Remember Katrina and Sandy?
We all do and we remember the anguish of patients and providers trying to cope with such a catastrophic event.
On August 29, 2005, Katrina made landfall and changed the lives of millions, including dozens of DME providers serving thousands of patients.
On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy wreaks havock on the coast of New Jersey and New Yotk.
What would you do if it happened to you?
With storm and natural events becoming more frequest, what can suppliers do to help other suppliers?
If your business was lost or disabled by a disaster, what would you need?
a.. An office with a phone to contact your patients?
b.. Loaner equipment or new purchased equipment for your patients?
c.. A vehicle to use to care for your patients?
d.. A computer with your billing system where you could restore a backup and resume operations?
e.. A warehouse to temporarily house equipment?
f.. A friend that understands your issues and problems?
NAIMES Would Like To Build A DME Disaster Network!
If a disaster strikes in any part of the country, NAIMES will seek providers in the vicinity that will volunteer to offer one or more of the needed element to help the stricken comrade. We will ask providers to "adopt" a provider in the disaster area and to serve as a point of contact until the stricken provider is again functioning.
Disasters may range from floods to fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, earthquakes, or any other type of event that would disable a provider and prevent them from serving their patients.
Because "it could happen tomorrow", we will begin building a list of volunteers so that we can be prepared when such an event might occur. If you are willing to provide any service under these circumstances, however small, email NAIMES so that we can add you to the DME Disaster Network.
Over time we will create an interactive page here that will allow both volunteers and those in need to communicate when necessary.
Contact us at
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While we continue to develop our DME Disaster Network, NAIMES offers the following resources for suppliers facing disaster situations.
These sources of information and help are provided by the Interagency Coordinating Council on Individuals with Disabilities and Emergency Preparedness:
Current information on storms from the National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov Information on emergency resources and activities in the following states:
Louisiana: www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/default.htm
Texas: www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/publicinformation.htm
Mississippi: www.msema.org
Alabama:http://ema.alabama.gov
Florida: www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp
Georgia: www.gema.state.ga.us
South Carolina: www.sc.gov/Portal/Category/EMERGENCYMANAGEMENT
North Carolina: http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/Index2.cfm?a=000003,000010
Virginia: www.vdem.state.va.us
Delaware: http://dema.delaware.gov/
Maryland: http://mema.maryland.gov/Pages/homeEmergency_hurricane.aspx
New Jersey: http://www.ready.nj.gov/
New York: http://www.governor.ny.gov/
Connecticut: http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/site/default.asp
Rhode Island: http://www.riema.ri.gov/
Massachusetts: http://www.mass.gov/portal/
Maine: http://www.maine.gov/mema/prepare/
Pennsylvania: http://www.readypa.org/portal/server.pt/community/pa_gov/20387
Vermont: http://vem.vermont.gov/
New Hampshire: http://www.nh.gov/readynh/
Information on hurricane preparedness: www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html
Up-to-date tracking of weather events where you live: www.weather.gov
This disability preparedness site also provides information on how people with and without disabilities can prepare for an emergency, along with information for family members of, and service providers to, people with disabilities at: www.disabilitypreparedness.gov/ppp/disabil.htm.
In addition, the site includes information for first responders to help them better prepare for serving people with disabilities at: www.disabilitypreparedness.gov/emrscp/index.htm.
