Tampa, FL – Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership (CEPP) and NYC Medics were honored by the American Academy of Disaster Medicine (AADM) with its Distinguished Service Award. The awards were presented recently at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc. in Marina del Rey, California.

“It is a privilege for the American Academy of Disaster Medicine to present the Distinguished Service Award to these organizations recognizing the vital role their work plays in the disaster life cycle – preparation, planning, response and recovery,” said James W. Terbush, MD, MPH, AADM President.

CEPP was recognized for its role in developing the Connect Colorado resource registry. The registry is a unique data base that gathers equipment, specialized vehicles, tools, subject matter expertise and other assets in one location, which can be called upon by state and local officials during times of disaster or emergencies like the recent wildfires in Colorado Springs.

NYC Medics is a rapid response humanitarian aid organization that deploys teams of health care and disaster professionals to alleviate human suffering and distress in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Since 2005, nearly 200 NYC Medics volunteers have provided lifesaving, emergent care to more than 26,000 people affected by natural disasters.

The American Academy of Disaster Medicine promotes the practice of disaster health care, ensuring that all physicians are aware and prepared to effectively respond to future disasters – either natural or man-made. AADM is an affiliate academy of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc. (AAPS), the governing body of the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) which certifies both allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) physicians in seventeen specialties including disaster medicine.