Volunteers

Our goal is to provide a wide variety of trainings to all of our MRC members, whether you have recently joined, or have been a member since Denton County MRC’s inception. We hope that we will expand upon your current skills, and help you develop new ones.  We aim to stay ahead of the curve of what is coming for MRC units across the country.

This training calendar is tentative; courses are subject to change if necessary.    Any changes made will be updated on the MRC web portal (mrc.dentoncounty.gov).  We suggest checking the web portal often for updates.  Approximately one month prior to a training date, you will receive a reminder email from Seth Roberts with a Training Flyer, which will provide you with more details.

You must register for all training on the MRC web portal, at mrc.dentoncounty.gov.  We require registration in order to plan facility space and prepare materials. Sign in, click “Volunteer Training” and click the green "Sign Up" button under the training you wish to register for.

We understand that our lives are busy and plans change. If you have registered for a training, but cannot attend, we ask that you notify us immediately so that we can allow space for someone else. If you are interested in a training or have additional questions, please contact Seth Roberts.

Training Schedule
November – 2024
** CANCELED ** MRC Amateur radio Licensing Class
  • Date:
    Saturday, November 09, 2024  –  Sunday, November 10, 2024
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  5:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Public Health - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    Course Overview: This comprehensive two-day Technician (entry-level) course is designed to prepare participants for the ham radio certification exam. The course covers all essential topics required for the certification, providing theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Participants will learn about the fundamental principles of amateur radio, operating procedures, and regulations. This class ensures that all participants are well-prepared to pass the ham radio certification exam and become licensed amateur radio operators. The course includes your license manual, handouts, and test fee, which Denton County MRC will cover in exchange for your agreement to assist as an MRC Ham Operator. The only cost to participants is a $35.00 license fee, payable after passing the exam.

    The course will be 0800 - 1700 on Saturday November 9th and 12-17 on Sunday November 10th. 

MRC Intermediate HAM Operator Course
  • Date:
    Saturday, November 16, 2024
    Time:
    9:00 AM  –  12:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Health Department - Outside of
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    Course Overview: This Intermediate HAM Operator Course is designed to
    enhance the skills and knowledge of licensed ham radio operators. It focuses
    on practical, hands-on experience with ham radio equipment. Participants will
    learn to set up and troubleshoot radios, emphasizing equipment and
    procedures used in MRC activations. This course will build on the foundational
    knowledge gained in entry-level training, providing a deeper understanding of
    ham radio operations in emergency scenarios.

December – 2024
Medical Reserve Corps Orientation
  • Date:
    Saturday, December 07, 2024
    Time:
    9:00 AM  –  1:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Public Health - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    The Denton County Medical Reserve Corps Orientation is designed to introduce new members to the MRC process.  It includes: Medical Reserve Corp information session, volunteer roles and responsibilities, Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), contact and deployment procedures, and Point of Dispensing (POD) and Shelter Operations team assignments.

    Target Audience: Denton County Citizens interested in volunteering (not intended for current volunteers)

This is a TEST POD Edition
  • Date:
    Saturday, December 14, 2024
    Time:
    9:00 AM  –  12:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Commissioners Court - Room 2020
    1 Courthouse D
    Denton, TX 76208
    Description

    This is a TEST POD Edition (TEST POD) is a training and exercise simulation tool that helps participants understand specific roles and responsibilities at a POD during a public health emergency. The game uses a serious collaborative design to bridge the gap between discussion and operational exercises. It uses narrative-based problems to foster teamwork and discussion of resource management.

    Purpose
    Provide pressures or situations similar to a real emergency.
    Highlight the need to work together to process the population effectively.
    .



January – 2025
MGT 319: Medical Countermeasures: Point of Dispensing (POD), Planning and Response
  • Date:
    Wednesday, January 08, 2025  –  Thursday, January 09, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  5:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Commissioners Court - Room 2020
    1 Courthouse Dr
    Denton, TX 76208
    Description

    This course is a guide for local health officials and their partners to coordinate plans to provide mass distribution of medical countermeasures in response to a large-scale public health incident. This course focuses on planning considerations, recommendation to achieve the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) 48-hour standard for Mass Prophylaxis, and the local community’s Mass Prophylaxis and Point of Dispensing (POD) site preparedness. The course material is applicable to pandemic influenza, bio-terrorism, and other public health emergencies.

Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR Course
  • Date:
    Saturday, January 18, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  12:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Health Department - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    This course will teach the basics of CPR and how to use an AED unit. Attendees will learn how to recognize and respond to an emergency situation; help someone in respiratory and cardiac distress; perform CPR on adults and children; and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) until emergency help arrives. The course also covers basic information about preventing the spread of disease. All participants will receive a CPR card. Target Audience: All MRC volunteers

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Part 1: Individual Crisis Intervention & Peer Support
  • Date:
    Thursday, January 23, 2025  –  Friday, January 24, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  5:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Health Department - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288,
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    Course Overview: This 2-day workshop provides participants with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective individual crisis intervention and peer support. Crisis Intervention is a specialized, acute, emergency mental health intervention that is not the same as psychotherapy. This course will teach the fundamentals and specific protocols for individual crisis intervention, enabling participants to effectively support individuals during critical incidents.

