NORWICH - Jason Gray, a local paramedic and firefighter from Norwich, helped patients affected by Hurricane Matthew as part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). Gray serves as a member of an NDMS Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

The NDMS is a federal program that can support communities with medical care, veterinary care, and mortuary assistance during disasters or public health emergencies. NDMS is among the resources made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

“Like every disaster, Hurricane Matthew carries the potential to impact, particularly with the extensive power outages and flooding that resulted, and NDMS members are answering the call of duty to help affected residents,” said Ron Miller, acting director of NDMS. “When a state requests our assistance, we will gladly be there to serve until the last patient leaves our care.”

As part of the health response to Hurricane Matthew, members of the NDMS team on which Gray serves provided medical support to a hospital in Brevard County, Florida. Leading up to the storm, more than 1,000 NDMS personnel from the NDMS, the U.S. Public Health Service’s Commissioned Corps and ASPR were pre-positioned or on alert to assist communities affected by the hurricane.

NDMS teams consist of physicians, nurses, veterinary staff, paramedics, fatality management professionals, and experienced command and control staff. When an emergency overwhelms local and state resources, ASPR looks to the expertise within NDMS teams and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps from across the country to assist in the response.