scholarly journals (A226) Establishing a Framework for Synchronizing Critical Decision Making with Information Analysis during a Health/Medical Emergency

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s61-s61 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Paturas ◽  
J. Pelazza ◽  
R. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Information Analysis ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
State And Local

BackgroundThe Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response (YNH-CEPDR) has worked in the United States with state and local health and medical organizations to evaluate critical decision making activities and to develop decision making tools and protocols to enhance decision making in a time sensitive environment. YNH-CEPDR has also worked with international organizations and US federal agencies to support situational awareness activities in simulated and real world events.ObjectivesDuring this session YNH-CEPDR will share the best practices from recent events such as the H1N1 response and the Haiti Earthquake. Participants will be engaged in discussions regarding overall framework for successful information collection, analysis and dissemination to support decision making based on these experiences. This session will also incorporate concepts provided by the US National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS), specifically through the development of Situational Reports (SitReps), Incident Action Plans (IAP) and Job Action Sheets as methods to implement the framework and concepts discussed. Participants will be led through a series of scenario-based discussions to allow application of critical decision making factors to their organization. At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to identify next steps for enhancing the synchronization of critical decision making and information analysis within their organizations.

scholarly journals (A322) Animals in Emergency Management: Veterinary Medical Triage and Treatment

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s90-s90 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Case
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pet Owners ◽  
Major Disaster ◽  
Emergency Preparedness And Response ◽  
State And Local

Veterinarians have been engaged in emergency preparedness and response activities for many years. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) founded in 1863 and representing approximately 83% of United States veterinarians, and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, established by the AVMA in 1963, have been active in emergency preparedness and response, including the development of a world class veterinary disaster response program (VMAT) since 1993. Animals and humans share a special bond in the United States. According to the 2007 AVMA US Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, there are 72 million dogs, 81.7 million cats, 11.2 million birds and 7.3 million horses in US households. Approximately 60% of all US households own at least one pet, and 64% own more than one pet. Additionally, nearly 60% of pet owners consider their pets to be members of the family, and nearly 50% of pet owners consider their pets to be companions. Few US pet owners consider their pet to be property (approximately 2%). Following Hurricane Katrina, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (PETS Act) became US law to ensure that state and local emergency preparedness plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency. Recently a US effort to identify best practices in disaster veterinary care was sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture and the National Alliance of State Animal Agriculture Emergency Programs and chaired by members of the AVMA. Best practices were identified, including physical examination and triage, vaccination and parasite treatment and prophylaxis, decontamination, euthanasia, medical care of search and rescue dogs, field diagnostics, and components of a disaster veterinary medical equipment cache.

scholarly journals (P2-34) Experiential Learning in Disaster Response for Veterinary Students and Veterinarians

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s146-s146
Author(s):  
R.S. Mcconnico ◽  
W. Wolfson ◽  
J. Taboada ◽  
R.A. Poirrier
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Veterinary Students ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Response Planning

Training for disaster responsiveness for veterinarians includes Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) comprehension, euthanasia, bio-security, all-hazards emergency preparedness, business continuity training, responder training, and incident de-briefing, Public and emergency management officials at all levels agree that saving animal lives saves human lives. Despite the recognition of the importance of veterinarians and other animal caretakers in animal disaster response and incident de-briefing, there has been less than adequate targeting of these groups for training opportunities leaving many veterinarians and other animal care takers vulnerable and unsure of their role when presented with a call to action in the midst of a disaster scenario in their home communities. The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU-SVM) has taken advantage of its physical presence amidst a disaster prone region of the United States to form response teams made up of students, faculty, and staff for actual training events termed disaster response experiential learning. Through a solid partnership with the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART) and other response groups, the LSU-SVM has developed a disaster response program that includes animal response planning, evacuation, sheltering, emergency triage, and technical rescue expertise. Five specific response activities that occurred between 2001 and 2010 where LSU-SVM partnered with local and regional emergency responders enabled veterinary students and veterinarians to provide the work force and engage in experiential learning in a “hand-over-hand” environment with certified emergency responders. The response activities and partnerships demonstrate a successful model for veterinary student and veterinarian training in disaster response, have provided robust training experiences for hundreds of veterinary students and veterinarians, and have resulted in the subsequent development of courses to address identified gaps in veterinary disaster response training.

