Grand Valley State University’s Office of the Vice Provost for Health welcomes volunteers from the campus community to participate in a mock disaster taking place May 2 and 3 in the Center for Health Sciences downtown.

“GVSU, in collaboration with Spectrum Health Systems and Region Six Healthcare Coalition, have developed a Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences building-specific emergency response plan,” said Katie Branch of the Vice Provost of Health office. “In the event of a regional emergency, if Spectrum Health facilities are unable to accommodate all patients needing care, certain areas within CHS may be opened to house an Alternate Care Site operated under the direction and staff of Spectrum Health.”

This exercise is the first one that involves opening CHS as an ACS, as well as Region Six’s first exercise in opening an ACS in a metropolitan area. It will involve volunteer victims who will go through the entire process of being cared for, and will have scripted symptoms which the workers must identify a treatment for.

“Beyond the mock exercise, should events actually cause an Alternate Care Site to be opened at CHS, volunteers will be needed to assist GVSU emergency preparedness personnel and Spectrum Health personnel stationed to work in the Alternate Care Site,” Branch said. “Unfortunately, on-the-spot volunteering can cause problems in the coordination of volunteer deployment, provisions of training, liability coverage and workers compensation.”

To deal with this issue, the Michigan Volunteer Registry offers a centralized resource for identifying appropriate personnel to serve during an emergency. The registry assembles volunteers based on verification of their identity, credentials and qualifications. Registering before an emergency is crucial to the timely placement of licensed health care professionals who will be needed at various locations.

Pre-registration also allows individuals to decide what they feel comfortable doing during an emergency situation. Volunteer information will be assembled and appropriate volunteers are then contacted by authorized personnel for deployment at particular sites when the need arises.

Volunteers are needed from all skill levels, both as victims and as responders, though they must be of high school age or older. There are available roles for workers who don’t need a medical license.

For more information, contact Katie Branch at [email protected] or x12729. Volunteers should contact Kathi Vande Guchte at 616-391-1073 or [email protected].

Volunteers to be responders in an actual emergency are asked to register online with the Michigan Volunteer Registry at www.mivolunteerregistry.org.

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