萝莉社

Disasters, whether natural or man-made, are less a question of if they鈥檒l happen, as opposed to where and when. Hurricanes, tornadoes, or industrial accidents鈥攎ost, if not all, are unpredictable. Fortunately, when they occur, there are individuals prepared to respond with care that never quits despite the circumstance.

, an assistant professor in the and medical director at , is one of those people. Bryant, a former emergency medicine resident at , proudly serves as the medical team manager for . Since joining the task force in 2017, she has deployed to several hurricanes and urban rescue operations.

鈥淭hey sent out an appeal for experts in the state and I jumped at the opportunity,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淢y main priority in this role is to keep my team healthy, happy, and in the game when they are out in the field so we can deliver necessary care for victims in need of aid.鈥�

Florida Task Force 5, which mainly consists of members, requires physicians with emergency training, as disaster can strike at any time. Team members must be ready to deploy within hours.

鈥淎fter notification of deployment, we have about six hours to gather our gear and equipment and then head to the impacted area,鈥� Bryant said. Areas like the Surfside community in Miami, where 98 people died when the Champlain Towers South condominium collapsed in 2021. 鈥淪ome missions are harder than others but our team helped identify loved ones and bring closure to such an unthinkable situation.鈥�

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Bryant and her team helped save a pregnant woman trapped in her home. 鈥淭here was no way our team could get to her because of downed power lines and water,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淭ransporting her to the nearest hospital with power was a challenge, but we ultimately got her medevacked to safety.鈥�

Bryant emphasizes that the team doesn鈥檛 work alone. 鈥淲e have great intel on the situations we鈥檙e going into,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a collaborative effort.鈥�

Providing medical relief after a disaster requires great skill and training. Reflecting on her seven years with the task force, Bryant often remembers these words: 鈥淎mateurs practice until they get it right. Pros practice until they can鈥檛 get it wrong.鈥�

For physicians interested in joining a task force, Bryant encourages them to seize the opportunity if one arises. She said she is grateful for her 萝莉社 colleagues who cover her patients while she鈥檚 away helping those in urgent need during a disaster.