Preparedness for Mass Casualty Incidents: The Effectiveness of Current Training Model

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Seema Biswas ◽  
Hany Bahouth ◽  
Evgeny Solomonov ◽  
Igor Waksman ◽  
Michael Halberthal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
The Public ◽  
Physical Injuries ◽  
Nation States ◽  
State Infrastructure

Abstract The importance of MCI organization and training was highlighted by the events of September 11, 2001. Training focuses on the management of physical injuries caused by a single traumatic event over a well-defined, relatively short timeframe. MCI management is integrated into surgical and trauma training, with disaster management training involving the emergency services, law enforcement, and state infrastructure agencies. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed gaps in the preparedness of nation states and global partners in disaster management. The questions that arose include ‘has training really prepared us for an actual emergency,’ ‘what changes need to be made to training to make it more effective,’ and ‘who else should training be extended to?’ This article focuses on the importance of involving multiple sectors in mass casualty training and asks whether greater involvement of non-medical agencies and the public, in operational drills might improve preparedness for global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Factors influencing responders’ perceptions of preparedness for terrorism

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelie Holgersson ◽  
Dzenan Sahovic ◽  
Britt-Inger Saveman ◽  
Ulf Björnstig
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Management Capability ◽  
Related Occupation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse factors influencing perceptions of preparedness in the response to terrorist attacks of operational personnel in Swedish emergency organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a questionnaire distributed to operational personnel from the police, rescue and ambulance services in eight Swedish counties; 864 responses were received and analysed. Findings – Three aspects of the perception of preparedness for terrorist attacks among Swedish emergency responders were studied: willingness to respond; level of confidence with tasks; and estimated management capability. Factors which positively influenced these perceptions were male sex, training in first aid and dealing with mass casualty incidents, terrorism-related management training (MT), table-top simulations, participation in functional exercises, and access to personal protective equipment (PPE); work experience was inversely related. Occupation in police or rescue services was positively associated with willingness to respond whereas occupation within the emergency medical services was positively associated with estimated management capability. Practical implications – These findings show that terrorism-related MT and access to PPE increase the perceptions of preparedness for terrorism among the emergency services, aiding judgements about investments in preparedness by crisis management planners. Originality/value – Limited research in disaster management and hazard preparedness has been conducted in a European context, especially regarding terrorism. Little is known about aspects of preparedness for terrorism in Sweden, particularly from the perspective of the emergency responders.

Model for Pre-Hospital Disaster Response

1986 ◽  
Vol 2 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 78-79
Author(s):  
Joseph T. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Emergency Service ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
The Public ◽  
Contingency Plan ◽  
Degree Of Certainty ◽  
Growth Economic

I will discuss the need for a viable pre-hospital contingency plan applicable to mass casualty or disaster mode situations.It is my experience, during eighteen years in public safety and emergency services, that most organizations are highly competent and responsive to the daily expectations which are placed upon them. As most emergency services managers will tell you, they generally plan for the expected. After all, analysis in such areas as population growth, economic levels, unemployment and criminal trends are the lifeblood of any emergency service agency's personnel, equipment and budgetary allocations. Our level of sophistication today allows us to predict, with some degree of certainty, what demand will be placed on our organizations and how we will meet that demand. The point is this: we in emergency services have been extremely efficient and proficient in addressing the expected needs of the public we serve.

scholarly journals Crisis Communication after Earthquakes in Greece and Japan: Effects on Seismic Disaster Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9257
Author(s):  
Anna Fokaefs ◽  
Kalliopi Sapountzaki
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Public Trust ◽  
The Public ◽  
Emergency Responses ◽  
Seismic Crisis ◽  
Seismic Disaster

The communication of emergency information shortly before or after the manifestation of seismic hazards is a crucial part of disaster management. Crisis communication aims to protect, support and guide the public and emergency services throughout the response and recovery phase. In the case of seismic events, a fundamental query refers to how the information to be released to the public immediately after/before the seismic event affects disaster impacts and management. This paper addresses the uncertainty involved in emergency seismic information, identifies the sources, means, content and mode of emergency communication and points to the effects of different models of crisis communication on public perceptions, on emergency responses and, hence, on disaster management. A review of past experiences of seismic crisis communication strategies in earthquake-prone countries, namely Greece and Japan, reveals successes and failures in managing uncertainty, and in building public trust and improving response capacities. The findings include the importance of crisis communication in seismic disaster management, the levels/layers of uncertainty involved in emergency seismic information and how they impact risk perceptions, the public trust/mistrust effect on scientific and management institutions as well as some recommendations for seismic crisis communication strategies to minimize uncertainty and improve emergency responses.

