scholarly journals Consideration and Practice on Hospital Incident Command System During Mass Casualty Incidents in Chinese Hospitals

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s78-s78
Author(s):  
Haojun Fan ◽  
Shike Hou ◽  
Yanmei Zhao

Introduction:More and more hospitals are using the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) for organizational management under emergency conditions. HICS is an incident management system based on principles of the Incident Command System (ICS), which assists hospitals and healthcare organizations in improving their emergency management planning, response, and recovery capabilities for unplanned and planned events. This study aims to explore how Chinese hospitals manage their organizations with HICS in Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI).Aim:To explore the feasibility of HICS in Chinese hospitals under MCI.Methods:A combination of literature analysis and empirical research was used in this study. Through case studies and experience summarization, the necessity and feasibility of the incident command system (ICS) and the emergency medical response system (EMRS) was demonstrated in the early stage of MCI. Based on this, a new "1 SECTION-5 GROUPS-10 TEAMS " model was proposed, and its value of practical application was discussed in MCI.Results:Multiple resources must be mobilized In MCI, and it is necessary to establish an ICS and an EMRS as soon as possible in the early stages of MCI. The earlier ICS is set up, the more initiative can be taken. The "1 SECTION-5 GROUPS-10 TEAMS" model proposed in this study has a good effect on the practice of drills and rescues, indicating that this model has a certain promotion effect in the hospital's response to MCI.Discussion:The "1 SECTION-5 GROUPS-10 TEAMS" model has high feasibility and can be further verified in the subsequent rescue practice.

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Romundstad ◽  
Knut Ole Sundnes ◽  
Johan Pillgram-Larsen ◽  
Geir K. Røste ◽  
Mads Gilbert

AbstractDuring a military exercise in northern Norway in March 2000, the snowladen roof of a command center collapsed with 76 persons inside. Twentyfive persons were entrapped and/or buried under snow masses. There were three deaths. Seven patients had serious injuries, three had moderate injuries, and 16 had minor injuries.A military Convalescence Camp that had been set up in a Sports Hall 125 meters from the scene was reorganized as a causality clearing station. Officers from the Convalescence Camp initially organized search and rescue. In all, 417 persons took part in the rescue work with 36 ambulances, 17 helicopters, three ambulance airplanes and one transport plane available. Two ambulances, five helicopters and one transport aircraft were used. Four patients were evacuated to a civilian hospital and six to a field hospital.The stretcher and treatment teams initially could have been more effectively organized. As resources were ample, this was a mass casualty, not a disaster. Firm incident command prevented the influx of excess resources.


1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 (1) ◽  
pp. 737-742
Author(s):  
LT Tina M. Burke ◽  
LT John P. Flynn

ABSTRACT In recent years, the usefulness of the incident command system (ICS) has received much attention. Much of the oil industry and several government agencies involved in all types of emergency response have been using ICS for many years. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard formally adopted the national interagency incident management system (NIIMS) ICS as the response management system of choice in February of 1996. The response to the tank barge North Cape grounding was a complex multiagency effort that brought with it many of the issues and problems responders face when dealing with crisis situations. This paper describes the ICS-based organization that was established to respond to the major North Cape oil spill, analyzes the organization compared to standard ICS, and discusses how the ICS framework and principles contributed to the success of the response. It also explains how closer conformity to standard ICS could have remedied many of the issues that later surfaced as lessons learned, resulting in improved response efficiency. The North Cape response provides a vivid example of how ICS is a helpful management tool that, if rigorously learned and applied in a widespread fashion, can greatly enhance the nation's oil spill response posture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-417
Author(s):  
John K. Nichols, MS, LCC ◽  
Magdalena Denham, EdD

This paper investigates the use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)’s Incident Command System (ICS) in law enforcement since Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 was issued in 2003. It attempts to answer the following questions: (a) To what degree has law enforcement adopted the NIMS style ICS?; (b) To what degree has the NIMS/ICS framework been applicable to law enforcement?; and (c) Is the NIMS style ICS effective in the law enforcement response environment? The research includes a review of relevant case studies and literature and also includes the analysis of a survey instrument sent to 1,220 current and former law enforcement practitioners across the United States. The survey includes both open- and closed-ended questions. The data from closed-ended questions were compiled and displayed. Data from open-ended questions were grouped thematically. Responses were then assessed and compared with information gleaned from the literature review. Results indicate the system has been widely adopted by law enforcement, and its use is applicable and effective in some law enforcement responses. Its use in the highly chaotic initial phase of incidents, however, remains an open question.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1179-1183
Author(s):  
Duane Michael Smith