scholarly journals School safety and emergency preparedness in Saudi Arabia: a call for effective action

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1176
Author(s):  
Ali S. R. Alsubaie
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
School Safety ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
The Impact

Accidents and injuries are a growing global public health problem. Both accidents and injuries can happen anytime and anywhere. Children and school personnel might experience medical emergency situations because of injuries, complications of chronic health conditions, or unexpected major accidents that occur in schools. A safe learning environment is essential for students, and without it they are unable to focus on learning the skills needed for a successful education and future development. There are about 6 million children younger than 18 years living in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Regrettably, many accidental tragedies occurred during the few last years in schools in Saudi Arabia which caused many forms of injuries and death among children and school teachers. Unfortunately, most schools lack a health care professional to respond to school medical emergencies. It is essential to believe that there is a fundamental link between emergency preparedness and disaster response. Therefore, schools that are prepared for an emergency are more likely to be prepared for complex events such as major fire, injury related accidents and natural disaster. The quality of schools about safety management and emergency preparedness is far worrying in Saudi Arabia. Thus, there is a need in creating a ‘‘culture of safety’’ and realize that injuries prevention and safety promotion are everybody’s business. The time has come to develop effective injury prevention strategies and promote safety that can help reduce the impact of injuries on the health of the Saudi population, economy and health care system. The issue of school safety must be a major concern at all levels of government. Efforts should be made to increase the education of school personnel in the assessment and management of safety and life-threatening emergencies, particularly head injury, cardiac arrest, suffocation and fire events.

scholarly journals Beyond ICS: How Should We Govern Complex Disasters in the United States?

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Branda Nowell ◽  
Toddi Steelman
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Response ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
National Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Network Governance ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Complex Disasters ◽  
Private Actors

Abstract The complexity of large-scale disasters requires governance structures that can integrate numerous responders quickly under often chaotic conditions. Complex disasters – by definition – span multiple jurisdictions and activate numerous response functions carried out by numerous legally autonomous public, nonprofit, and private actors. The command operating structure of the Incident Command System (ICS) is a hierarchical structure used to manage complex incidents. Increasingly, complex disasters are seen as networks of multiple actors. Improving our capacity to respond to large-scale, complex disasters requires moving beyond the “hierarchy versus networks” debate to understand the conditions under which governance structures can best serve disaster response goals. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of the governance structures embedded in our national policy tools and frameworks can enhance our ability to govern effectively in networked contexts. In this article, we suggest the need to shift focus to build greater capacity for hybrid and network governance approaches, including a more sophisticated understanding of the conditions under which these governance forms are most effective.

Building a National Model of Public Mental Health Preparedness and Community Resilience: Validation of a Dual-Intervention, Systems-Based Approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 511-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Lee McCabe ◽  
Natalie L. Semon ◽  
Carol B. Thompson ◽  
Jeffrey M. Lating ◽  
George S. Everly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Health Planning ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Preparedness Planning

AbstractObjectiveWorking within a series of partnerships among an academic health center, local health departments (LHDs), and faith-based organizations (FBOs), we validated companion interventions to address community mental health planning and response challenges in public health emergency preparedness.MethodsWe implemented the project within the framework of an enhanced logic model and employed a multi-cohort, pre-test/post-test design to assess the outcomes of 1-day workshops in psychological first aid (PFA) and guided preparedness planning (GPP). The workshops were delivered to urban and rural communities in eastern and midwestern regions of the United States. Intervention effectiveness was based on changes in relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) and on several behavioral indexes.ResultsSignificant improvements were observed in self-reported and objectively measured KSAs across all cohorts. Additionally, GPP teams proved capable of producing quality drafts of basic community disaster plans in 1 day, and PFA trainees confirmed upon follow-up that their training proved useful in real-world trauma contexts. We documented examples of policy and practice changes at the levels of local and state health departments.ConclusionsGiven appropriate guidance, LHDs and FBOs can implement an effective and potentially scalable model for promoting disaster mental health preparedness and community resilience, with implications for positive translational impact.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;8:511-526)

