FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County urges residents willing to volunteer during a local emergency to sign up now before one takes place.
“Spontaneous volunteers are individuals (who) want to assist after an emergency occurs," said Katie Holbrook, DOH-Okaloosa's Public Health Preparedness section chief. However, she said, "in most cases, spontaneous volunteers cannot be utilized due to gaps in credentialing and training. In order to mitigate this, we encourage individuals to identify a volunteer organization and pre-credential before the disaster.”
The Okaloosa-Walton Medical Reserve Corps is an organization of medical and non-medical volunteers who trained and got credentials to contribute their skills and expertise during public health emergencies and, when available, during skills-building activities throughout the year.
Visit www.HealthyOkaloosa.com or call Steven Rendon, 833-9240 extension 2304, for more information about OWMRC and how to register.
DOH-Okaloosa is observing National Preparedness Month to remind residents about easy ways to keep their families safe during emergencies.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Health department: Volunteer now to aid in emergencies later