Too Many Emergency Teams?

[brentoli]

Respectfully, those certs don't really mean much as far as experience...or even newness level on the board.

He did make a good point with the color ink thing though Anth. Got to give that one to him.

[NREMT-Basic]

You seem to have it all nailed down. I mean youve seen pictures of half a dozen or so team members, and most of the ones in the picture you are mentioning are nurses, commo, logistics, etc. I think other than the nurses, there is one medical specialist in that photo, but I could be wrong.

Youve missed what I said from the beginning so to try to civilize the tone, I will try again. Im not saying we are going to take anything away from anyone. If nothing else, we have far greater resources by shear volume than the CFD. We show up about 4 hours post event and fill the gap between overwhelmed local responders and the arrival of the feds. And DMATS dont go overseas, so the Iranian earthquake is out. DMATs are federally funded and operated by their individual state. Hence their designations as DMAT-MA-1 (Disaster Medical Assistance Team- Massachusetts-Task Force 1. The team to which I belong shows up at the request of the Governor of Illinois or with the signing of a EMAC (emergency medical assistance compact). We are there to help local and other state teams, including the NG. Yes, we do have the right to commandeer local resources...maybe thats right, maybe its not. Take it up with governor Blegoiavich. Im sure he would listen to someone from outside the state who doesnt know a thing about how these teams operate. He has been behind us since he took office. As have the Presidents who have awarded members of the team special Presidential Citations. Youre a medic. We show up in your town. If you are part of a command team, our command team will meet yours in the TOC and say "what can we do to help you" and you, if you were overall IC would tell us. Then we would start talking to our logistics and commo boys and set up a command center of our own complete with things like satellite phones, weather radar, direct lines to Illinois or other state governors and Washington. If there ever was a true example of "We're from the government and we are here to help" its teams like IMERT and the various DMATs, etc. Im sorry that you and folks like you have a problem with it. Im sorry you think we are glorified EMTs. Thats not even close to the reality of the situation. Before I joined up, IMERT deployed three seperate teams to the Gulf Coast, which you know if you saw our site. We also deploy to events where there are large groups of people in huge public venues. We have the assets of the NG and ANG at our disposal per orders of the Governor. We're not coming in to take anything away from anyone. The closet we get to ambulances that I know of are John Deere gators modified with roll cages and med beds. We are there to help you. But those field hospitals of which you speak so nastily can mean the difference between life and death. They can be heated and air conditioned, as can our trailers, which when emptied of gear and vehicles can be used as further command posts and team quarters. Are you really that threatened? I must admit I dont get it. Did you ever check our that map I recommended. The kinds of events it shows are the kinds of things we respond to or go on standby for. We have more than 1000 members throughout the state any number of whom are on call at any given time and ready to deploy and those whose comittments require that they serve on a general medical or sort of a second wave team.

I know I came out guns blazing and that that could be an embarrassment to the team and for that I am sorry. But for the life of me I can understand why, living in Oregon or Massachusetts or Florida (which by the way has one of the country's best DMATs) you would not want high tech, high volume help which can provide you with personnel and material you may not have. If your responders homes are destroyed, we can house you. If you run out of something, we likely have it. The shear quantities of assets alone that we can bring to bear should be a comfort and not a source of rivalry. IMERT, DMATs, Disaster Mortuary Teams...all here to help the people of their respective states when asked. Its just that simple. Your governor says "we need more boots on the ground"and we can send you EMS, logistics, communications, nursing, HAZMAT, WMD specialists, dentists and even veterinarians. As part of theOffice of Homeland Security/ Illinois Terrorism Task Force, in the unthinkable event that something like 9/11 happens to you, or something even worse, how will your agencies respond if 2/3 of their responders are dead or critical. We provide medical for the ITTF and USAR teams. When we work along side you, your going to be safe because we are provided with security teams from the National Guard MP batallions. Our medical director is head of Emergency Medicine and Trauma at a level 1 in Chicago. Our team commander and deputy commander are both CCP and flight medics.

So at first I gave a bad impression and made it sound like we would swoop in and save you from yourselves. That isnt the case at all and if thats what it sounded like I apologize. We are mutual aide on a huge scale. Everyone associated with the team is the best at what they do and in their chosen discipline. Thats why they are there. My field happens to be disaster/terror medicine. I will be training at Hadassa Hospitals Terror Medicine Center on a fellowship next summer. EMS and Disaster/Terror med are different fields. We are trained and continually train to deal with MCIs on massive, massive scales. If being proud and honored to serve with the first team of its kind in the country and one that is acknowledged by those in the disaser/terror med field to be among the very best is wrong, them Im wrong. Illinois falls down in a lot of places in EMS. But IMERT isnt one of those weak points. We were first set up to work in IL alone. Then Katrina happened and we were called into out of state service. This is now part of our protocol. Im sorry that intimidates of angers you. Do you have this reaction to the National Guard and FEMA showing up. Would you rather do it all by yourselves no matter what it is. All i want to be is the best I can be at what I do and I spend hours each day working toward that goal. Someday the seams will disappear. But until they do, history shows this is the best practice way to do things

[BEorP]

Its called the National Drug Stockpile. Ever heard of it. Can you see past your locality enough to know that caches of equipment, drugs and other supplies are kept all over the US. Do you have the key? People like IMERT and others do. I dont know where the caches are because Im not supposed to. I only have to know how to use what they give me.

