May 2006

TO:                  All Madison Residents

 

FROM:            Mayor Ellwood R. Kerkeslager

 

In the past five years, Americans have been exposed to several major threats of global origins, which in the future could have community-wide impacts on Madison. Terrorism, anthrax and avian flu have made us aware of our potential exposure to public health threats that could impact the whole community.

 

It is clear that our Madison Public Health resources are integral to our public safety. To improve our preparedness locally, the Madison Office of Emergency Management in cooperation with the Madison Health Department and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management are creating a Madison Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).  The MRC is a coordinated group of volunteers who will assist in the community during public health emergencies such as a bioterrorism event, a naturally occurring epidemic or any other crisis that would require mass immunization or mass prophylaxis of the general population. This task would be accomplished through a Point of Dispensing (POD) clinic; your volunteer skills and talents would be essential in supplementing existing emergency plans and resources in our community.

 

Any licensed or certified health professional who lives or works in Madison is invited to join the MRC. Non-medical volunteers will also be valuable in this effort, especially those possessing expertise in computers, office software applications, and languages other than English. During an emergency, volunteers of many disciplines will be needed to share their abilities for non-specialized duties such as providing information and assisting the infirm.

 

If you are willing to be a part of the Medical Reserve Corps or would like to be a non-medical volunteer, you should complete the registration forms which may be obtained at the Madison Health Department, the Borough Clerk’s office, the Madison Public Library or on the link from the home page of our web site at www.RoseNet.org . A fact sheet on the MRC is enclosed; extra copies may be obtained with the registration forms. Completed forms should be sent to the Madison Health Department/MRC, 28 Walnut Street, Madison, NJ 07940.

 

I hope you will consider joining our community’s efforts to prepare and protect the health of our citizens. Please feel free to contact the Madison Health Department with questions at 973.593.3079, Ext. #1, or the Madison Health Officer, John Theese, at theesej@rosenet.org.

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