State health officials recently announced that over 300 medical professionals and first responders specializing in disaster preparedness will be in Connecticut this week for the first official training at the state’s newly dedicated New England Disaster Training Center. The training is taking place July 25-31, 2010 at the Bradley Air National Guard Base in East Granby.
The training includes over 300 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) members from across the country, and is held in coordination with personnel from the Connecticut Military Department, Connecticut Department of Public Health, Connecticut Fire Academy, Hartford Hospital, and New England Disaster Training Center. Training focuses on the DMAT mission and providing clinical care under austere conditions.
DMAT is a group of medical professionals and support personnel with the ability to quickly move into a disaster area and provide medical and public health care. Under the control of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, DMATs can rapidly deploy for any type of disaster that requires an immediate medical response.
The New England Disaster Training Center is designed to integrate the training civilian and military medical and disaster response personnel. The facility provides one-of-a-kind hands-on training scenarios including an engineered hospital training pad, rubble pile, trench rescue simulation, dog training area, bracing, blocking and shoring areas, and classroom and storage space.
The National Disaster Medical System, part of the federal Department of Health & Human Services, is conducting the training and selected Connecticut as the host site for its Eastern Regional Field Training Exercise. The NDMS is charged with management and deployment of an integrated national medical response in the event of a disaster.
