The first half of 2009 engaged our members in a wide range of activities.

JANUARY & FEBRUARY
The year began with follow-ups from the previous month's ice storm disaster. Members gathered in early January to contribute their thoughts to municipal After-Action Reports. MRCs across the region reviewed the entire deployment for lessons learned, and how to apply knowledge from that experience for future call-outs. February saw the kickoff of two subcommittees: Recruitment & Retention, and Fundraising.

MARCH
72-Hour Emergency Kits were distributed at events where our unit addressed large groups of local residents in Westford and Chelmsford in March. We also distributed kits to MRC members and sponsors during the June 13 Training Day in Lowell. Each of these events promoted the general theme of preparedness. Participants came away with filled backpacks, plus tips on how to supplement their kits with personal items. (The Westford event was followed by a New Member Orientation, welcoming additional volunteers to our unit.)

One of our members had developed a presentation specifically for the Westford and Chelmsford events. Both sessions were videotaped and played repeatedly on cable TV. We also raised awareness by hosting an MRC booth at two health fairs.

APRIL
The national MRC conference was merged with that of its response partners for the first time. The UMV MRC director and coordinator attended the resulting Integrated Summit in Dallas. A third member of our unit, Diana Walker-Moyer, joined the festivities to receive a national award as Outstanding MRC Responder.

Several instructors from our unit delivered CPR education for two levels of expertise. Laypersons attended one of our largest "HeartSaver" classes, to learn CPR, AED, and choking prevention. Two of the instructors also conducted a "Health Care Providers" session, with advanced techniques for medical professionals. Many thanks to our skilled volunteers who taught these classes! Each of these activities helped our members to achieve the first two MRC Core Competencies: know the necessary steps to protect health, safety, and overall well-being for themselves, their families, the team, and the community; and develop a personal and family preparedness plan.

April also launched our involvement in the season's outdoor activities. Members participated for the second year in a row on medical sweep teams at the Boston Marathon. The 113th annual event also serves as our state's largest mass-casualty exercise. By supporting the marathon, participants from multiple agencies across MA are able to apply real-world response skills in a well coordinated manner. Our volunteers also supported a health fair at local senior center, providing blood pressure screenings and health literature.

MAY
The next month we staffed two more health fairs, including our foray into providing cholesterol screenings to the public. We also formed a new partnership with the local Cub Scouts! Because their annual 'Minute Cub' event had grown prodigiously, their leadership asked if our unit could staff their debut First Aid Tent. We were happy to oblige, and provided non-stop coverage by registered nurses throughout the day. Meanwhile, we continued to monitor developments in the H1N1 virus, in case action from our unit would be required at some point.

JUNE
Our biggest event of the season was our second Training Day, again at U.Mass Lowell. We thank PrideSTAR EMS for their financial sponsorship, and U.Mass Lowell's School of Health and Environment for hosting the event at their facilities. Over a dozen generous businesses contributed raffle prizes, which made the event more festive, while defraying the costs. One of our members adapted a 22-minute Powerpoint presentation on Pandemics and Influenza, complete with slides and narration. Attendees were invited to view this timely presentation over the lunch hour. We especially appreciate our instructors, training committee members, and attendees who volunteered their time to make this event a success!

JULY AND AUGUST
July presented more opportunities to raise awareness about the MRC program and public health initiatives. Members carried the UMV MRC banner as they walked in the Independence Day Parade in Chelmsford, in front of thousands of spectators. We later discovered that the announcer's kind words as our unit approached the reviewing stand were later seen and recalled by many residents - through multiple re-broadcasts of the event on cable television. We also tested the waters by offering an educational booth at Westford's Farmer's Market on the town common, using a new MRC canopy.

In August the Director and Coordinator are attending the Boston Influenza Summit. Several volunteers are staffing the MRC booth in our first involvement with the local Rotary for the annual Blues and Brews Festival.

LOOKING AHEAD
We truly appreciate the involvement of members who have been active in our unit! The second half of this year looks to be even more active than usual. Opportunities for service include several outdoor fairs and numerous flu clinics.

fAs you know, concerns about H1N1 add to the existing demands for inoculating against seasonal flu. Anyone who would like to help can play an important role at these clinics! There is a need for any number of functions - from medical professionals who fill syringes and give shots, to non-medical members supporting patient flow across the clinic, and other levels of skills for medical screening and help with paperwork. Thus we encourage anyone who'd like to participate in future events to let us know their availability. (See the story in "Latest News" about volunteer opportunities.) Please let the coordinator know if you can help!