State of Ohio recognizes Ohio
DMATs as part of EMS Week Kickoff:

From the State of Ohio Dept of Public Safety Web site:

Date Released: May 15, 2002

COLUMBUS, OH (May 15, 2002) – In honor of National Emergency Medical Services Week (May 19-25), and its new patriotic Proud to Serve theme, Lt. Governor Maureen O’Connor and the State EMS Board recognized 2002 Olympic Silver Medallist LeeAnn Parsley and Ohio’s three Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) today.

"LeeAnn was chosen because she serves as a symbol of pride and public service", said Lt. Governor Maureen O’Connor, Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. "She chose to be a firefighter and EMT as well as represent her country in the 2002 Olympics. We want to recognize LeeAnn for her commitment to her community locally and nationally."

Along with her role as a 2002 Olympic silver medallist for the U.S. Skeleton Team, LeeAnn is a firefighter and EMT at both the Granville Fire Department and Plain Township Fire Department.

The following three Ohio Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) and their sponsors will also be recognized:

OH-1 DMAT- Toledo /Sponsor is the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo

OH-5 DMAT-Dayton/ Sponsor is the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association

OH-6 DMAT- Youngstown/ Sponsor is Humility of Mary Health Partners, St. Elizabeth Health Center

"In Ohio we have three DMAT teams, all of which had members deployed during the 9-11 tragedy", said Mark Resanovich, State EMS Board chair. " These are all individuals who have other jobs, but provide emergency medical care during federally declared disasters. They are proud to serve and should be recognized."

The Ohio DMAT Teams are a part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), through the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). A DMAT team is a group of professional and paraprofessional medical personnel designed to provide emergency medical care during a disaster or other event.

Each team has a sponsoring organization, such as a major medical center, public health or safety agency, non-profit or private organization that signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the PHS. The DMAT sponsor organizes the team and recruits members, arranges training, and coordinates the dispatch of the team.

National EMS Week honors the lifesaving care EMS providers offer nationwide, 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week. It focuses on the tremendous calling EMS providers have to serve their communities, and the myriad ways they educate, protect, and improve our lives. EMS Week is a great opportunity to recognize the contributions of the past, and to build upon them for the future.

There are approximately 750,000 EMS providers nationwide who deliver lifesaving emergency care. Ohio has over 36,000 active EMTs at all levels that include First Responder, Basic, Intermediate and Paramedic.

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