Oklahoma Disaster Medical Assistance Team Deployed To Gulf States For Hurricane Ivan
Release Date: September 18, 2004
Release Number: HQ-04-183
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Ivan
» More Information on Alabama Hurricane Ivan
» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Ivan
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Ivan
WASHINGTON, DC A team of medical specialists from Oklahoma has been deployed to the Gulf Coast States to assist in the response effort to Hurricane Ivan. Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed the Oklahoma Disaster Medical Assistance Team (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 Oklahoma DMAT is staging in Biloxi, Mississippi and is joining others teams from Missouri, Georgia and California and will deploy into the affected areas.
"We are prepared to help the residents of the Gulf States with their medical needs and we have some of the finest emergency medical personnel in Oklahoma responding to this disaster," said Oklahoma-1 Team Commander Arthur Wallace. "The members of the team are experienced in these situations and are ready to mobilize when the call comes."
The Oklahoma DMAT responded to some of the country's largest disasters including Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, Hurricane Marilyn and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. 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 team consists of members from throughout the state but is primarily based in Tulsa, OK. The team's 35 members consist of physicians, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and other medical specialists. The unit is designed to be self-sufficient for 72 hours with supplies including food and medicine. The team's primary mission is to supplement the medical needs in the areas heavily impacted by the hurricane.
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 12:51:06