EDITORS: SHEILA HALL AND TERRY SWANSON
April 2007
2007 NATIONAL DISASTER MEDICAL SYSTEM (NDMS) CONFERENCE
The NDMS National Conference was held at the Gaylord
Opryland Resort and Convention Center in
The following were Conference Goals: to deliver an understanding of the health and medical requirements generated by disasters of any origin; provide access to authorities responsible for managing these requirements; afford opportunities for the delivery of education and the exchange of ideas necessary to the development of capabilities at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels.
Conference Objectives included: conveying the principles which underlie professional emergency health and medical service delivery; documenting the status of the profession as of 2006; encouraging participants to engage in continuing education, training, research, and information sharing, to enable further development of this Nation’s lifesaving systems.
For those DMORT members who were unable to attend, the
following is a brief recap of several featured programs.
Pre-Conference Courses:
Mass Fatality Response
Speakers:
David McBath, CEM
Chuck Smith, DMORT Region VI Deputy Commander
Jennie Thommen, FACT Commander
The panel of speakers at this two-day pre-conference course discussed a wide range of subjects, pertaining to a Mass Fatality Incident (MFI): components of NIMS (National Incident Management System), benefits of ICS (Incident Command System), protocols of a MFI, steps required to respond to a MFI, the roles and responsibilities of key personnel, incident morgue requirements, federal resources, and victim support plans. This course enabled participants to describe the operational process and tasks involved in conducting a response to a MFI; understand the stresses, reactions, and stress management techniques utilized in a MFI; and evaluate the readiness of their agency and jurisdiction to execute these operations.
Advanced Disaster Medical Response
Speakers: Susan Briggs, M.D.
Roy Alson, M.D.
Richard Weisman, M.D.
Conrad Salinas, M.D.
Jake Jacoby, M.D.
This course was designed to train multidisciplinary medical response personnel in the basics of medical and public health disaster care, medical response to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (such as radioactive agents, biological agents, and chemical agents), specific injuries (blast, crush), environmental considerations, and specific circumstances, such as mental health and the care of dead victims. An overview of Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) response, with emphasis on the basic elements of disaster medical response common to all disasters (search and rescue, triage and initial stabilization, definitive medical care and evacuation), was also thoroughly described.
Incident Response to Terrorist
Bombings
Speakers: Joe Doyle
Mark Potter
This awareness course prepared emergency responders to react effectively during incidents of terrorism, involving energetic materials (explosives and incendiaries). The program covered the different types of terrorist groups and potential targets, defined terms and concept associated with energetic materials, discussed common explosive materials and devices, and described safe and effective response procedures in various terrorist bomb scenarios.
Prevention and Response to Suicide
Bomber
Speakers: Joe Doyle
Mark Potter
This course provided participants with sufficient knowledge of suicide bombings, so they can become a part of their agency’s overall prevention, deterrence, mitigation, and response effort to this threat. The program reviewed the definition of suicide terrorism, information regarding the three types of suicide bombings, the nine phases of an attack, knowledge in identifying some of the common sources of counter-terrorist protective information, and guidance on recognizing pre-attack indicators. The session also identified pre- and post-blast personal protection issues.
Main Conference Courses:
Identification
Tools and Techniques
Speaker: LTC Louis
Finelli, D.O.
This presentation served as an introduction and overview on the use of DNA technology in the identification of deceased individuals. The session provided participants with an inside look at the various ways the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) along with the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) identify deceased individuals. Dr. Finelli discussed the three main types of DNA (nuclear, mitochondrial, and Y-chromosome) and their uses. He also addressed the limitations in the use of DNA in the identification process, necessitating the integration of other investigative methods.
Emergency Support
Function (ESF) #6: How Do Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services Relate to the
Work of NDMS and ESF #8 Public Health and Medical Services?
Speakers: Dan Dodgen, Ph.D.
Carol Hall
CAPT Clare Helminiak, M.D.
