Disaster Deployment Groups?

[AnthonyM83]

How many of you have pre-selected deployment groups to respond to diasters, such as Katrina?

Is it a public group funded by your local government or is it a group from your private EMS company?

Do you do specific training for it? Is it ongoing? What kind? What kind of equipment/resources do you have? (Basic BLS/ALS kits? Trailers? Generators?) How are members selected and what kind of commitment do they need to give during non-emergency times?

[Ridryder 911]

Most medical care for disasters outside local coverage is provided by Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) or Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT). Both are considered volunteer groups. MRC is usually composed of local area providers for the first wave of providers and within local regions where as DMAT is composed of Regional providers and deployed for a period of time (usually larger disaster where Federal Disaster has been declared).

Both have education and required entry levels, as well CEU that must be met.

Check out their web sites for more information.

R/r911

[SANDMEDIC]

I am only familiar with the Missouri DMAT which is paid while on deployment as well as training. Something rarely seen is no matter what your rank, EMT, Paramedic, RN everyone is paid the same.

Missouri has a pretty impressive DMAT team multiple vehicles and enough equipment to make your jaw drop.

Here is a link to most of the DMAT teams across the U.S. The K.C.M.O. team is not included in the list.

http://www.dmat.org/teamlinks.html

Hope this helps.. Great bunch of highly skilled individuals..

[AnthonyM83]

Well, the reason I'm asking is that our ambulance company is starting a deployment group. Previously, when something happened, they would send a notice to everyone's pager asking for people to call-in. Then, management would choose a group based on experience, standing with the company, and how quickly they called in.

Now, the company wants to have a pre-selected group that trains with our equipment and knows it inside and out, from generators to diesel pumpers, to mobile communications trailer, disaster trailer, to care and storage (temperature range, etc) of BLS equipment like IV tubing. So, everyone has been appointed pieces of equipment to basically become experts on (through any means available), then present to the group, in order to cross-train. The idea being when out on deployment we won't always have management or experts or manufacturers to turn to, so we each have to be self-sufficient.

They want us to be heavy on drills. FD style drills we're told (where you recite everything you know about your piece of equipment). After that, I'm not sure what other things we could train on, so just seeing if anyone else has any similar programs to get ideas from....

[ERDoc]

Anthony, I'd be careful self-deploying to disasters. I don't know who you work for, but if it is a private company (AMR or the like) it might not be in anyones best interest to deploy to an outside area. As stated, the federal govt has DMATs, which were about the only part of the Katrina response that worked properly. When they are called up by the feds they become federal employees and receive pay and other benefits. Check them out, there may be one in your area.

[Richard B the EMT]

Try using this link to FEMA, for the USARs. that is the Urban Search And Rescue teams.

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/usr/index.shtm

While having no knowledge if they are temporarily Federal employees on the Fed payroll, or continued municipal paychecks, I do know the USAR TF1 NYC (Task Force One, New York City) is made up of NYPD LEOs, FDNY fire fighters, and FDNY EMS EMTs and Paramedics.

There is possibility that the TF1-NY members are placed into either paid or unpaid vacation status, burning off vacation time, while using equipment supplied by their respective NYC agencies, and flown into whatever the disaster area by the New York Air National Guard's C-130 and C-150 aircraft.

Due to probable lack of hotels in the disaster area, I think they also haul a lot of camping gear.

I cannot camp out, as I am a Sleep Apnea patient, attached to a CPAP machine when trying to sleep, needing electrical power attached to it, or I would have tried out for it.

[AnthonyM83]

Yeah, it would be a group pretty much like AMR. They've worked a number of deployments such as Katrina, Rita, and LA Fires. While I wasn't with the company at the time of the hurricanes, I don't think it was quite "self" deployment? Maybe it was, but apparently they had dozens of other ambulance companies there too running the everday 911 calls. For one of the hurricane deployments, they had a military plane fly them and the ambulances in, so I assume it was government sanctioned. Same with the fire in San Diego (outside our area, but ordered by state? government).

[MedicCraig]

A good place to start would be education. Check for basic and advanced disaster life support classes.(BDLS/ADLS) They are taught all over, and some are grant funded (FREE) Also check out the the Center for Domestic Preparedness. They are located in Anniston, Al. This is a federal facility, and all their training , including room, food and even airline transportation to and from are free. I admire your willingness to get involved in this area of EMS. I can't stress enough the need to educate your self. Be safe, and remember, You should always train the most on the skills performed the least.