Metropolitan Medical Response Team

Founding

The York County Department of Fire and Life Safety have staff and equipment that serve as members of the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Medical Response System (HRMMRS). The HRMMRS was developed under the direction of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) in 1999 and includes the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Southampton, Surry and York. With 16 jurisdictions, the Hampton Roads MMRS is the second largest in the United States. The mission of the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Medical Response System is to support and enhance Hampton Roads public safety, hospital, public health and emergency management response capabilities to manage mass casualty incidents during the first crucial hours caused by terrorist attacks using WMD/CBRNE, epidemic disease outbreaks, natural disasters or hazardous materials incidents.

Responsibilities

The HRMMRS covers an area of 2,900 square miles and a population of 1,575,000. The HRPDC contracts with the Tidewater EMS Council to manage the activities of the HRMMRS. The HRMMRS supports and enhances Hampton Roads public safety, hospital, public health, and emergency management response capabilities to manage mass casualty incidents during the first 48 hours, prior to the arrival of federal assets. Over 250 individuals from almost 90 local and state agencies and organizations are involved in continuous planning, training and exercises. The HRMMRS supports, equips and trains a 47-member (242 member call group) Hampton Roads Metropolitan Medical Strike Team (HRMMST) that provides on-scene expertise and resources to the Incident Commander during a disaster.

The HRMMST is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) trained medical emergency response team that maintains a redundant response capability of personnel, trucks, trailers, equipment, supplies, and communications on the Peninsula and Southside.