February – 2025
PER211: Medical Management of Chem, Bio, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Events
  • Date:
    Wednesday, February 05, 2025  –  Thursday, February 06, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  5:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Commissioners Court - Room 2020
    1 Courthouse Dr
    Denton, TX 76208
    Description

    Medical Management of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Events answers these questions and more as you learn how to distinguish between different agents of concern that could be used in a major incident.

    This course is a combination of facilitated discussions, small-group exercises, Human Patient Simulator hands-on scenarios and traditional classroom discussions. Exercises are conducted in CBRNE scenarios using both adult and pediatric Human Patient Simulators to reinforce classroom lectures and interaction.

    This course promotes critical thinking skills while utilizing the RAPID-Care concept. The multi-disciplinary audience helps to strengthen information sharing, communications, and medical surge capabilities.

Medical Reserve Corps Orientation
  • Date:
    Wednesday, February 12, 2025
    Time:
    9:00 AM  –  1:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Public Health - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    The Denton County Medical Reserve Corps Orientation is designed to introduce new members to the MRC process.  It includes: Medical Reserve Corp information session, volunteer roles and responsibilities, Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), contact and deployment procedures, and Point of Dispensing (POD) and Shelter Operations team assignments.

    Target Audience: Denton County Citizens interested in volunteering (not intended for current volunteers)

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Part 2: Group Crisis Intervention
  • Date:
    Wednesday, February 26, 2025  –  Thursday, February 27, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  5:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Health Department - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    Course Overview: This 2-day workshop presents the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic, and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum. The Group Crisis Intervention workshop will equip participants with the knowledge and skills to understand and provide a wide range of group crisis intervention services. The fundamentals of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be outlined, and participants will be able to conduct several group crisis interventions, including demobilizations, defuses, and Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD). The importance of appropriate follow-up services and referrals, when necessary, will also be discussed.

March – 2025
MRC Until Help Arrives
  • Date:
    Saturday, March 22, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  12:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Public Health - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

April – 2025
Medical Reserve Corps Orientation
  • Date:
    Saturday, April 12, 2025
    Time:
    9:00 AM  –  1:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Public Health - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    The Denton County Medical Reserve Corps Orientation is designed to introduce new members to the MRC process.  It includes: Medical Reserve Corp information session, volunteer roles and responsibilities, Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), contact and deployment procedures, and Point of Dispensing (POD) and Shelter Operations team assignments.

    Target Audience: Denton County Citizens interested in volunteering (not intended for current volunteers)

May – 2025
MRC Amateur radio Licensing Class (Date TBD)
  • Date:
    Saturday, May 03, 2025  –  Sunday, May 04, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  5:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Public Health - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR Course
  • Date:
    Saturday, May 31, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  12:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Health Department - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    This course will teach the basics of CPR and how to use an AED unit. Attendees will learn how to recognize and respond to an emergency situation; help someone in respiratory and cardiac distress; perform CPR on adults and children; and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) until emergency help arrives. The course also covers basic information about preventing the spread of disease. All participants will receive a CPR card. Target Audience: All MRC volunteers

June – 2025
Medical Reserve Corps Orientation
  • Date:
    Wednesday, June 04, 2025
    Time:
    9:00 AM  –  1:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Public Health - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    The Denton County Medical Reserve Corps Orientation is designed to introduce new members to the MRC process.  It includes: Medical Reserve Corp information session, volunteer roles and responsibilities, Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), contact and deployment procedures, and Point of Dispensing (POD) and Shelter Operations team assignments.

    Target Audience: Denton County Citizens interested in volunteering (not intended for current volunteers)

MRC Intermediate HAM Operator Course
  • Date:
    Saturday, June 07, 2025
    Time:
    9:00 AM  –  12:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Health Department - Conference
    535 S. Loop 288
    Denton, TX 76205
    Description

    Course Overview: This Intermediate HAM Operator Course is designed to
    enhance the skills and knowledge of licensed ham radio operators. It focuses
    on practical, hands-on experience with ham radio equipment. Participants will
    learn to set up and troubleshoot radios, emphasizing equipment and
    procedures used in MRC activations. This course will build on the foundational
    knowledge gained in entry-level training, providing a deeper understanding of
    ham radio operations in emergency scenarios.

August – 2025
MGT 439: Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness
  • Date:
    Thursday, August 07, 2025  –  Friday, August 08, 2025
    Time:
    8:00 AM  –  5:00 PM
    Location:
    Denton County Commissioners Court Bldg. - Room 2020
    1 Courthouse Dr
    Denton, TX 76208
    Description

    This course prepares students to effectively, appropriately, and safely plan for and respond to a disaster incident involving children, addressing the specific needs of pediatric patients in the event of a community based incident. Pediatric specific planning considerations include mass sheltering, pediatric-triage, reunification planning and pediatric decontamination considerations. This is not a hands-on technical course, but instead a management resource course for stakeholders like pediatric physicians, emergency managers, emergency planners, and members of public emergency departments like EMS, Fire, Police, Public Health, and Hospitals in field of disaster response and preparedness work.

    Must use this link to sign up as it's a TEEX class we are https://my.teex.org/TeexPortal/Default.aspx?MO=mCourseCatalog&D=FP&C=MGT319&S=592