U . S . medical response to help tens of thousands of Haitians injured during the earthquake , the DMORTs assembled in a camp on the grounds of the Port-au-Prince Airport to carry out the grim task of recovering , identifying and repatriating the remains of U . S . citizens killed in the quake . This small , isolated , noisy tent village parallel to the main runway of the airport would be our home for the next two weeks by rotation . The constant , around the clock takeoffs and approaches from that runway were akin to an interminable international parade of military and rescue aircraft from around the world . The camp was staffed by a highly specialized conglomeration of personnel , not only from DMORT , but also the 111 th squad of Army Mortuary Affairs soldiers from Dover , DE , a contingent of the 82 nd Airborne defense providing our protection , a DMAT strike team who looked
The author explains the digital dental forensic identification system in the DPMU to Dr . Kevin Yeskey , Director of the Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response , Department of Health and Human Services .
DMORT Haiti base camp was a completely portable and self-sustainable operation , consisting of sleeping tents , the Disaster Portable Morgue Unit ( DPMU ), command tent , computer and communications networking and electric generators to power it all .
after our medical needs and a squad of support officers from the Logistic Response Assistance Team ( LRAT ) who set up and ran the physical camp . In addition to this camp , our mission was supported by the Incident Response Coordination Team ( IRCT ) on the grounds of the U . S . Embassy in Port au Prince , who coordinated our efforts between the Department of Health & Human Services ( HHS ), the Department of State ( DoS ) and the Department of Defense ( DoD ). This interagency effort was a first of its kind , which was applauded as a model of cooperation by many officials at the highest levels of our government .
Immediately following the quake , all commercial air traffic to Haiti was halted , so travelling to and from the island nation was a challenge for all of the international relief workers . NDMS was fortunate to be able to contract with the Centers for Disease Control to appropriate their privately chartered 747 jet . We left Atlanta in freezing temperatures and snow on the ground to arrive in Haiti a few hours later in bright sunshine , 90 + degree heat and high humidity .
Needless to say , this presented some challenges for all of the team members . One of the necessary factors in being chosen for this mission was vigorous physical health due to the austere and extreme climatic conditions to be encountered . Daily precautions were taken to ensure that we did not become casualties ourselves . A four-member DMAT team was assigned to our camp . These emergency medical professionals monitored our vital signs several times per day and kept track of our hydration status by constantly encouraging the intake of water and electrolyte solution . It was not uncommon to drink ( and eliminate ) up to two gallons per person of fluid every day . They were also kept busy attending to insect bites , allergic reactions , overexpo-
Required PPE in the DPMU consisted of full Tyvek suits , cap , mask , eyewear , and gloves . Pictured ( left to right ) Dr . Robert Absalom , Jennifer Sosebee ( dental assistant from DMORT Region IV ) and the author .
38 November / December 2010 • Pennsylvania Dental Journal