It doesn't take EMTs to distribute drug stockpiles from the central storage. Seems like a waste to me.

[NREMT-Basic]

It doesn't take EMTs to distribute drug stockpiles from the central storage. Seems like a waste to me.

The National Drug Stockpile isnt central storage and to my knowledge, EMTs, fire departments, etc have no access to it. The President gets meds first, the congress, then responders and the state and federal level, then "civilians." And your right...its doesnt take EMTs to distribute from the NDS. Its take orders from the President and Congress.

[Scaramedic]

[align=center:0b1b60258b][/align:0b1b60258b]

[align=center:0b1b60258b]Bored now![/align:0b1b60258b]

Peace,

Willow

[Kevin N. Saisi CADC EMT]

Just for clarification, CERT and The Medical Reserve Corps are affiliated programs. Cert is more of a general disaster response program in which people are trained to staff shelters and support their neighborhoods after a disaster has passed. They do learn how to do some light S&R techniques and basic first aid. The Medical Reserve Corps is a program to assist the medical community when it is overwhelmed. In our community we have designated teams under six categories: Hospital, EMS, Public Health, Mental Health, Case Management and Public Education. Each of our teams is set up under the agency they will serve. Our focus is primarily our home service area, as opposed to DMAT and other surge capacity teams who respond outside of their home area. Here in Maine we believe in self reliance. If we cannot handle a situation ourselves, then we will (reluctantly) ask for help. I hope that this has been helpful.

Have a GREAT Day!

Kevin N. Saisi, CADC, EMT-B, Unit Coordinator

Oxford County Medical Reserve Corps

P.O. Box 334

Rumford, Maine 04276

(207) 357-3468

[p3medic]

. And DMATS dont go overseas, so the Iranian earthquake is out. DMATs are federally funded and operated by their individual state. Hence their designations as DMAT-MA-1 (Disaster Medical Assistance Team- Massachusetts-Task Force

IMSURT MA-1 deployed for 3 weeks to Bam, Iran after the earthquake there devestated a large area of that country. It is the only international deployable DMAT group, to my knowledge. Oh, and they get paid.

[Kevin N. Saisi CADC EMT]

You seem to have it all nailed down. I mean youve seen pictures of half a dozen or so team members, and most of the ones in the picture you are mentioning are nurses, commo, logistics, etc. I think other than the nurses, there is one medical specialist in that photo, but I could be wrong.

Youve missed what I said from the beginning so to try to civilize the tone, I will try again. Im not saying we are going to take anything away from anyone. If nothing else, we have far greater resources by shear volume than the CFD. We show up about 4 hours post event and fill the gap between overwhelmed local responders and the arrival of the feds. And DMATS dont go overseas, so the Iranian earthquake is out. DMATs are federally funded and operated by their individual state. Hence their designations as DMAT-MA-1 (Disaster Medical Assistance Team- Massachusetts-Task Force 1. The team to which I belong shows up at the request of the Governor of Illinois or with the signing of a EMAC (emergency medical assistance compact). We are there to help local and other state teams, including the NG. Yes, we do have the right to commandeer local resources...maybe thats right, maybe its not. Take it up with governor Blegoiavich. Im sure he would listen to someone from outside the state who doesnt know a thing about how these teams operate. He has been behind us since he took office. As have the Presidents who have awarded members of the team special Presidential Citations. Youre a medic. We show up in your town. If you are part of a command team, our command team will meet yours in the TOC and say "what can we do to help you" and you, if you were overall IC would tell us. Then we would start talking to our logistics and commo boys and set up a command center of our own complete with things like satellite phones, weather radar, direct lines to Illinois or other state governors and Washington. If there ever was a true example of "We're from the government and we are here to help" its teams like IMERT and the various DMATs, etc. Im sorry that you and folks like you have a problem with it. Im sorry you think we are glorified EMTs. Thats not even close to the reality of the situation. Before I joined up, IMERT deployed three seperate teams to the Gulf Coast, which you know if you saw our site. We also deploy to events where there are large groups of people in huge public venues. We have the assets of the NG and ANG at our disposal per orders of the Governor. We're not coming in to take anything away from anyone. The closet we get to ambulances that I know of are John Deere gators modified with roll cages and med beds. We are there to help you. But those field hospitals of which you speak so nastily can mean the difference between life and death. They can be heated and air conditioned, as can our trailers, which when emptied of gear and vehicles can be used as further command posts and team quarters. Are you really that threatened? I must admit I dont get it. Did you ever check our that map I recommended. The kinds of events it shows are the kinds of things we respond to or go on standby for. We have more than 1000 members throughout the state any number of whom are on call at any given time and ready to deploy and those whose comittments require that they serve on a general medical or sort of a second wave team.

