Organization
For organizational purposes, the country is divided into ten regions, each with a Regional Coordinator. For the duration of their service, DMORT members work under the local authorities of the disaster site and their professional licenses are recognized by all states.
DMORT Teams:
- REGION I (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI)
- REGION II (NY, NJ, PR, VI)
- REGION III (PA, MD, DC, DE, VA, WV)
- REGION IV (AL, KY, TN, NC, SC, GA, MS, FL)
- REGION V (MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH)
- REGION VI (NM, TX, OK, AR, LA)
- REGION VII (NE, IA, KS, MO)
- REGION VIII (MT, ND, SD, WY, UT, CO)
- REGION IX (AZ, NV, CA, HI)
- REGION X (WA, AK, OR, ID)
DMORTs are organized under the Department of Health and Human Services National Disaster Medical System. The DMORTs are composed of civilian funeral directors, medical examiners, coroners, pathologists, forensic anthropologists, fingerprint specialists, forensic odontologists, dental assistants, and radiographers. They are supported by medical records technicians and transcribers, mental health specialists, computer professionals, administrative support staff, and security and investigative personnel. When a DMORT is activated, the personnel on the team are treated and paid as a temporary Federal employee.
The Department of Health and Human Services maintains three Disaster Portable Morgue Units (DPMU) which are staged at HHS Logistics Centers, one each in Frederick, Maryland, Fort Worth, Texas, and San Jose, California. Each DPMU is a cache of equipment and supplies for a complete morgue with designated workstations for each process the DMORT team is required to complete.
Read more about this topic: Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team
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