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First In, Last Out – PHS Officers Deploy with NDMS |
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Submitted by CDR Skip Lightner, NDMS Emergency Coordinator, FEMA Region VI, Denton, TX |
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One of the first in, one of the last out. That describes the 24 U.S. Public Health Service (PHS)
Commissioned Corps officers who work for the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). From Cindy through
Wilma, the PHS officers worked in all levels of response and in all States affected by the 2005 hurricanes. |
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NDMS is the emergency medical and mortuary response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
These teams are medical, mortuary, and veterinary federalized volunteers who respond to a call-up within
24 hours and are self-sufficient in austere conditions for up to 72 hours. |
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The PHS officers have been detailed full-time since 2003 to FEMA in the role of Regional Emergency
Coordinators (RECs) and Headquarters support staff. They directed and coordinated the Disaster Medical
Assistance Teams (DMATs), the Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams, and the Disaster Mortuary Operations
Response Teams (DMORTs) throughout this and other hurricane seasons. |
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NDMS RECs deployed to FEMA’s National and Regional Response Command Centers and coordinated the
‘first response’ medical teams with State and local requests. The PHS officers deployed with the
DMATs in the initial response to Hurricane Katrina, going to both the Superdome and the New Orleans
Airport. They also were the NDMS Federal coordinators for emergency medical response with the State
emergency operation centers in each State affected by the 2005 hurricanes. |
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The officers deployed on emergency response and rapid needs assessment teams to be the “eyes and ears”
on the ground, assisting the States in determining medical needs. Throughout the hurricane season, NDMS
RECs worked tirelessly with their Department of Health and Human Services counterparts to coordinate
transition from emergency care to primary health care. The officers also worked with Department of
Defense responders, the Veterans’ Affairs coordinators, and other Federal and State entities. |
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One of the last ongoing missions is the DMORT mission, operating in Louisiana at both the Victim
Identification Center and the Find Family National Call Center. Operating as the regional morgue
identifying storm victims and re-casketing of disturbed gravesites, this mission is critical to the
overall State and Federal response. |
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The NDMS PHS officers exemplify the highest professional and personal commitment to the victims of
disasters and to the PHS Commissioned Corps. Their combined leadership skills and exemplary conduct as
professionals in the national disaster response has the PHS Commissioned Corps on the frontline of health
care for the Nation. |