The Eastern Shore Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) serves two geographically isolated counties in Virginia. Located on a peninsula bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the land area is eight miles wide and 64 miles long. The unit’s 157 volunteers, about half medical and half non-medical, serve a community of 41,000 residents.

With just one hospital serving the area, and the potential to become further isolated during a weather emergency, the unit actively helps its community prepare.

“The more we’re prepared, the better,” said Unit Leader Ellen Archer.

One way the unit is helping is through Stop the Bleed trainings. Earlier this year, volunteers held five Stop the Bleed sessions for staff of the nearby NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Archer had been in contact with the facility to coordinate a training prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those plans were put on hold but revived earlier this year.

“We saw this as a great opportunity to provide training and engage volunteers,” said Archer.

The unit used funds from NACCHO’s Operational Readiness Award to develop a training wagon which includes appendages, packing material, tourniquets, and information. Five trainers and one facilitator conducted five Stop the Bleed sessions which served a total of 79 people. Each class lasted about 40 minutes and included a history of the course, a review of fundamental, and hands-on activities.

“It was really well received,” said Archer. “This is a skill that can be used at work, at home, and out in the community.”

To prepare to lead the sessions, volunteers completed online or in-person training. The unit also brought volunteers together to do their own training and practice. Medical volunteers serve as Stop the Bleed trainers and non-medical volunteers provide support and help to gather supplies. Archer hopes to grow the unit’s capacity to 10-12 certified trainers in its roster.

The unit is also actively working to do more Stop the Bleed trainings in the community. They’ve had interest from faith-based groups in hosting trainings and may try to work with local schools for a training this spring.

In addition to formal trainings, the unit also does Stop the Bleed demonstrations in the community. This was among the activities volunteers took part in during last month’s Community Preparedness Day. The day-long event was set up at a shopping plaza and included MRC tents, EMS, the electric company, the hospital, and a rural health community clinic. The MRC unit provided supplies and staffing in partnership with the Health District. In addition to Stop the Bleed demonstrations, unit volunteers provided flu shots and distributed 200 two-gallon buckets that included gloves, a first aid kit, and a personal hygiene kit.

Stop the Bleed is just one way the Eastern Shore MRC keeps its volunteers active and engaged while supporting its community throughout the year. Unit volunteers are very engaged in larger community events that have an attendance of greater than 1,000 people. Volunteers staff mobile first aid units to augment EMS. Prior to the pandemic, the unit supported about 22 events a year. It now does about 10 annually and is working to build back up. Events the unit supports include rocket launches at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, a 1,500 person 100-mile bike tour, and the annual Chincoteague Island Pony Swim which draws upward of 30,000 people.

At the pony swim, MRC volunteers staff two first aid units with fully prepared tents, misters, cooling areas, and go bags. For those attendees that don’t want or need full first aid support, volunteers provide things like Gatorade, water, tic removal kits, bug spray, and hand sanitizer. They have developed mini first aid kits in plastic bags that include band aids, anti-septic wipes, hydrocortisone.

“We stay in radio and phone contact with EMS,” said Archer. “Since EMS doesn’t need to provide basic first aid, their staff are freed up to support higher priority areas.”

Another annual event volunteers support is a “Sunshine Campaign.” Volunteers spend a day at the beach passing out sunscreen samples to visitors along the water. The unit also sets up a tent which provides educational materials about sun exposure, bug spray, and hand sanitizer.

“We’re a little unit but we’re feisty. I think that’s what matters,” said Archer. “The volunteers are well trained and there for the community.”