MILTON — The Santa Rosa County Medical Reserve Corps has earned the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ 2015-2016 Medical Reserve Corps Challenge Award.
The $15,000 award will be used to develop the Santa Rosa Disaster Relief Academy, a training curriculum for volunteers within the faith-based community.
“The primary objective for the program is to assist faith-based organizations in standing up disaster strike teams and training the volunteers on those teams,” said Stephen Samaha, MRC coordinator for Santa Rosa County, “but we will also provide higher-level disaster response training to our existing volunteers and monthly continuing education training for volunteer response groups throughout the community.
“This program is a means of uniting all of the various volunteer groups within our community for a more coordinated response and recovery effort.”
Santa Rosa County Medical Reserve Core Unit 556 — established in 2006 — works closely with the Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County and other community partners to provide preparedness education, assist with Points of Distributing and other Public Health Preparedness activities.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Santa Rosa Disaster Relief Academy in development