Volunteer roles will vary depending on the nature of the emergency and the ongoing need for community health outreach and education. Since major emergencies can overwhelm the capabilities of our first responders, especially during the first 12 to 72 hours, MRC volunteers will be trained and used to work in coordination with existing local emergency response programs. Medical and other health volunteers can provide an important "surge" capacity during that critical period. They may also be used to augment medical staff shortages at local medical and emergency facilities. Additionally, VBMRC volunteers will be called to help staff dispensing sites in the event of the need for mass vaccination or mass prophylaxis. MRC volunteers can also assist with local public health initiatives such as TB screenings, flu vaccinations, blood drives and other outreach programs.