SORT is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation founded in 1978. At its formation, SORT's primary mission was to supplement and assist emergency services agencies that become overwhelmed in a crisis situation such as a manmade or natural incident. SORT has greatly expanded its services in the past 30 years and now provides many additional unique services to the local community and state.

SORT's members are volunteers and are comprised of a wide range of skilled individuals that bring their expertise to the SORT team. On the medical side members include physicians, physician assistants, nurses, paramedics, and EMT's. Our non-medical members include, firefighters, communications experts, administrative personnel, and a strong logistics and support staff. SORT is always looking for new potential members that can contribute their skills to the team. (See: How to join SORT) 

A readily deployable "all hazards response team" depends on well-trained, prepared and organized personnel to ensure successful missions. To remain in an operational readiness state, SORT conducts frequent training exercises in addition to educational sessions at regular monthly meetings and other specialty-specific training programs.

SORT's services include:

Local and statewide response

• SORT has equipment and personnel to respond locally and statewide to assist emergency agencies in a crisis situation with support services ranging from hazardous material decontamination to providing medical treatment and rehabilitation to responders on scene. 

Tactical medical services to the Sheriff's Office SWAT team

SORT provides a team of specially trained paramedics, physician's assistants and physicians that respond with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office SWAT team on "high risk calls. This team can provide immediate advanced medical treatment on the scene should the need arise. 

Health surveillance physicals to local fire departments and high school athletes

• SORT provides physicals to both paid and volunteer fire departments that meet the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA)
• SORT provides health surveillance physicals to local high school athletes that meet the requirements of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

                         Special Medical Needs Shelter Management

Medical provision at mass crowd gatherings

• SORT provides advanced life support medical teams for mass crowd gatherings such as college graduations, special awards ceremonies, sporting events, and VIP visits.

                                   Occupational Safety and Health Services

Educational Services

• SORT provides courses to county EMS systems, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, hospitals and many other health care facilities with topics ranging from managing special medical needs shelters to weapons of mass destruction. SORT is an approved teaching institution through the NC Office of EMS and is able to award EMS continuing education credits for many of its courses.

Many SORT members are also members of the two NC based federal medical response teams.

In 1990, members of SORT were offered the opportunity to join a newly formed federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) in North Carolina. This team is part of the National Disaster Medical System. (NDMS) NDMS is a nationwide system of field medical teams originally organized by the U.S. Public Health Service and now part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

In 1996, SORT members were given the opportunity by NDMS to join a second federal team to be based in North Carolina called National Medical Response Team - East (NMRT-E) The NMRT is a mass decontamination and medical care task force that is rapidly deployable anywhere in the United States or it’s territories. The NMRT-East is one of three mass decontamination teams within DHHS that also provide advanced medical care at the physician level in the field.  

In short, many SORT members wear "two hats." When not functioning with SORT, many of the members train and deploy on missions with the federal medical response teams as "interim federal employee's."

The SORT organization itself is not a federal team and depends on funding to be able to provide its services.

Funding for SORT is provided primarily from the provision of occupational health services on an ongoing contract basis for local government and industry. Corporate sponsors, namely Novant Health, Inc., Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, provide other supplies and funding such as needs for office space, equipment, maintenance, insurance and training. Some funding sources include community contributions, corporate gifts, and foundation grants. SORT also receives funding by charging for services rendered at planned events.

State Medical Assistance Team - 1 (SMAT-1) See the SMAT -1 PAGE Click HERE

SORT responds as a disaster medical team and hazmat team both locally and statewide and is a member of North Carolina's State Emergency Response Team; (SERT) part of the NC Crime Control and Public Safety Emergency Management Division. SORT has been designated as the SMAT I Team. (State Medical Assistance Team I)