The idea behind both the Charlie’s Horse Deployment System and the MERF (Medical Emergency Response Facility) was born out of several years of careful research and interviews conducted with members of emergency response agencies, the disaster response community and the Armed Forces medical commands.  The interviews determined whether existing protocols for prolonged incidents provided the necessary response and capabilities needed to fulfill mission requirements.  The groups were also asked whether existing equipment stockpiles sufficiently supported the personnel expected to implement the response protocols..

What was discovered during the interview process was that there was a gap between those responsible for implementing response and treatment protocols and those who conceived the protocols.  It was also apparent that existing equipment was inadequate and required significant manpower to deploy and make operational.

Redundancies also existed in both the military and the civilian sectors.  Instead of developing systems and protocols that were synergistic, with commonality of equipment, bureaucracies prevailed and funds were squandered.

It became apparent that a new approach was needed when it came to medical equipment deployment and the utilization of manpower in field medical operations at major incidents, particularly those that must be sustained for days—or weeks.