Multiple information sources in the analysis of a disaster

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47
Author(s):  
Stephanie Barnhart, DO ◽  
Patrick M. Cody, DO ◽  
David E. Hogan, DO, MPH, FACEP
Keyword(s):  
Medical Records ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Public Domain ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Physical Injuries ◽  
Complex Events

Objective: Disasters are complex events making epidemiologic studies and determination of accurate denominators difficult due to the poor nature of available records. However, these data are essential to perform useful calculations and accurate descriptions of disaster medical impacts. This study was undertaken to identify the availability and utility of various information sources in the analysis of a mass casualty disaster. In addition, characteristics of cases presenting for care are described.Design: This is a retrospective cohort study abstracting medical records and other documents relating to an explosion and fire. Public domain documents are obtained by written request or by filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.Setting: A rural EMS and tertiary hospital.Cases: Individuals directly exposed to the forces of the explosion.Outcome Measures: The number of cases detected by various information sources. In addition, the demographics, dispositions, and nature of the physical injuries of the cases are reported.Results: Seven sources of case information were identified. The most cases were identified by investigative agencies (33) and the fewest by medical records (18). Rates include; injury 0.68, admission 0.20, and operative 0.14, with no deaths. Case locations during the explosion were determined for all cases. No association was noted between admission and location in the building.Conclusions: This study demonstrates the availability and usefulness of data in the public domain. Using FOIA requests or partnerships with public or private agencies may more clearly define denominator data in epidemiologic evaluations of disasters.

The elementary forms of digital culture. Knowledge, connections and sociality

2020 ◽  
pp. 316-328
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Susca
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Digital Culture ◽  
Social Boundaries ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
The Public ◽  
Nation States ◽  
The Senses ◽  
Point Of Intersection ◽  
Dark Web

Contemporary communicative platforms welcome and accelerate a socio-anthropological mutation in which public opinion (Habermas, 1995) based on rational individuals and alphabetic culture gives way to a public emotion whose emotion, empathy and sociality are the bases, where it is no longer the reason that directs the senses but the senses that begin to think. The public spheres that are elaborated in this way can only be disjunctive (Appadurai, 2001), since they are motivated by the desire to transgress the identity, political and social boundaries where they have been elevated and restricted. The more the daily life, in its local intension and its global extension, rests on itself and frees itself from projections or infatuations towards transcendent and distant orders, the more the modern territory is shaken by the forces that cross it and pierce it. non-stop. The widespread disobedience characterizing a significant part of the cultural events that take place in cyberspace - dark web, web porn, copyright infringement, trolls, even irreverent ... - reveals the anomic nature of the societal subjectivity that emerges from the point of intersection between technology and naked life. Behind each of these offenses is the affirmation of the obsolescence of the principles on which much of the modern nation-states and their rights have been based. Each situation in which a tribe, cloud, group or network blends in a state of ecstasy or communion around shared communications, symbols and imaginations, all that surrounds it, in material, social or ideological terms, fades away. in the air, being isolated by the power of a bubble that in itself generates culture, rooting, identification: transpolitic to inhabit

Efektivitas Layanan Darurat Jakarta Siaga 112 dalam Penanganan Kebakaran oleh UPT. Pusat Data & Informasi Kebencanaan BPBD Provinsi DKI Jakarta

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Musa Musa
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Service ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Center ◽  
Disaster Data ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Document Review

This research was conducted to determine the Effectiveness of Jakarta Siaga 112 Emergency Services in Fire Management by UPT. Disaster Data & Information Center of BPBD DKI Jakarta Province by paying attention to aspects contained in the Effectiveness of the Jakarta Siaga Emergency Service Program 112. The research method was carried out with a case study method with data collection techniques using interview methods and document review. Interviews were conducted on 10 (ten) key informants, document review focused on documents related to the Jakarta Emergency Alert Service 112 Effectiveness research in Fire Management. The results showed that the Effectiveness of Jakarta Siaga 112 Emergency Services in Fire Management by UPT. The Center for Disaster Data & Information BPBD DKI Jakarta Province Its effectiveness is still low, due to the Implementation of Emergency Services Jakarta Standby 112 in Fire Management implemented by UPT. Disaster Data & Information Center of BPBD DKI Jakarta Province in terms of the Target Group Understanding of the Program, the Achievement of the Program Objectives aspects, and the Program Follow-up aspects. It is recommended to continue to disseminate this Emergency Service to the public, it is necessary to increase the firm commitment of the Head of 8 SKPD related to fire management so that all units play a role in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Fire Management and the evaluation and follow-up of program services that are held periodically 3 once a month.Keywords: Effectiveness, Emergency Services, Fire Handling

scholarly journals Disaster Day: A Simulation-Based Disaster Medicine Curriculum for Novice Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 238212052110207
Author(s):  
Brad D Gable ◽  
Asit Misra ◽  
Devin M Doos ◽  
Patrick G Hughes ◽  
Lisa M Clayton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Disaster Medicine ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Management Concepts ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Second Year

