A Unit of the National Disaster Medical System, Office of Preparedness andEmergency Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Primary Area of Coverage: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
The Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team is a volunteer federal team of experienced mass fatality responders. Composed of private citizens serving as intermittent government employees, DMORT responds to federally declared disasters, aviation accidents falling under the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act, and other types of mass fatality events. The ten regional DMORT teams throughout the United States provide:
Victim identification expertise Forensic anthropologists, dentists, pathologists, and support personnel DNA support Family assistance center support Antemortem data collection Support for victim families Support personnel for DMORT team members
Medical, psychological, administrative and logistical
and access to
Disaster Portable Morgue Units Supplies, equipment, forensic examination
Managed by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations, National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), DMORTs are composed of private citizens, each with a particular field of expertise. When activated by the NDMS, team members are compensated for their duty time by the Federal government as intermittent Federal employees. During a response, DMORTs work under the guidance of local authorities by providing technical assistance and personnel to recover and identify the remains of disaster victims. The DMORTs are the primary responder to transportation accidents with the National Transportation Safety Board and work closely with other federal agencies to coordinate mass fatality victim identification planning and response.
