Individuals will work in hospitals helping track and expedite patient evacuations. Staff will coordinate medical transport staff and assets with hospital evacuation staff. Additional responsibilities may include acting as a liaison between hospital administration and R-S-I staff in the Emergency Operations Center(s) (EOC) of the Hospitals. Ability to deploy quickly is required for this position. Typically, work span is no more than two days on the ground.
Application Form
Q: Will I be administering medical treatments, i.e. giving patient care?
A: No, you will be managing the patient movement. You will be working with the hospital staff to identify patients and any special considerations needed for transporting the patients and moving that information to the R-S-I Incident management Team (IMT).
Q: What about housing/billeting?
A: You will either have a hotel room or be at the hospital. All hospitals are prepared to make accommodations for our staff. They will be treating you as one of their own employees.
Q: How will I know what information the EOC needs?
A: You will be given forms that have specific questions to identify the needs of the patients being transported.
Q: Do I need to be medically certified to be a hospital liaison?
A: No certifications or licenses are needed, just good communication and documentations skills. This position’s responsibility is to move information and be on site to represent Response Systems.
R-S-I manages a minimum of five (5) missions with venues in 4-14 locations. Tactical Operations Center (TOC) personnel will be charged with coordinating EMS assets and documenting the process including all communications. Ambulance Processing Site workers will inspect ambulances and verify credentials of ambulance staff. Transportation Triage personnel will work in teams to screen evacuees in route to shelters. Medic Pool is the “Wild Card” group; this pool is made up of paramedics and EMTs. They can be placed anywhere in the State and assigned to any number of medical mission types. This group will be deployed by the State Health Officer as needed. R-S-I also provides assistance and support to EMS – Designated Regional Coordinators (DRCs). These individuals will work individually or in small teams to mirror the DRC in their function with an emphasis on utilization of forms for strict data collection of all EMS transports and data pertinent to evacuation status. The workplace can be highly mobile, managing large areas or regions that may include multiple jurisdictions. Staff will be slotted to many different positions according to their experience.
Application Form
Q: What is the EMS Management Mission?
A: R-S-I has been contracted to assist in the coordination of EMS activities for a pre-event such as a hurricane. R-S-I staff will support and help coordinate activities in 5 major areas of EMS.
Tactical Operations Center (TOC) – The TOC acts as the coordination center for all State allocated EMS resources such as FEMA ambulances, EMAC ambulances, and other contracted EMS units.
Ambulance Processing Site – R-S-I staff will assist with coordination of a State check-in, inspection, and processing site for all EMS assets. This site is expected to process as many as 400 ambulances.
EMS-Designated Regional Coordinator (DRC) Support – R-S-I staff will deploy to regions within the state to assist the DRC with coordination and documentation regarding state EMS assets and resources.
Transportation Triage – R-S-I staff will supply teams of Paramedics and EMTs to help screen evacuation buses for medically unstable patients that need to be removed and further evaluated.
Medic Pool – This team of paramedics and EMTs may be assigned anywhere in the state, may be multiple teams and be assigned to any medical mission identified by the State Health Officer (SHO)
Q: What would I be doing?
A: R-S-I is responsible for supplying strike team workers for 5 different missions; at 3 venues (TOC/APS/TT), supporting 9 Designated Regional EMS Coordinators as they manage their evacuation missions, and Medic/EMT teams as assigned by the SHO. We align Strike Team members with best suited roles. Based upon your skill set, you may be authorized to work in more than one position. You may also start work in one position and be moved to another if there is a need for your experience and expertise. The environment is fluid and team members should be prepared to remain flexible and move if necessary. Once your application has been evaluated, specific information will be provided regarding the position we feel you may be best suited for.
Individuals will be placed in established medical special needs shelters to provide medical care and support functions. Deployment of 5-7 days; is required. Team members may be deployed longer if available and may qualify for bonus pay. R-S-I shelter team staff will care for individuals placed in state supported medical special needs shelters. Patients are typically stable with an assortment of chronic disease conditions. Specific orientation and training will be provided to qualified applicants. Qualified candidates must have current unencumbered licenses and/or certifications.
Application Form
Q: Who carries insurance for this mission?
A: R-S-I will carry both Work Comp and Professional Liability Insurance on all medical personnel. A copy of the policy can be provided upon request.
Q: Who will assure we have the supplies we need?
A: The client has a logistics plan in place and will manage all needed supplies.
Q: Are we being deployed before or after the storm?
A: R-S-I is generally deployed before the storm, but not until we are activated by the client. We will not know for sure. The contract is for any time and any disaster, but the general assumptions are for hurricanes and deployment post-storm.
Q: How large of a team is being deployed?
A: A full team is comprised of 99 people ranging from physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, nurse assistants, and administrative/clerical support. Multiple teams may be in operation at several locations.
Q: Can I stay longer than seven days?
A: Yes, if needed. A bonus may be paid for those that are deployed for 14 days or the duration of the mission if it extends over 7 days. We are planning for an average 7-day deployment, but the shelter may need to remain opened and staffed longer depending upon the impact of the incident.
Q: What types of patients will be in the shelters?
A: The population of patients will generally be a low to mid level of acuity. Most of the patients are individuals with chronic illnesses that need medical support because they have been displaced from their home.