Domestic Preparedness’ John Morton met with Jack Beall, Director, National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). The director of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) briefs the state-of-play in NDMS components. Citing the response to Hurricane Katrina as the largest deployment ever of NDMS assets, he draws parallels between NDMS and National Guard activations.
DMAT-101, Beall’s brief on Disaster Medical Assistance Teams
The federalization of DMAT teams; their responsibilities in mass-casualty events.
DMATs and Emergency Support Function #8 (ESF-8)
The pre-staging coordination and management of DMATs; equipment; increasing the self-sustaining mode from 72 hours to 120 hours.
DMATs Now Federally Sponsored
DMATs are no longer sponsored by local organizations but are now sponsored by the federal government and activated by NDMS.
Other NDMS Elements
Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORTs), Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMATs), National Nursing Response Teams (NNRTs), etc.
NDMS Inter-Agency Linkages with ESF-8 Partners
Who is responsible for what; patient evacuations and the role of the 62 Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs); the NDMS Noble Training Center in Anniston, AL.
Katrina Overview & Post Event Wrap and the 2006 NDMS Conference in Reno, NV (22-26 April)
How the conference www.ndms.chepinc.org will address lessons from the past year’s response efforts. Advance registration required.
Listen on
Jack W. Beall
Jack W. Beall, current Chief of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Section of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency, has 35 years experience in emergency medical response operations at the Federal, state, and local levels. He is also a Vietnam veteran, having served in the US Navy for 4 years. He spent 24 years in public safety in the fire department, retiring as Chief of the Maryland Aviation Administration Fire-Rescue Service at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. He has worked with NDMS, first at the Office of Emergency Preparedness under the Department of Health and Human Services, in various capacities, since January 1994. At NDMS, he directs and manages response resources, including 104 teams located across the nation, for natural and man-made disasters, as well as National Special Security Events. He has overseen the development, coordination, and implementation of numerous emergency operations and plans, including the federal medical response to the anthrax events in Washington, DC, in late 2001.