U.S. Floods

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly A. Cigler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
Property Losses ◽  
State And Local

Floods are the costliest natural hazard events in the United States in terms of lives and property losses. The financial costs of flood disasters are unsustainable, especially for the national government, which assumes the most costs while state and local governments have the greatest ability to avoid great losses due to their influence over land use, economic policy, and other areas that can help mitigate floods and reduce the high costs of relief and recovery. This article summarizes the types, causes, and occurrence of floods in the United States and their unsustainable economic and social costs. It explains that the growing burden to taxpayers from disaster response and recovery has resulted in increased interest by national decision makers in shifting more disaster responsibilities and costs to state and local governments. The article reviews the broad tool kit of mitigation strategies available to local governments and their residents in taking greater responsibility for the impacts of flood events.

TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO STATE HAS GONE BEFORE1

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 761-765
Author(s):  
William Boland ◽  
Pete Bontadelli
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Marine Safety

ABSTRACT The Marine Safety Division of the 11th Coast Guard District and the California Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response are pursuing new avenues to assure that federal, state, and local efforts in California achieve the goals of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1990. Coordination of the seven California area committees, publishing detailed area contingency plans, and the implemention of a memorandum of agreement on oil spill prevention and response highlight recent cooperative successes. In 1994 a joint Coast Guard/state/industry incident command system task force drafted an ICS field operations guide and incident action plan forms that meet National Interagency Incident Management System and fire scope ICS requirements.

Employer Requirements to Work during Emergency Responses: Key Ethics Considerations

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (S1) ◽  
pp. 73-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lainie Rutkow ◽  
Holly A. Taylor ◽  
Tia Powell
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Department ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Local Health Departments ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Public Health Workers ◽  
Emergency Responses

Local health departments and their employees are at the forefront of emergency preparedness and response. Yet, recent studies have found that some local public health workers are unwilling to report to work in a variety of disaster scenarios. This can greatly compromise a response, as many local health departments need “all hands on deck” to effectively meet increased demands. To address these concerns, local health departments have employed varied policy strategies to ensure that employees do report to work. After describing different approaches taken by local health departments throughout the United States, we briefly identify and explore key ethics considerations that arise for local health departments when employees are required to report to work for emergency responses. We then discuss how these ethics considerations may inform local health department practices intended to promote a robust emergency response.

Challenge of Hospital Emergency Preparedness: Analysis and Recommendations

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (S1) ◽  
pp. S74-S82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Barbera ◽  
Dale J. Yeatts ◽  
Anthony G. Macintyre
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Medical Emergency

ABSTRACTIn the United States, recent large-scale emergencies and disasters display some element of organized medical emergency response, and hospitals have played prominent roles in many of these incidents. These and other well-publicized incidents have captured the attention of government authorities, regulators, and the public. Health care has assumed a more prominent role as an integral component of any community emergency response. This has resulted in increased funding for hospital preparedness, along with a plethora of new preparedness guidance.Methods to objectively measure the results of these initiatives are only now being developed. It is clear that hospital readiness remains uneven across the United States. Without significant disaster experience, many hospitals remain unprepared for natural disasters. They may be even less ready to accept and care for patient surge from chemical or biological attacks, conventional or nuclear explosive detonations, unusual natural disasters, or novel infectious disease outbreaks.This article explores potential reasons for inconsistent emergency preparedness across the hospital industry. It identifies and discusses potential motivational factors that encourage effective emergency management and the obstacles that may impede it. Strategies are proposed to promote consistent, reproducible, and objectively measured preparedness across the US health care industry. The article also identifies issues requiring research. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3(Suppl 1):S74–S82)

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document