Organization Spotlight - Summer 2007

 

The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is a federally coordinated system that augments the nation’s emergency response capability by providing various response components to include Medical, Mortuary, Veterinary and other Specialty teams.  NDMS is a partnership between the U.S. Department’s of Homeland Security (DHS), Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense (DoD), and Health and Human Services (HHS).

 

NDMS supplements state and local emergency medical and specialty response capability during catastrophic events, whether natural, man-made, or acts of terrorism.  This is to include utilization of teams when requested for National Special Security Events (NSSE’s). 

 

In the event of major disaster, NDMS activates pre-organized and trained Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) made up of medical personnel and support staff that are federalized by HHS.

 

DMATs arrive with their personnel, supplies and equipment on the scene ready to:

 

Certain highly specialized teams handle specific medical conditions such as crush injuries, burns, and mental health emergencies.  Other specialty teams provide mortuary services (Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams), veterinary services (National Veterinary Response Teams) and medical care for victims of mass destruction (National Medical Response Teams).

 

NDMS response team members include licensed/certified doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, medical examiners, mental health practitioners, veterinarians, and other medical and support personnel who want to make a difference.  They challenge themselves by applying their particular expertise to critical situations.  These everyday heroes are unique because they possess a willingness to be deployed on a moments notice and to work in severe and often hectic field conditions.

 

Once activated, NDMS response teams receive support from HHS.  This support comes in the form of medical liability coverage, compensation for service and expenses, and deployment logistic support such as transportation, food, shelter, and supplies.

 

NDMS response team members are currently in access of 7,000 health and medical professionals to include support staff on more than 100 teams throughout the country. They are meeting the challenge, along with approximately 2,000 hospitals and other medical facilities that have agreed to receive disaster casualties on a moments notice.