CARMEL, NY—Putnam County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers gathered at Centennial Golf Course in Carmel on Tuesday to hear from experts in the field of emergency preparedness and management. The all-day training conference kicked off with a welcome by County Executive Kevin Byrne, as he greeted nearly 50 attendees, including representatives from the Putnam County Legislature, the Child Advocacy Center, Putnam /Northern Westchester BOCES, Putnam’s Bureau of Emergency Services, and the New York State Department of Health.

Volunteers from the Putnam’s Medical Reserve Corps, known as simply “the MRC,” play a crucial role in bolstering the county’s public health response and preserving the safety of residents. County Executive Byrne thanked them for their continued service saying, “The MRC’s unwavering commitment to our community in times of need is highly commendable. It contributes to the remarkable sense of community we have in Putnam County and helps to make Putnam County a great place to live and raise a family. I am honored to work alongside such remarkable individuals.”

Interim Health Commissioner Michael J. Nesheiwat, MD, and Connie Bueti, MPH, the emergency preparedness coordinator at the Putnam County Department of Health joined the County Executive in welcoming the crowd. “We are so fortunate in Putnam County to have strong community engagement with a dedication to volunteerism,” Dr. Nesheiwat said, “and it’s people like you who help to keep us safe and healthy. Your service is commendable.”

With expertise honed over two decades of emergency management, Shannon Fisher, emergency manager at the Orange County Department of Emergency Services, was the first presenter of the day. She told of the lessons learned during her county’s response last fall to the catastrophic Farmingdale bus crash on Route 84. The incident involved dozens of injured school musicians, the death of two educators, and five other buses following in a caravan filled with young students who bore witness to the event.

Working in emergency preparedness, one tries to be prepared for anything. “I am committed to reading every ‘after-action report’ I can get my hands on,” Fisher said. “I learn everything I can about others’ successes and challenges and take what I can that might work for my county. Clearly one of the biggest changes over the years is the effect social media plays in response scenarios. Fisher continued, “The families of children on the Farmingdale buses knew about the crash before we did, and they knew the exact location, which underscores the important nature of family communications in an emergency.”

            Kathy Percacciolo, BSN, RN, supervising public health nurse at the health department, updated the crowd on the recent re-emergence of measles which stands as a potential and serious threat to public health. “Currently there are 113 cases of measles in the U.S., in 18 separate jurisdictions, including three in New York City and one in Nassau County,” she said. “Everyone thinks it’s eradicated, but it is not. The highly contagious nature of this illness makes the situation very worrisome.  If just a single infected person enters a room, the virus remains airborne and infectious for up to two hours—even after that individual has left the space.” Although much more infectious than COVID or the flu, measles shares a commonality with both—all three have effective and safe vaccines.

           The afternoon session was packed with action: a training for volunteers as “preparedness ambassadors,” that involved an interactive exercise in message development, and a game of “Emergency Preparedness Jeopardy.” Meeting the target audience where they are is the foundation of any effective message. Savannah Usher, MPH, a public health graduate fellow at the health department and John Ohnmacht, EMT, a retired radiographer with more than 50 years of healthcare experience, provided a look at understanding one’s audience. “Consider both the demographics and psychographics, and the behaviors and needs of your audience,” said Usher. “This is paramount, alongside selecting the most suitable communication channels.” 

Presenter Jack Porter rounded out the day’s events. After a 32-year military career, Mr. Porter now works in the New York State Department of Health’s office of health emergency preparedness as both the NYS volunteer program coordinator and MRC state coordinator. He noted that among the nearly 300,000 MRC volunteers nationwide, more than 130,000 of them assist in non-medical, support positions. This breakdown is similar in Putnam County. For more information or to join Putnam’s Medical Reserve Corps, visit: www.putnamcountyny.com/mrc.

Ms. Bueti was assisted with conference preparations by the health department’s education staff, including Carla Taylor, the new MRC program assistant. Ms. Bueti addressed the volunteers, saying, “The contributions you make to our county’s emergency preparedness and response are highly valued. Volunteer involvement and education are top priorities.”

Apparently, volunteers agree. After the event, nearly everyone returned the conference satisfaction surveys, giving high marks for the engaging speakers and quality of information. And nearly three-quarters of respondents felt they were likely to share the info they learned and potentially change their behaviors based on it. One volunteer Janet Eisig, CFNP, who joined the MRC in 2018, sent a thank-you email to the health department, saying, “It was a great day of learning—Thanks for organizing the day!”

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community. The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), serves a community composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services are provided through a lens of equity, and include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit our County website at www.putnamcountyny.com, or visit our social media sites on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @PutnamHealthNY.