The Federal Response Plan tasks the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) under Emergency Support Function #8 (ESF #8) to provide victim identification and mortuary services. These responsibilities include:

• temporary morgue facilities
• victim identification using latent fingerprint, forensic dental, pathology, and forensic anthropology methods
• processing
• preparation
• and disposition of remains

In order to accomplish this mission, NDMS entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the National Foundation for Mortuary Care (NFMC), a nonprofit organization, to develop Disaster Mortuary Teams (DMORTs). DMORTs are composed of private citizens, each with a particular field of expertise, who are activated in the event of a disaster. DMORT members are required to maintain appropriate certifications and licensure within their discipline. When members are activated, licensure and certification is recognized by all States, and the team members are compensated for their duty time by the Federal government as a temporary Federal employee. During an emergency response, DMORTs work under the guidance of local authorities by providing technical assistance and personnel to recover, identify, and process deceased victims.

The DMORTs are directed by the National Disaster Medical System in conjunction with a Regional Coordinator in each of the ten Federal regions. Teams are composed of Funeral Directors, Medical Examiners, Coroners, Pathologists, Forensic Anthropologists, Medical Records Technicians and Transcribers, Finger Print Specialists, Forensic Odontologists, Dental Assistants, X-ray Technicians, Mental Health Specialists, Computer Professionals, Administrative support staff, and Security and Investigative personnel.

The NFMC, in support of the NDMS DMORT program, maintains a Mobile Mortuary Container at Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix, Arizona. The Mobile Mortuary Container is a depository of equipment and supplies for deployment to a disaster site. It contains a complete morgue with designated work stations for each processing element and prepackaged equipment and supplies.

To join a DMORT or for more information, contact the Coordinator in your region.