Nevada is not ready for a serious disaster. In a report called "Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism," Nevada got six out of 10 possible points for emergency preparedness. We were one of eight states with that low score, with only six states ranking worse.
One key element to improving our preparedness is to develop a data base of medical personnel, called the Medical Reserve Corps, who will volunteer in times of a disaster.
The state and counties already created the data base that tracks the Corps members, including their area of expertise, contact information, medical licenses and other vital information.
What the data base lacks is people.
The reason? The people who would most likely sign up to help during a disaster are retired and no longer carry malpractice insurance. Without some sort of protection from being sued, these people are reluctant to place their life savings in jeopardy by volunteering to help their community.
Sponsored by Heidi Gansert, AB 200, will help the state and counties increase their Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) by amending the Good Samaritan Act to include that during a time of disaster or emergency, medical personnel will have the same limited protections from being sued that the Act currently offers. (The protections are limited and still allow for such actions as gross negligence.)
These emergencies and disasters are defined in state law and the limited liability protections would only apply during the existence of a state of emergency or declaration of disaster, generally declared by the Governor or by agencies like the Red Cross.
Each county has taken a different approach to liability, which has created inconsistent policies that place an unfair financial burden on the counties and which could be challenged when a volunteer helps in another county during an emergency.
We need to address this issue at a state wide level to ensure that every county can adequately respond to its community in times of disaster. The counties support the bill, as does the medical board.
Carson's own Bonnie Parnell is a co-sponsor, along with 10 others.
Assemblywoman Parnell also sits on the committee that will decide the bill's fate, which is fortunate, as she can urge her colleagues to support this bill in committee.
In these difficult economic times volunteerism should be encouraged as much as possible.
But we need to address the issues that keep people from volunteering by providing reasonable and limited liability protections for these folks who are trained to come to our aid in a time of disaster.
You can help Carson City and our state be better prepared for a disaster by calling Bonnie Parnell at 775-684-8825 or e-mailing her at bparnell@asm.state.nv.us, and thank her for supporting this bill to develop the Medical Reserve Corps.
Urge her to push her colleagues to move this bill forward so that we can have the trained medical professionals we need to help us in times of disaster.
- Randi Thompson owns As You Wish, a government and media relations firm.