MRC Advanced Trainings and Teams – new page!
The Arlington County Medical Reserve Corps (ACMRC) develops advanced trainings and assessment plans to enhance its volunteers’ skill sets. If you are looking for our Basic Trainings and Levels page then go here.
Advanced Training (skill sets) for all MRC volunteers
Please complete your ACMRC Basic Training first (see your Arlington County MRC Basic Training Plan in VA TRAIN for more options):
Incident Command System (ICS) & National Incident Management System (NIMS)
- Both Intro to ICS & NIMS must be completed within first year (as of 2016) – become deployable!
- Please do not enter any of your ICS/NIMS training into VA TRAIN as a non-TRAIN course; use the course IDs below:
| Optional Advanced Courses | Course Code(s) | Course Title | VA TRAIN Course IDs – Initial Training (Prior Completion) |
| Optional | IS 200.b (other versions of this course also acceptable) | ICS Single Resources | 1024638 – register – then follow all 5 next steps at bottom of this box
(1018119) – register – then follow steps 3, 4, and 5 at the bottom of this box |
| Optional (other MRCs want this completed, too) | IS-800.b (other versions of this course also acceptable) | National Response Framework | 1011882 – register
(1021691) – register
|
| Optional – for your own Leadership development | Seven 100 & 200 series courses | FEMA Professional Development Series (PDS) – link to FEMA Course Codes | Search VA TRAIN for FEMA Course Codes to find VA TRAIN Course IDs |
Next steps:
- Click or tap on the Course ID, go to the Registration tab, launch the course, take the course, and 25 question exam
- Then after receiving the FEMA email with your certificate of completion link, save your certificate
- Then go back to VA TRAIN to My Learning > Current Courses to modify as “Complete”
- Now go to Classic TRAIN, to My Learning > TRAIN Transcript, find your course then click or tap on the Upload External Certificate button
- Afterwards, email us so that we may verify your course completion – ArlingtonMRC@arlingtonva.us
The advanced skill sets for ACMRC volunteers on specialty teams (or to meet advanced VVHS Competencies)
Our volunteers may join a couple teams, but must choose a primary:
PFA Response Team
Psychological First Aid (PFA) (required for PFA Response Team members)
(the plan is to hold the classroom version annually)
- Alexandria/Arlington MRC Disaster Behavioral Health & Psychological First Aid (PFA) – VA TRAIN Course ID: 1027686
- Live classroom version typically scheduled once a year
- Get ready for our next live class! Complete one the prerequisites (recommended):
- Introduction to Mental Health Preparedness – VA TRAIN Course ID: 1048051 (see Course Description for more prerequisite options)
- Role play exercises annually for team members
Epi Response Team (or Epi Competency)
- Epidemiology
- Epidemiology Investigation:
- Any VA TRAIN VDH/MRC classroom or online course on this topic (e.g., VDH: “Behind the Scenes of an Epi Outbreak: Ebola” (Archived))
- Epi training outside of MRC accepted
Communications & Outreach Team
- Health communication & outreach
- Risk communication
Mass Dispensing/Medical Countermeasures (MCM) Team (or Blood Borne Pathogens Competency)
- Infection control
- Blood Borne Pathogens:
- Any online VA TRAIN course on this topic, preferably VDH or MRC (e.g., VDH: Blood Borne Pathogens Training)
- Point of dispensing (POD)
- Mass medication dispensing
Additional Training to Meet Additional Advanced VVHS Competencies
Some of these are for licensed medical professionals only:
- Blood Pressure Measurement:
- Currently, State MRC only accepts a specific course – VDH Measuring Blood Pressure in the 21st Century (for licensed medical professionals only)
- Certified VDH Vaccinator:
- Must complete a specific State MRC VVHS Training Plan (for licensed medical professionals only) – we do not offer this option in our MRC, and we do not plan to (jurisdictions vary)
- Shelter Operations:
- We occasionally offer a classroom version of this online course – American Red Cross Shelter Fundamentals
When to Notify Your MRC Coordinator
Unfortunately, we do not receive automatic notifications when you have completed any of the following outside or online training, or when you make any changes to your VVHS or VA TRAIN, so please email ArlingtonMRC@arlingtonva.us:
- Anytime your contact information changes and you update your VVHS profile or VA TRAIN account
- CPR taken outside of MRC (optional training), however we do track CPR expiration dates, including Instructor certifications (does not include PALS, ACLS, etc.)
- ICS/NIMS online training – only IS-100, IS-700, and IS-200 (optional for Leadership)
- Other levels are not tracked by ACMRC for MRC Level advancement
- Psychological First Aid (PFA) and prerequisites (recommended)
- State videoconferences using AnyMeeting (taken at home) or by Polycom at a site outside of Arlington County MRC
- Any public health or emergency preparedness & response training taken outside of Arlington County MRC or online or in VA TRAIN
Drills/Exercises
ACMRC occasionally asks volunteers to participate in drills/exercises, either within Arlington or within the National Capital Region (NCR). This is a way to test plans for emergency response scenarios.
Drill/Exercise Examples
- Emergency medication dispensing
- Mass vaccinations – medical countermeasures (MCM)
- Volunteer reception center processing
- Call-down drills – at least quarterly