EDITORS: SHEILA HALL AND TERRY SWANSON
February 2007
LESLIE EISENBERG
IS THE REGION V
2006 DISTINGUISHED MEMBER/VOLUNTEER
OF THE YEAR
Congratulations Leslie!!!
Congratulations also to everyone nominated (in alphabetical order):
Rodney Brown
Joyce DeJong
Sheila Hall
Mark Haskins
Gabe Hensley
Jan Simons
Terry Swanson
Region V and DMORT itself are fortunate to have these people and the rest of you as team members!
Please join Region V
at the 2007 NDMS Annual Conference in
For more information
on Dr. Leslie Eisenberg, you may refer to the October 2006 edition of the
“Voice of V.”
NDMS JOINS THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Welcome Home, NDMS!
Effective on January 2007, NDMS officially moved from DHS/FEMA to the
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Welcome Home!
New NDMS Public and Team Member Websites
Visit the new NDMS Public website located at http://ndms.hhs.gov and watch for
additional content on this site in the near future. The NDMS Team Member
website will remain at http://teams.fema.gov
until further notice.
Frequently Asked Questions about the DHHS Travel Card
1. Is it mandatory for all employees to submit a charge card
application?
YES. It is a DHHS condition of employment and requirement by NDMS that
all personnel apply for the US Bank Travel Card.
2. Can I use my personal charge card?
NO.
3. Where can I get the complete terms of the credit agreement disclosure
between US BANK and myself?
The US Bank Card Holder Agreement is now posted on the NDMS website,
NDMS-DHHS transition tab, or search “IBA.”
4. What if my credit isn’t good enough for my application to be
approved?
According to DHHS, there will be a contingent plan for those who cannot obtain a government charge card. This plan is still being developed.
5. On the application, it asks for a supervisor’s signature. Who should
sign?
Please leave this blank. Supervisor signatures will be obtained from
headquarters.
6. The fax cover sheet asks for my position. What should be
written in that space?
The position should reflect the team member’s title, listed in the NDMS
database.
7. When do I receive my pin number to obtain cash advances?
You will not receive a pin
number, as cash advances are not authorized.
8. Who should I contact if my name is spelled wrong on the card when
received?
Contact elizabeth.reyes@hhs.gov or tammy.melerine@hhs.gov.
9. Can I pay my bill online?
Yes. Go to the US Bank website and create an account. This will enable
you to access your account and view your statement online. The electronic
payment feature will not be introduced until March 2007.
10. What do I do with my old Citibank card when it gets deactivated?
Citibank cards WERE deactivated on Dec 31, 2006. Please cut the card in
half and destroy it.
11. I don’t have a password for the NDMS website. Who do I contact?
Call John Wootten at 202-646-3283.
12. Notify your administrative officer upon receipt of the bankcard.
Licenses
Many professional licenses expired at the end of December 2006.
Mail, fax, or email your updated license to your administrative officer.
Fingerprint and Security Clearance
If you have sent in your fingerprint cards and security packets, and you
are awaiting notification of clearance, DHHS has announced that they will
not be accepting these fingerprint cards or security packets. This
process will need to be done again. A schedule will be sent out to the
team, regarding when and where fingerprints, security packets, and
identification photographs will be conducted. This process can also be
completed at the 2007 NDMS Conference in
TRAINING
ISSUES
JAN SIMONS
Training Officer
We have been informed by NDMS that the National DMORT training session
will be postponed until 2008 due to the transition to DHHS. The Region V
officers have been concerned about this possibility since December 7 and we
have been reviewing the alternatives for our 2007 DMORT Region V
training. As soon as we have a confirmed date and location for this
training, we will pass the information on to you. Although this
transition has presented some challenges, we remain excited for our
future. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
2007 NDMS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The 2007 NDMS Annual Conference will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention
Center in Nashville, Tennessee on
BURIAL OF THE UNKNOWN DEAD IN
Submitted by O.J. Fawcett
I read the following letter in the “Readers’ Forum” in the November 2006 issue of Mortuary Management. Perhaps other members of our Region V Team (as well as other regions) who were deployed to Katrina East would like to know of the final disposition of the two unidentified victims of Katrina.
I have obtained permission to rewrite this letter from Mortuary Management as well as from Mr. Harvey.
In his email,
Mr. Harvey commended the efforts of the DMORT Team. He also mentioned
that he helped out the Bradford O’Keefe Funeral home for two weeks after Katrina
doing embalming, removals, etc. He said that it was tough doing the work
under only the light of one 60-watt bulb, as that was all they had when the
generator ran the embalming machine. They even did some embalming by the
old gravity method and no aspiration, as there was no water pressure.
On a hot summer afternoon in
Bill Harvey, Director
Funeral Service Technology
A LETTER FROM BILL CRAWSHAW
To: My DMORT V Family
From: William L. (Bill) Crawshaw (Mortuary Officer)
After much thought and yes prayer, I asked the NDMS
leadership to consider my request for placement on the NDMS 1 MST (Management
Support Team). On
Looking back over the past ten or so years, I can truly say that Region V DMORT has some of the most talented and dedicated people in the DMORT system. The training and respect we received from our leadership and your willingness to do what was needed to complete the mission was always there. In times of hardship, the love, kindness, and support you also gave to your fellow team members was a beacon of light to other NDMS teams that each of you were proud to be a part of DMORT V.
Finally, I want to thank each of you for the kindness you have always given to my wife Ceil. We both made many new friends during the DMORT operations in 2005 and 2006. Ceil and I retired on January 1st, so I will now be available for any future NDMS operations. Our Motor Home will always be home to you if and when you ever need it. Ceil and I look forward to seeing each of you again.
God Bless,
Bill & Ceil
BILL AND CEIL, THE DMORT REGION V TEAM WILL MISS YOU!
EDITORS’
NOTE:
The staff of the
“Voice of V” needs your help in developing articles of interest and relevance
to Region V. Please submit anything that you think would be appropriate to our
editors at:
Sheila Hall: halls @infantwelfare.org
Terry Swanson:
robertaswanson@msn.com
