The Arlington County Medical Reserve Corps (ACMRC) offers training to prepare volunteers to support public health and emergency response efforts. All volunteers start with basic training. Some volunteers choose to build advanced skills or join specialty teams.
Use the sections on this page to find where you are in your MRC journey. If you are unsure which training applies to you or what your next step is, contact ArlingtonMRC@arlingtonva.us.
Training supports advancement through ACMRC levels:
- Level 4 – Not Deployable: Approved status in VVHS (training only)
- Level 3 – Partially Deployable: New Volunteer Orientation (NVO) and Background Investigation
- Level 2 – Deployable: Required ICS/NIMS courses (IS‑100 and IS‑700)
- Level 1 – Leadership: Advanced ICS training (IS‑200)
Who this is for: All volunteers (required)
This section outlines the requirements to be an active ACMRC volunteer.
TRAIN Virginia Account Setup
Follow the steps on the Join MRC page to create or update your VA TRAIN account before completing required trainings.
This ensures MRC staff can track and verify your training.
New Volunteer Orientation
Incident Command System (ICS) & National Incident Management System (NIMS)
- Required for all volunteers
- Intro to ICS and NIMS must be completed within your first year
- These courses make you deployable
Who this is for: All volunteers
ACMRC may ask volunteers to participate in drills to test emergency response plans.
Examples include:
- Call-down drills
- Emergency medication dispensing
- Mass vaccination (medical countermeasures)
- Volunteer reception center processing
Who this is for: Volunteers who have completed basic training and want to build advanced skills
Before joining a specialty team or pursuing advanced competencies, you must complete all required basic trainings.
Specialty Teams
Volunteers may join more than one team but must select a primary team.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) Response
- Required training: Psychological First Aid (VA TRAIN Course ID: 1027686)
- Live classroom version typically offered annually
- Recommended prerequisite: Introduction to Mental Health Preparedness
- Annual role-play exercises required
Epidemiology (Epi) Response
- Focus on disease investigation and surveillance
- Any VDH or MRC epidemiology training in VA TRAIN
- External epidemiology training may be accepted
Communications & Outreach
- Health communication
- Risk communication
- Community outreach support
Mass Dispensing / Medical Countermeasures (MCM)
- Infection control
- Blood Borne Pathogens training
- Point of dispensing (POD) operations
- Mass medication and vaccination support
Advanced Trainings
Some advanced competencies are limited to licensed medical professionals.
Examples include:
ACMRC does not receive automatic notifications from VA TRAIN or VVHS, so email ArlingtonMRC@arlingtonva.us when:
- Your contact information changes
- You complete CPR outside of ACMRC
- You complete ICS/NIMS or Psychological First Aid training
- You complete public health or emergency preparedness training outside ACMRC