Disaster Medicine

Urban Search & Rescue

Our faculty at work in Nairobi.

The Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine's Disaster Medicine Service is a consultation and training resource to national and international organizations responsible for disaster planning, preparedness and response.

Faculty members from the Reagan Institute are actively involved in the medical training programs for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the United Nations Relief Organization.

Areas of Expertise:

  • Medical Disaster Planning
  • Search and Rescue
  • Collapsed Structure Response
  • Medical consequence management to hazardous material events
  • Medical consequence management to terrorist events
  • Medical preparation for mass gathering events
  • Incident command management
  • Confined space medical training

Selected Accomplishments and Initiatives:

  • Provides FEMA, NDMS, OFDA and others with on-line and off-line assistance in the medical management of disasters
  • Providing Community Emergency Response Team Program Training for the District of Columbia
  • Assists U.S. Customs and the Special Response Teams (SRT)
  • Medical Managers for FEMAs Incident Support Team (IST)
  • Provides emergency response and incident command courses to organizations that include the International Development Bank, Peace Corps and the World Bank
  • Initiated initial Incident Command Center activities for FEMA in response to the attack on the World Trade Center, 2001
  • Involved in the search and rescue efforts at the Pentagon, 2001
  • Medical advisor to the Secretary of State during international travel (1998-2000)
  • Responded to the Izmit, Turkey and Taipei, Taiwan earthquakes, and the U.S. Embassy Bombing in Nairobi with the Foreign Disaster Assistance Urban Search and Rescue Team
  • Responded to the Oklahoma City bombing disaster in 1995
  • Sponsors National Disaster Medicine Fellowship
  • Directs the medical component of the Fairfax County Task Force Search and Rescue Team

Current and former Clients:

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • Office for U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance/USAID
  • United States Public Health Service
  • National Association for Search and Rescue
  • Central United States Earthquake Consortium/CDC
  • SAIC
  • Peace Corps
  • International Development Bank
  • Research Planning Inc.
  • World Bank
  • Unites States Customs
  • Sultanate of Oman
  • Country of Estonia
  • U.S. State Department