I know I came out guns blazing and that that could be an embarrassment to the team and for that I am sorry. But for the life of me I can understand why, living in Oregon or Massachusetts or Florida (which by the way has one of the country's best DMATs) you would not want high tech, high volume help which can provide you with personnel and material you may not have. If your responders homes are destroyed, we can house you. If you run out of something, we likely have it. The shear quantities of assets alone that we can bring to bear should be a comfort and not a source of rivalry. IMERT, DMATs, Disaster Mortuary Teams...all here to help the people of their respective states when asked. Its just that simple. Your governor says "we need more boots on the ground"and we can send you EMS, logistics, communications, nursing, HAZMAT, WMD specialists, dentists and even veterinarians. As part of theOffice of Homeland Security/ Illinois Terrorism Task Force, in the unthinkable event that something like 9/11 happens to you, or something even worse, how will your agencies respond if 2/3 of their responders are dead or critical. We provide medical for the ITTF and USAR teams. When we work along side you, your going to be safe because we are provided with security teams from the National Guard MP batallions. Our medical director is head of Emergency Medicine and Trauma at a level 1 in Chicago. Our team commander and deputy commander are both CCP and flight medics.

So at first I gave a bad impression and made it sound like we would swoop in and save you from yourselves. That isnt the case at all and if thats what it sounded like I apologize. We are mutual aide on a huge scale. Everyone associated with the team is the best at what they do and in their chosen discipline. Thats why they are there. My field happens to be disaster/terror medicine. I will be training at Hadassa Hospitals Terror Medicine Center on a fellowship next summer. EMS and Disaster/Terror med are different fields. We are trained and continually train to deal with MCIs on massive, massive scales. If being proud and honored to serve with the first team of its kind in the country and one that is acknowledged by those in the disaser/terror med field to be among the very best is wrong, them Im wrong. Illinois falls down in a lot of places in EMS. But IMERT isnt one of those weak points. We were first set up to work in IL alone. Then Katrina happened and we were called into out of state service. This is now part of our protocol. Im sorry that intimidates of angers you. Do you have this reaction to the National Guard and FEMA showing up. Would you rather do it all by yourselves no matter what it is. All i want to be is the best I can be at what I do and I spend hours each day working toward that goal. Someday the seams will disappear. But until they do, history shows this is the best practice way to do things

The mistakes you made in representing the organization to which you belong are the very reason that I restrict members of our group from representing the griup in public discussion. If a response is to be made, it needs to come from someone in a leadership position, in accordance with ICS practice. Everybody makes mistakes, but those in leadership usually take care to choose their words more carefully and not enroll themselves in long debates defending their organization.

Have a GREAT day,

Kevin

[SSG G-man]

I take offense to the Reference to the National Guard, since I work at the Army National Guard Readiness Center!!! I do not think this IMERT was in LA 4 hours after called. The Guard moved the equivalent of a Corps to the area in under 96 hours. This was considered a great logistical feat!!!

If you know anything about the National Guard, you would know that we have more Soldiers now than at the time of the Iraq invasion, so numbers are not down. The only thing that has even remotely been an issue is equipment, and for the most part that is not that big an issue. Don't usually use M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks in disaster relief.

Some places are low on HUMVEEs and Trucks, but CONGRESS, can not seem to pull its head out of its fourth point of contact and appropriate the money necessary to replace them!

Have a great day!

Sarge

[Kevin N. Saisi CADC EMT]

It doesn't take EMTs to distribute drug stockpiles from the central storage. Seems like a waste to me.

In Maine our state level CDC is a relatively small agency. We have no health officials at the county level, and our local health officer states that her job is to "tell people where to go". There is no structure in place to provide mass prophalaxis. If such services were required tomorrow, authorities would have to rely upon the understaffed hospitals. In Maine the MRC is authorized under Maine CDC for preparedness purposes. This means that at least six of the counties would have a structure for distributing the vaccine.

In times of a major health emergency, the system of triage using color codes will be used. Those who are triaged as green or yellow may still need medical assistance. Our Red Cross has made it quite clear that they will be concentrating upon shelter operations in this area due to the number of volunteers they have. If the MRC does not provide care for the lesser injured people, they will have to rely upon the care of spontaneous volunteers who are not trained nor credentialed, and certainly have not had a background check nor NIMS training. While we may have some volunteers who are licensed at a higher level, the majority of our medical membership will be below the EMT level. While we strive to be able to provide care to as many people as possible, we also see the need for people to provide support functions such as registration, sanitation and decontamination. We are there so the paramedics aren't tied up emptying trashcans.

One last thought: Before we judge how a program will be implemented in another community, perhaps we should know the plan for that community. I am certain that we in our county of 50,000 people do things much differently than in New York City. We don't have the resources that you have. I live in a community of about 15,000 people, and sometimes we have a difficult time getting a crew for that 4th ambulance.