Following the experiences with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it was evident that better coordination was needed between the operations of NDMS and the American Red Cross under Emergency Support Function #6 (Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services) and Emergency Support Function #8 (Health and Medical Services). This program explored the current concept of operations for each, as well as the outstanding challenges towards collaborating among them. The American Red Cross addressed its role for coordinating mass care under ESF #6 and its support for ESF #8. There was also a discussion on how NDMS can and will be utilized by ESFs #6 and #8.
Using NDMS/ESF
#8/NRP in Response to a Major Earthquake
Speakers: LCDR Timothy Davis, M.D., M.P.H.
Ann Norwood, M.D.
Jeffrey Rubin
Doug Sandy
This presentation
was a panel discussion on patient evacuation and movement in response to a
major earthquake. The roles and responsibilities of NDMS, HHS, DOD, and the VA
were explained, including coordination of information, deployment of personnel,
disclosure of transportation/flight plans, and identification of staging areas
for the evacuated people who are enroute to designated treatment facilities.
The involvement of other primary and support agencies within the National
Response Plan, including the effected State as a customer of these response
services, was addressed.
Building a Portable Morgue for Your
Municipality
Speaker: Larry Bedore, Region IV Member
This session
explored the opportunity to create a portable morgue unit. The Office of the
Chief Medical Examiner in
Field Hazards for
Response Teams
Speakers: Michael Olinger, M.D.
Dean Tillis, P.E.
The field
environment presents specific hazards to response teams, regardless of the type
of hazard impact. Environmental as well as health hazards (PPE and food safety)
were discussed in the context of response team deployment. In addition,
specific material, related to structural collapse, was presented to allow the
response team members to “size up” an impacted structure for its potential
hazards. Team design was described, including rescue squad, structural
engineers, communications, equipment, and medical components. This presentation
reviewed the lessons learned regarding common threats to responder’s health and
welfare from actual Urban Search and Recovery (US & R) responses to several
national disasters.
Pandemic Flu Mass
Fatality Planning
Speaker: Barry McLellan, M.D.
This session
detailed Mass Fatality Planning in the event of a Pandemic event in
Fatality
Management: Working Towards Best Practice
Speakers: Larry Bedore, Region IV
Member
Ann Norwood, M.D.
A work group of
local, state, and federal experts in Mass Fatalities and law enforcement
investigation operations have been revising the DHS Target Capability Lists
(TCL) for Fatality Management and Law Enforcement Investigations, including the
Family Assistance Center, missing persons operations, and ante mortem data
collection. Members are also working on an annex to the National Response Plan
to improve preparedness and response activities for all incidents. The
presentation updated participants on progress and solicited input to the progress.
The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) can be accessed
via http://hseep.dhs.gov
The Morgue at
Speaker: CMDR
Craig Mallak, M.D.
This presentation
focused on the New Morgue Facility at the Dover Air Base. Items of interest
included the state-of-the-art equipment within the facility and the attention
to detail maintained by all of the staff. The care and handling of the deceased
is certainly paramount. In the last few years, all the war dead from
DMORT Team Meeting
During the conference, a DMORT Team Meeting was held with representation from all ten DMORT teams, WMD, DPMU, and FACT. Leadership informed the team that DMORT is continuing to adjust to the transition between FEMA and DHHS. A transition team has already met and discussed some of the anticipated issues, which they plan on addressing before the actual transfer occurs.
2007 NDMS CONFERENCE AWARDS CEREMONY
“On
behalf of the partners of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), the
Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Department of
Health and Human Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, I wish to
extend our sincere appreciation to all of you for your outstanding dedication
and hard work during the extraordinary events that have taken place during the
last year. Through you, we are able to fulfill our mission to serve our
Nation’s citizens in times of extraordinary need. I look forward to our
continued partnership as we face whatever challenges lie ahead.”
Jack
W. Beall
Director
National Disaster Medical System
CONGRATULATIONS
The 2007 NDMS
Conference Awards Ceremony was held in
2006 NDMS Response Team Distinguished Member of the Year Award:
