GloucesterTimes.com, Gloucester, MA

The coalition is made up of 15 health boards, from Saugus to Cape Ann, including the Gloucester, Manchester, Essex and Rockport boards

The Medical Reserve Corps is a component of the Citizen Corps that organizes local volunteers to assist medical professionals and medical facilities during a large-scale local emergency, according to the organization's Web site.

"This is a great thing," said Gloucester's public health nurse, Sunny Robinson.

The coalition is community-based and functions as a way to organize volunteers who want to donate time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies. The coalition also promotes healthy living throughout the year, the Web site said.

Each town or city has its own team of professionals. The Gloucester team includes 100 health-care professionals, including doctors, nurses, mental health counselors, a veterinarian and a physician's assistant, Robinson said.

"These people are just a phone call away if they are needed," she said.

The coalition was put together shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said Joanne Scott, coalition chairwoman and a health agent in Salem.

The board meets monthly to discuss issues on public health and how one team can help another in case of a disaster.

The Cape Ann Emergency Preparedness Coalition has also created an emergency information, planning and response guide for residents on its Web site, which is www.nscalert.org.

With this recognition, the local boards of health are now recruiting volunteers who don't necessarily have medical experience, Robinson said.

"We need greeters, people to give direction as well as do all kinds of clerical work," she said. "That's a very important task as well."

Anyone who wants to volunteer to be in the Medical Reserve Corps should contact the local health board or visit www.nscalert.org. In Gloucester, the Board of Health can be reached at 978-281-9771.