Texas State Guard Medical Reserve Corps

1
Texas State Guard Medical Reserve Corps

• Peter Forsberg LTC (LX)
• Alamo Group
• San Antonio, Texas

2
Texas State Guard Medical Reserve Corps
Invitation from the Commander Come Ride With Us

• General description
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at
  San Antonio is honored to be hosting the first
  Texas State Guard medical reserve corps unit in
  the state, at the specific direction of Governor
  Perry.

3
Assisting Public Authorities

• Unit members will train and be prepared to
  assist public health authorities in the event
  that a major natural disaster or man-induced
  disruption threatens public health anywhere in
  the state of Texas.

4
Presidential Call

• This medical reserve corps unit is also
  established in response to President George W.
  Bush's call for an active Citizen Corps (see
  www.citizencorps.gov).

5
Who will be in unit?

• Texas Medical Rangers volunteers will serve in
  either health professions or health service
  support roles. Volunteers will be recruited from
  Health Science Centers located throughout the
  state, including faculty, staff, retirees and
  alumni.

6
Members

• In addition, certified health professionals in
  private practice and other Texas residents who
  meet the eligibility requirements are welcome to
  apply for membership.

7
Units

• Currently there are a number of unit detachments
  being established including Dallas, Fort Worth,
  Austin, Lubbock, Houston, Galveston, Temple,
  Harlingen/McAllen, Laredo, and Edinburg.

8
Will the unit engage in operational response?

• Yes. At any time, the governor, through the
  Division of Emergency Management, may engage the
  Texas Medical Rangers in actual operations but
  only in response to a specific order. In the
  meantime, volunteers will train for tasks such as
  supporting health authorities administer mass
  inoculations, establishing alternate non-hospital
  treatment sites, staffing call centers to answer
  health questions from the public, and assisting
  with other unforeseen homeland security
  activities related to protecting and restoring
  public health.

9

• In addition, Texas Medical Rangers volunteers
  will eventually be involved in training exercises
  with other first responders (such as police
  officers, fire fighters, emergency medical
  technicians, etc.).

10
How do I apply to become a volunteer with the
Texas Medical Rangers?

• If possible, attend a monthly Information/Inductio
  n Session and prepare for an interview.
• If you have questions, contact the Commander,
  Alamo Medical Response Group. Phone
  210-317-3363, e-mail peter.forsberg_at_txsg.state.tx
  .us

11
Tracing the Lineage for the Texas Medical
Rangers

• The Medical Reserve Corps of the State of Texas
  is unique because it is part of the Military
  Forces of the State of Texas. The Texas MRC,
  known as the Texas Medical Rangers, addresses the
  need, evident since September 11, 2001, to
  protect our homeland, when called by the Governor
  of the State.

12
Augmentation

• They will augment federal, state, and local
  health authorities, in a disciplined and
  efficient manner, providing expertise and
  services of the highest quality, and will be
  fully integrated into disaster plans, serving
  their communities, and fostering the tradition of
  "Texans serving Texans."

13
Treatment Facilities

• They are will manage Alternate Treatment
  Facilities, serve in Medical Response Teams,
  staff Texas Department of Health Call Centers,
  and assist with local breakdown/delivery of the
  Strategic National Stockpile.

14
Ranging Companies

• Texas has a military history that began in the
  1700s with the CompaÒÌas Volantes (Ranging
  Companies) of New Spain. They were small
  contingents of mounted men that protected the
  population of its Northern provinces.

15
Civic Militia

• The State of Coahuila-Texas was created when New
  Spain became the Republic of Mexico. Section Five
  of its constitution ordered that "In all the
  towns of the State there shall be established
  corps of civic militia and these shall constitute
  the military force of the same."

16
Texas Independance

• Texas became independent from Mexico in 1836, and
  one of the United States in 1845. Having a state
  militia was familiar to the men and women who
  fought for its independence, since the majority
  came from a nation in whose revolutionary war the
  militias had played a most significant role, even
  before it had a regular army.

17
Section Six

• When its constitution was written, Section Six
  stated that "The Governor shall be
  Commander-in-chief of the army and navy of this
  State and of the militia except when they shall
  be called into the service of the United States."

18
Militia since 1941

• The State of Texas has had an organized militia
  since 1941 when the Texas State Guard was created
  to operate alongside the Texas Army and Air
  National Guards.

19
Part of the Texas State Guard

• The Texas Medical Rangers were organized as part
  of the State Guard when Governor Perry, in a
  January 2003, addressed a letter to Major General
  Wayne Marty, Adjutant General, directing the
  establishment of a Medical Reserve Corps and that
  its first unit be located at the University of
  Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio.

20
Activated Feb 2003

• The Adjutant General activated the unit in
  February 2003. An inaugural ceremony was held in
  March 2003 with Major General Harold Timboe, M.D.
  appointed as Commander. Regional Groups have been
  established at San Antonio, Dallas- Fort Worth,
  each covering a multi-county region.

21
Developing Units

• A regional group for the Houston area, and other
  for West Texas was established in April 2004, and
  for Central Texas in May 2004. Units are also
  being developed in north and central Texas.

22
Unit / Individual Training

• As a member of the Texas Medical Rangers, you
  should take the initiative to ensure that all
  training you attend or complete is recorded and
  properly submitted (see hyperlink below,
  "Documenting TMR Training"). When you complete
  Internet course work, printout or photocopy
  on-line certificates of completion, then submit
  properly. Documentation of TMR training
  attendance and Homeland Security-related course
  completion will be compiled and credited toward
  "good participation," essential for your future
  TMR promotion and advancement.

23
FEMA Training

• The Federal Emergency Management Administration
  (FEMA) maintains a series of training courses
  which can assist members of the TMR in its public
  education and public service roles
  (http//training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp).
  Also, you can enroll on-line for CME-eligible
  WMD/CNRNE courses (such as "Reportable Diseases
  and Conditions in Texas") developed by the
  UTHSCSA and posted at the Texas Department of
  Health's webpage at http//www.texasready.com.

24
TDEM

• Other partners offering training opportunities
  include the Texas Division of Emergency
  Management under the Department of Public Safety
  and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.
  For a summary of emergency management principles,
  see the MetroHealth presentation Zen and
  Emergency Management.

25
Links

• The following links provide medical information
  which will improve the TMR's response to specific
  bioterrorism threats which have emerged since the
  events of 9/11
• Office of Personnel Management
• Food and Drug Administration
• Centers for Disease Control

26
Additional Training Information

• Additional training information to assist Medical
  Rangers in the performance of their
  responsibilities
• Documenting TMR Training
• Basic MedRanger Military Knowledge
• TMR Hyperlinks to CBRNE/WMD References and
  Articles

27

• Questions ?