IMERT’s Mission
IMERT, the Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team, is comprised of volunteers from every region of the state. These individuals come from the medical and emergency response community as well as the private sector. The volunteers train to respond to communities impacted by disasters that result in the paralysis or destruction of the healthcare infrastructure. The primary mission is to assist local healthcare providers with triage and interim emergency medical care while aiding with patient transfer/evacuation. Conditions are often austere, requiring responders to be self-sufficient.
IMERT has responded to numerous emergencies, disasters, and high risk/high profile events around the state.
The IMERT program is multi-faceted and is capable of a flexible, scalable medical response. The other crucial piece for response capability is the logistics component. This group is comprised of volunteers with special skill sets such as; information technology, communications, HAM radio operators, materials management, scene safety, and resource management.