Background: Mass casualty and multi-victim incidents have increased in recent years due to a number of factors including natural disasters and terrorism. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recommends that medical students be trained in disaster preparedness and response. However, a majority of United States medical students are not provided such education. Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 1 day, immersive, simulation-based Disaster Day curriculum. Settings and Design: Learners were first and second year medical students from a single institution. Materials and Methods: Our education provided learners with information on disaster management, allowed for application of this knowledge with hands-on skill stations, and culminated in near full-scale simulation where learners could evaluate the knowledge and skills they had acquired. Statistical analysis used: To study the effectiveness of our Disaster Day curriculum, we conducted a single-group pretest-posttest and paired analysis of self-reported confidence data. Results: A total of 40 first and second year medical students participated in Disaster Day as learners. Learners strongly agreed that this course provided new information or provided clarity on previous training, and they intended to use what they learned, 97.6% and 88.4%, respectively. Conclusions: Medical students’ self-reported confidence of key disaster management concepts including victim triage, tourniquet application, and incident command improved after a simulation-based disaster curriculum. This Disaster Day curriculum provides students the ability to apply concepts learned in the classroom and better understand the real-life difficulties experienced in a resource limited environment.

scholarly journals Overuse of Health Care in the Emergency Services in Chile

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3082
Author(s):  
Ximena Alvial ◽  
Alejandra Rojas ◽  
Raúl Carrasco ◽  
Claudia Durán ◽  
Christian Fernández-Campusano
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Healthcare Network ◽  
Use Of Emergency Services ◽  
Low Coverage ◽  
Different Levels

The Public Health Service in Chile consists of different levels of complexity and coverage depending on the severity and degree of specialization of the pathology to be treated. From primary to tertiary care, tertiary care is highly complex and has low coverage. This work focuses on an analysis of the public health system with emphasis on the healthcare network and tertiary care, whose objectives are designed to respond to the needs of each patient. A review of the literature and a field study of the problem of studying the perception of internal and external users is presented. This study intends to be a contribution in the detection of opportunities for the relevant actors and the processes involved through the performance of Triage. The main causes and limitations of the excessive use of emergency services in Chile are analyzed and concrete proposals are generated aiming to benefit clinical care in emergency services. Finally, improvements related to management are proposed and the main aspects are determined to improve decision-making in hospitals, which could be a contribution to public health policies.

scholarly journals Unmanned Aircraft Systems Risk Assessment Based on SORA for First Responders and Disaster Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5364
Author(s):  
Paweł Janik ◽  
Maciej Zawistowski ◽  
Radosław Fellner ◽  
Grzegorz Zawistowski
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
The One ◽  
Risk Assessment Methodology ◽  
Assistance Project

Worldwide, there is a significant increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by emergency services. They offer a lot of possibilities during rescue operations. Such a wide application for various purposes and environments causes many threats related to their use. To minimize the risks associated with conducting air operations with UAVs, the application of the SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) methodology will be important. Due to its level of detail, it is a methodology adapted to civilian use. In this article, the authors’ team will try to develop guidelines and directions for adapting SORA to the requirements of the operational work of emergency services. Thus, the following article aims to present the most important risks related to conducting operations with the use of UAVs by first responders (FRs), and to show the sample risk analysis performed for this type of operation on the example of the ASSISTANCE project. The paper describes, on the one hand, possibilities offered by UAVs in crisis or disaster management and step-by-step Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA), and on the other hand, presents possible threats, consequences and methods of their mitigation during FR missions.

Evaluating the impact of decontamination interventions performed in sequence for mass casualty chemical incidents

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Collins ◽  
Natalie Williams ◽  
Felicity Southworth ◽  
Thomas James ◽  
Louise Davidson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetable Oil ◽  
Methyl Salicylate ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Human Volunteer ◽  
Additional Contribution ◽  
Uv Photography ◽  
Chemical Incidents ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Control Skin

Abstract The Initial Operational Response (IOR) to chemical incidents is a suite of rapid strategies including evacuation, disrobe and improvised and interim decontamination. IOR and Specialist Operational Response (SOR) decontamination protocols involving mass decontamination units would be conducted in sequence by UK emergency services following a chemical incident, to allow for safe onward transfer of casualties. As part of a series of human volunteer studies, we examined the effectiveness of IOR and SOR decontamination procedures alone and in sequence. Specifically, we evaluated the additional contribution of SOR, when following improvised and interim decontamination. Two simulants, methyl salicylate (MeS) with vegetable oil and benzyl salicylate (BeS), were applied to participants’ skin. Participants underwent improvised dry, improvised wet, interim wet, specialist decontamination and a no decontamination control. Skin analysis and UV photography indicated significantly lower levels of both simulants remaining following decontamination compared to controls. There were no significant differences in MeS levels recovered between decontamination conditions. Analysis of BeS, a more persistent simulant than MeS, showed that recovery from skin was significantly reduced following combined IOR with SOR than IOR alone. These results show modest additional benefits of decontamination interventions conducted in sequence, particularly for persistent chemicals, supporting current UK operational procedures.

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