Bio-Defense Network has partnered with St. Louis and St. Charles counties to create a new bi-state Medical Reserve Corps unit that will focus on creating a cadre of volunteers who will be prepared to respond to a radiological event in the St. Louis region to include southwestern Illinois and eastern Missouri.
Development of the unit will be co-managed by the departments of health in the two counties and Bio-Defense Network, which will oversee the recruitment of volunteers specifically with expertise in or with a desire to learn about radiation incident response. Work on the program is initially funded by a grant from the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc., of Frankfort, Ky. and will include the purchase of equipment needed to operate a Community Reception Center that will be activated in the event of a radiological release.