Mission
Oregon Disaster Medical Team (ODMT) is an independent non-profit 501(c)3 organization of volunteer healthcare professionals who are willing to plan, train and respond to provide relief healthcare services when local, county and mutual aid reserves are inadequate due to a mass casualty incident or disaster event.
The team is configured to respond rapidly within Oregon in the event of disaster. One of the primary missions of ODMT is to address urgent and emergent medical issues in the initial 72 hours of a disaster event, before outside agencies can be of assistance. Experience around the country has shown that pre-designated teams of disaster healthcare providers can respond more effectively to assist overwhelmed local resources.
ODMT is truly a statewide team, with members located throughout Oregon. Because team members will have primary employment and family responsibilities in their home area in the event of disaster, squads from other regions of the state may be activated in combination or sequentially to the affected area. ODMT's goal is to have members throughout the state, to provide comprehensive and rapid response.
History
ODMT was formed in 1999. In 1999, the team was recognized as a federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team in the National Disaster Medical System. The team has approximately 115 core members with a recruitment goal of 125 members over the next year. We are working closely with the Oregon Health Division, state EMS office and our regional federal emergency medical planner.
Team activities have included:
- March 2000 - ODMT members work together with members of the disaster team from Washington to provide austere medical care in rural Haiti.
- July 2000 - ODMT members participated in the medical care of the Subaru Gorge Games.
- September 2000 - Joint training in Olympia, Washington with WA-1 DMAT.
- February 2001 - Two team members in Alaska for the Special Olympics World Winter Games.
- March 2001 - Participation in the California Rough and Ready drill.
- June 2001 - One team member deployed to Houston for Tropical Storm Allison. Other team members on standby.
- July 2001 - Medical support for the Subaru Gorge Games.
- September 2001 - Advisory alert status for East Coast terrorist incidents.
- October 2001 - Haiti medical mission.
- September/October/November 2001 - Team member deployment to New York City.
- February 2002 - Team member medical support during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- May 2002 - Participation in Operation Red Rose exercise.
- July 2002 - Medical support for the Ford Gorge Games.
- July 2002 - Joint training with WA-1 DMAT at the VA Hospital in American Lake, Washington.
- February 2004 - Fire & Ice Winter Drill, Mt. Bachelor, Oregon.
- August/September 2004, Hurricanes Charlie, Frances and Ivan, Florida.
- April 2005 - Rural plague drill - Southern Oregon.
- September 2005 - Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana.
In April 2002, ODMT was reclassified as a Level I DMAT. As a Level I team, ODMT will be provided with a Federal cache of equipment and supplies, and will be prepared to respond to any disasters in the United States within an eight hour time period.
Education
To broaden their experience and expertise in disaster medical response and operations, ODMT members may elect to respond nationally through the National Disaster Medical System. NDMS will assist us with some conferences and training as a federal member team. ODMT will provide other opportunities for education and experience in disaster medical care. We plan an educational component to our regular meetings and e-mail newsletter.