National Disaster Medical System Activation
Hurricane Rita
National Guard Armory at RDU Airport

Earlier this month, local resources were activated several times to support the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) in preparation for evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, but they never arrived. This time, when the calls went out shortly before 2am on Saturday 9/24, we were told the plane was on its way with patients who were being evacuated from Texas ahead of Hurricane Rita.

A crew of Apex firefighters joined other Wake county firefighters, EMS units from several counties, Wake County Emergency Management officials, medical staff from some of our local hospitals, and the Red Cross in the wee hours of the morning for the now-familiar drill of preparing for an influx of patients who would be transferred to hospitals and shelters in this area.

After having had a few dress rehearsals earlier this month, the operation went quite smoothly. Personnel were given their assignments and everything was ready by the time the first patients arrived on a Coast Guard C130 around 4:30am. They were transported by ambulances and buses to the National Guard Armory which had been converted into a triage center. There, medical staff determined which patients were in need of hospital care, and our firefighters assisted EMS units with loading them into the ambulances for transport.

We soon received word that a second plane was on its way, with even more patients on board than the first. It arrived around 9am, and we went through the same process again. Around 11:30a, the last patients had been sent on their way and we headed back to Apex.

MANY THANKS to Barry Doyle and Barry's Cafe who supplied breakfast to all of the emergency workers! After a long sleepless night, personnel made quick work of the piping hot ham and sausage biscuits!

NOTE: Just a few weeks prior, the NDMS was activated in response to Hurricane Katrina, when it was thought that we would receive planeloads of evacuees from New Orleans. Click HERE to read about that event.

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Chad Edmunds, Stephen Cox and I were assigned to the "Outbound" division, where we would assist with patients being sent out to area hospitals. Here they set up the check-out area where they logged patient information, which EMS unit transported and the destination hospital as we rolled the stretchers out the door.	In front of the armory, cones were set up where up to three ambulances at a time could back in to load patients.	Stephen and Chad shoot the breeze while waiting for the first plane to arrive
The armory was converted into a triage center	News reporter Emily Lopez (WTVD) got a close-up look at the operation	The manpower staging area was located just outside the fire station
A flurry of activity once we got word that the first plane had landed	Staff from Rex assess the first patient	There was a steady stream of ambulances called up from Staging to the Outbound area as patients were assigned to hospitals
Barry Doyle, owner of Barrys' Cafe, was probably the most welcome sight shortly after 7am as he brought a truckload of breakfast for everyone	Firefighters were happy to assist with this unloading operation!	Barry is a dedicated supporter of the emergency services
Barry won the popularity contest this morning!	Wake County EMS Director Skip Kirkwood was the Incident Commander for this operation. He gives emergency workers a briefing before the second plane arrives.
		The various modes of local transporation
The news media had their own area to set up in	Reporters filmed their broadcasts from near the guard house	Outbound area in front of the armory where patients were loaded for transport
The Red Cross kept the food and coffee coming	Many who had been up throughout the night preparing for the first planeload took advantage of some down-time before the second plane arrived	Morrisville firefighters await their next assignment
All personnel had to check in with the accountability officer upon arrival	Riding in style!	Great poster!
Jeff Maynard, Pete Cirasole and Scott Pearson arrived for shift change. The fashionable one-size-fits-all vests that they distributed were definitely NOT designed for little people!	The Outbound station stayed busy throughout the operation as ambulances constantly cycled in and out	Pete assists paramedic Deborah Stein (Cary EMS) with retrieving the next patient
Most of these patients had been evacuated from hospitals and nursing homes. Along with them came all of their accessories.	Duke Life Flight and Wake Med units load up	Scott Pearson (center, wearing vest) prepares the stretcher for a patient
Some EMS units came quite a distance to help out. Organizers tried to send them back to hospitals close to their home base. This Guilford EMS unit transported a patient to Moses Cone hospital in Greensboro.		Those individuals not requiring hospital care were transported by bus to area shelters.
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Copyright 2005 NCFirewolf