Disaster Medical Assistance Teams
Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) are part of the National Disaster Medical System, under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security. The role of these teams is to provide medical care in a disaster area.
As stated in DMAT promotional material, “DMATs deploy to disaster sites with sufficient supplies and equipment to sustain themselves for a period of 72 hours while providing medical care at a fixed or temporary medical care site.” In incidents with large numbers of casualties, DMATs responsibilities include “triaging patients, providing high-quality medical care despite the adverse and austere environment often found at a disaster site, and preparing patients for evacuation.” DMATs may also provide primary medical care or may augment overloaded local health care staffs.
Under those unusual circumstances when victims of a disaster are evacuated to another location for their medical care, “DMATs may be activated to support patient reception and disposition of patients to hospitals. DMATs are designed to be a rapid-response element to supplement local medical care until other Federal or contract resources can be mobilized, or the situation is resolved.”
DMATs are organized by a local sponsor—a medical center, local public health agency, or a nonprofit organization. The responsibilities of the sponsor include recruiting DMAT team members, training, and organizing the dispatch of team members if called upon. Members of DMATs become temporary federal employees when deployed; this provides them liability protection through the Federal Tort Claims Act. In addition, professional licenses of federal employees are recognized by states, freeing DMAT team members from state licensing concerns.
To become a member of a DMAT, you must fill out a Federal Job Application form, be interviewed, and accepted as a team member. The NDMS has 10 regional offices (detailed at www.oep-ndms.dhhs.gov/region_1.html) where information can be found about existing DMAT teams and how to form a team. The DMAT home page is www.oep-ndms.dhhs.gov/dmat.html.
Search-and-rescue teams
Local fire departments and law enforcement departments frequently have search-and-rescue teams that can be called on to respond to disasters throughout the country. When these teams are deployed, they should take along medical personnel to attend to the needs of the responders. The medical professional should be prepared to screen responders and provide medical clearance before they deploy, provide urgent care medical services to responders, and ensure that measures are taken to prevent illness among team members.
CORRESPONDENCE
Doug Campos-Outcalt, MD, MPA, 4001 North Third Street #415, Phoenix, AZ 85012. E-mail: dougco@u.arizona.edu