GMR Mobilizes as Tropical Storm Ian Gains Strength
9.24.2022
GMR has activated its National Command Center in the Dallas area. As part of AMR's FEMA contract, GMR is deploying emergency medical teams and ground medical transportation assets to help Florida communities ahead of Ian’s landfall.
(LEWISVILLE, Tx) — Global Medical Response (GMR) has deployed first responders, incident management teams, ambulances and paratransit vehicles to Florida as Tropical Storm Ian continues to gain strength in the central Caribbean. This mobilization is in response to the federal government's request to American Medical Response (AMR) for EMS aid as part of its contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). AMR is GMR’s primary ground business.
“We have been monitoring the progress and development of this tropical storm, and all forecasts are predicting that it could develop into a major hurricane by Sunday evening,” said Randy Owen, Chief Executive Officer of Global Medical Response. “GMR teams and partnering EMS agencies from around the country are mobilizing in preparation for this storm to make landfall in Florida next week.”
Requests for aid typically occur 24-48 hours ahead of a storm's forecasted landfall because of the time-sensitive operations that must take place from regional and state healthcare facilities. Upon arrival in Florida, GMR teams will complete various missions, including patient evacuations and transfers. All deployed teams are continuously monitored and dispatched via GMR’s National Command Center (NATCOM), located in Lewisville.
"Our teams are on a 7-day activation for this storm, but as the situation evolves in Florida, that timeframe can change,” said Ted Van Horne, Chief Operating Officer for Global Medical Response. “These first responders will remain mobilized in affected communities for as long as they are needed. When they arrive at their assigned response areas, they will be working under the guidance of FEMA.”
“We have been monitoring the progress and development of this tropical storm, and all forecasts are predicting that it could develop into a major hurricane by Sunday evening,” said Randy Owen, Chief Executive Officer of Global Medical Response. “GMR teams and partnering EMS agencies from around the country are mobilizing in preparation for this storm to make landfall in Florida next week.”
Requests for aid typically occur 24-48 hours ahead of a storm's forecasted landfall because of the time-sensitive operations that must take place from regional and state healthcare facilities. Upon arrival in Florida, GMR teams will complete various missions, including patient evacuations and transfers. All deployed teams are continuously monitored and dispatched via GMR’s National Command Center (NATCOM), located in Lewisville.
"Our teams are on a 7-day activation for this storm, but as the situation evolves in Florida, that timeframe can change,” said Ted Van Horne, Chief Operating Officer for Global Medical Response. “These first responders will remain mobilized in affected communities for as long as they are needed. When they arrive at their assigned response areas, they will be working under the guidance of FEMA.”
As the nation's largest provider of ground medical transportation and FEMA's prime emergency medical service response provider, AMR has a national agreement with FEMA to provide ground ambulance, air ambulance, paratransit services and non-ambulance EMS personnel to supplement the Federal and Military response to a disaster, an act of terrorism or any other public health emergency.
