FLORIDA (WAND) – Hurricane Michael relief efforts involve a paramedic who traveled to Florida as part of an emergency response team.
Trevor Smith, a man from Mt. Zion, is part of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), which is a division of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) organized help for the areas that took heavy damage from the hurricane in Florida.
“ASPR moved about 400 medical and public health personnel, along with their caches of medical equipment, into impacted areas,” NDMS Acting Director Ron Miller said. “Most of our DMAT personnel are augmenting medical care at overwhelmed emergency departments in the Florida Panhandle. Other medical personnel are coordinating with Urban Search and Rescue teams to triage people rescued or are providing basic medical care for evacuees at shelters.
NDMS leaders say they will continue to help in Florida as long as the state needs them. Teams sent to the area have helped more than 1,300 patients as of Wednesday.
The government sent NDMS workers from across the country to Florida in the aftermath of the storm. In total, the NDMS organization includes about 5,000 professionals who can assist people and pets. They’re organized into over 70 response teams.
NBC Miami reports Hurricane Michael killed at least 16 people in Florida and another 10 or more in other parts of the southern U.S.
