URBAN SEARCH & RESCUE SECTION MEMORANDUM FOR: FROM: National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Task Force Leaders / Program Managers Mike Tamillow US&R Section Chief DATE: 14 September 2005 RE: US&R Program Directive - 2005-021 Hurricane Katrina Post-Mission Medical Screening ISSUE STATEMENT The Blue IST in Metairie, Louisiana, was requested to provide an assessment of the environment that US&R task force personnel operated in during Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Ken Miller and Dr. Mike Olinger, the Blue IST Medical Unit Leaders, performed an assessment and developed specific medical screening recommendations. The overall assessment was also coordinated with the White IST in Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi. Dr. Ken Miller has submitted the following health screening recommendations, and a missionspecific health questionnaire to be administered at the time of demobilization at the home base. Those Task Force members re-deploying may benefit from completing the questionnaire after each deployment but have the medical evaluation after the final deployment. Post-mission medical screening for any personnel deployed to and operated in the Louisiana or Mississippi operational areas is a fully reimbursable cost related to the deployment.
Page Two REQUIRED ACTIONS Sponsoring agencies should schedule and conduct post-mission medical screenings on all task force members who deployed to Hurricane Katrina. Please refer to US&R Program Directive 2005-008, dated 31 January 2005, for general medical screening requirements. In addition, Dr. Miller provided several additional recommendations as listed on the next page. Post-mission medical screening should be conducted for all personnel who deployed as part of the State of California s swift water rescue teams. The respective California US&R task forces should include these costs in their consolidated post-mission reimbursement. US&R task force members are also requested to complete and submit the attached Post- Deployment Health Screening Questionnaire and mail back to the UC Irvine, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the identified address. APPROVAL Issue is approved for Program implementation: Signed: Mike Tamillow / US&R Section Chief 14 September 2005 Date Implementation Date: 14 September 2005 Completion Date: 15 November 2005
Page Three US&R Water Rescue Response Hurricane Katrina-New Orleans US&R Task Force and Swift Water Rescue Team Demobilization Order Post-Deployment Health Screening Recommendations Ken Miller MD PhD FEMA US&R IST Medical Unit Leader Scheduled post-deployment physical exam with attention to respiratory, gastrointestinal and skin exam. Post-deployment mission risk profile health screening questionnaire (attached) completed prior to post-deployment physical exam. Laboratory evaluation (spirometry, vision, audiometry, blood and urine) as defined in the FEMA US&R Program Health Screening Policy (FEMA US&R Medical Working Group Recommendation 04-06 and 05-08) or as determined by the examining physician. Freeze and save urine sample for six months (pending floodwater chemical hazard characterization). Laboratory evaluation specific to any symptoms present prior to, at the time of or after the post-deployment physical examination. Post-deployment health screening should be directed to include all task forces and swift water rescue teams already demobilized from the Hurricane Katrina-New Orleans mission.
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