage would be, they cross right in Vanderburgh County," says Dr. Nicholson.
Sherman Greer, with Vanderburgh County EMA says now is the time.
"We're the third largest city in the state of Indiana. We got over 180,000 people here."
The health department is working with EMA, the Red Cross, and hospitals to recruit volunteers, but Nicholson says you don't have to have a medical background to sign up.
"If you are someone who just wants to give their time and energy and step up to the plate and help your fellow man, we'll find a job for you."
The Vanderburgh County Health Department had looked into starting an MRC for more than a year, but Nicholson says it wasn't until a bio-terrorism drill this past summer that they realized how much the county needed one.
"Well we had a drill where we set up a pod to see how long it would take us to do that, and it would take us a week."
In that drill participants immunized 175,000 people within 48 hours.
Nicholson says once set up, the Medical Reserve Corps. will participate in disaster drills, and be ready to assist doctors, medics and other professionals in a real disaster.
The first recruiting session will be Saturday, January 28th.
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