Texas Disaster Medical Assistance Teams Deployed To Gulf States For Hurricane Ivan Response
Release Date: September 18, 2004
Release Number: HQ-04-185
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WASHINGTON, DC Two teams of medical specialists from Texas have been deployed to the Gulf States to assist in the response effort to Hurricane Ivan. Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed the Texas Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) to assist heavily impacted communities in the area with emergency medical needs following Hurricane Ivan.
"We have committed all available resources to help the residents impacted by Ivan, including deploying the DMATs who will play a critical medical role in the response effort," said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response.
The Texas FEMA DMATs are staged in Baton Rouge, LA and have been joined by members from Arizona-1, and will deploy into affected areas.
"We are prepared to help the residents in the Gulf States with their medical needs and we have some of the finest emergency medical personnel in Texas responding to this disaster," said Texas Team Commander Sharon Daniel. "The members of the team are experienced in these situations and are ready to mobilize when the call comes."
The Texas FEMA DMAT's have responded to some of the country's largest disasters including the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, Hurricane Lily, and most recently Hurricanes Frances and Charley. Teams are part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), which is one of the resources brought to FEMA since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The teams consist of members from throughout Texas. Each team's 35 members consist of physicians, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and other medical specialists. Each unit is designed to be self-sufficient for 72 hours with supplies including food and medicine.
FEMA's DMATs have recently responded to large-scale disasters including The World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, Hurricane Isabel in September 2003, the Bam, Iran Earthquake in December 2003 and Hurricane Charley last month. NDMS Teams have also been deployed in 2004 to support the G8 Summit in Georgia, the National Democratic Convention in Boston and the Republican National Convention in New York.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Saturday, 18-Sep-2004 12:29:06