NDMS teams train for disaster response at the CDP

The Center for Domestic Preparedness recently hosted training for more than 60 medical professionals from the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Disaster Medical System (NDMS).

The training is the result of an agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services to prepare NDMS teams to deploy in the event of a natural or manmade disaster.

The doctors, nurses and other medical professionals took part in Disaster Management Assistance Teams (DMAT) Fundamentals, Incident Management Team Operations and NDMS Basics classes. The DMAT Fundamentals students also participated in an Integrated Capstone Event (ICE) alongside healthcare first responders who were completing CDP courses.

An ICE is a comprehensive exercise at the end of a training week where students from multiple courses and disciplines work together to respond to simulated incidents patterned after real-world events.

The NDMS augments the federal government’s response to disasters in support of state and local authorities. When the team members aren’t responding, many of them work normal jobs as physicians, registered nurses, dentists, paramedics, and other medical and support professionals.

The CDP provides classrooms, field training space, and food and lodging for the NDMS teams.

This partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services has resulted in nearly 2,500 NDMS responders being trained at the CDP in the past decade.

To learn more about the Center for Domestic Preparedness, visit http://cdp.dhs.gov. For more information about the NDMS, visit https://aspr.hhs.gov/NDMS.