As Hurricane Sandy makes its way up the East Coast, local responders are heading that way too. DMAT-1 TN, the Disaster Medical Assistance Team based here in Chattanooga-Hamilton County, has been activated and is deploying today.
DMAT-1 TN Commander Ted Rogers said the team will be staging in Maryland and will be ready to be dispatched anywhere in the Northeast after the storm makes its way through the region.
This 50-person DMAT team is comprised of local healthcare professionals and support personnel, and is equipped with supplies and related items to make them self-sufficient in the event it is deployed in a devastated area that has no power and other basic necessities.
This team has responded to several large-scale disasters in the past, including Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti.