Event
September 4 to September 11 deployment to Hurricane Frances in Florida.

Members Involved
A full OH-5 DMAT team. Three members also were assigned to the JMT.

Activity History
During the last part of our late August deployment in response to the Republican National Convention, the team was notified it was needed for a deployment in response to Hurricane Frances.  We accepted the mission replacing only two of our team members who could not extend their deployment with the team. Following the close of the convention, the team boarded their trusty bus and headed south, down I-95. This started the Ohio 5 teams first full team medical deployment. The team stopped that first night in Greenville, NC to give us a travel break. The next day the trip was continued on to Atlanta.


Here the team is gathered for the trip from the RNC mission to Florida via Greenville and Atlanta. Behind us is the trusty bus that took us from Dayton to the RNC and then on to Atlanta.


Yes, it was a very long trip, some 3500 miles from the time we left home for the RNC deployment  until we departed by air from Atlanta.


Attitude adjustment from our mental health specialist?


Many long lines of  tree trimmer and electric repair crews were seen going our way.


Atlanta at last. Olympic Park children playing. One of many scenes that greeted us.


Yes, after a week on the RNC mission, we did have to do some personal chores on our off time.


This was an "on-duty" briefing just before we departed Atlanta for the Kissimmee region.


The teams new vehicles line up to depart for Port St. Lucie Florida, our assigned medical mission. 


Storm damage along Route 1.


More typical damage.


Although not a lot of buildings collapsed as a result of the storm, many homes had internal water damage due roof failures such as seen above.


Part of the 230 plus refugees from the storm that we cared for. About 100 had medical issues, the rest just needed a place to lay down.


Our makeshift Pharmacy served the team well.


Evenings would often bring beauty and rain storms.


Our team nurse confers with a newly arriving VA nurse. We transferred patient care to 14 VA nurses on the third day we were in Port St. Lucie. 


Most of our group poses for one last pictures  taken by Lou our FEMA liaison. Some of the team flew home from Orlando while others returned rented vehicles to Atlanta and flew home from there.

We left three of our members behind to continue their work with the Joint Management Team.

 


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