ABSTRACT There are likely few that would argue with the proposal that a national incident management system would be of benefit. Numerous articles have been put forward over time, both for and against the adoption of an incident command system (ICS) as the model for a national incident management system. Those in favor of its adoption point out to its many successes, from major wildfires to the 2002 Olympics. Many seem to view ICS as simply another way of expressing the term command and control. In reality, ICS is not another way to say command and control; rather it is a specific of command and control system. The question then is whether ICS, and in particular the National Inter-agency Incident Management System – Incident Command System (NIIMS-ICS) is the model upon which this national system should be based. Most of the studies and papers regarding the use and adoption of ICS have focused on its use within the fire service community. This may be somewhat intuitive, given the origins of the system; however, if we are to truly gauge the applicability of this system to all risks, we must begin to exam it in those other events. It was a series of disasters that led to the development of the initial ICS system. It has been a subsequent series of disasters or national emergencies that have led to the continued evolution of ICS toward a national model. The question now before us is whether we need another disaster to take that final step to a truly national incident management system or are we willing to go there now. In this time of heightened national security we owe it to ourselves to have the best incident management system in the world.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwoting Fang ◽  
Shuoche Lin

This paper presents the TTIPP methodology, an integration of task analysis, task ontology, integration definition function modeling (IDEF0), Petri net, and Petri net mark language (PNML), to organize and model the task knowledge in the form of natural language expressions acquired during the knowledge-acquisition process. The goal of the methodology is to make the tasks more useful, accessible, and sharable through the web for a variety of stakeholders interested in solving a problem which is expressed mostly in linguistic form, and to shed light on the nature of problem-solving knowledge. This study provides a core epistemology for the knowledge engineer while developing the task ontology for a generic task. The proposed model overcomes the drawbacks of IDEF0, which are its static nature and Petri net which has no concept of hierarchy. A good number of countries lie on the typhoon and earthquake belts, which make them vulnerable to natural calamities. However, a practical incident command system (ICS) that provides a common framework to allow emergency responders of different backgrounds to work together effectively for standardized, on-the-scene, incident management has yet to be developed. There is a strong need to explicitly share, copy, and reuse the existing problem-solving knowledge in a complex ICS. As an example, the TTIPP model is applied to the task of emergency response for debris-flow during a typhoon as a part of an ICS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s131-s131
Author(s):  
Hsing Chia Cheng ◽  
Kuang Yu Niu ◽  
Ming Han Ho

Introduction:After a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Hualien on February 6, 2018, over one hundred and fifty patients crammed into the emergency department of a nearby tertiary hospital within two hours. The mass casualty incident (MCI) call was activated, and over 300 related personnel responded to the call and engaged with the MCI management.Aim:This research aimed to analyze the practice of an MCI call and to form the strategies to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.Methods:The research was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Hualien, Taiwan. Questionnaires regarding the practice of the MCI call were sent out to the healthcare providers in the emergency department who responded to that MCI operation.Results:Thirty-seven responders in the emergency department were involved in this study. 78% had participated in training courses for hospital incident command system (HICS) or MCI management before this event. On arrival at the emergency department, 69.4% of the responders were aware of the check-in station and received a clear task assignment and briefing. During the operation, 25.7% reported the lack of confidence carrying out the assigned tasks and 54.1% of the participants experienced great stress (stress score over 7 out of 10).Discussion:MCI is an uncommon event for hospital management. It is universally challenging owing to its unpredictable and time-sensitive nature. Furthermore, the administration could be further complicated by the associated disasters. Despite regular exercises and drills, there are still a significant number of participants experiencing stress and confusion during the operation. The chaotic situation may further compromise the performance of the participants. This study showed that optimizing task briefing and on-site directions may improve the performance of the MCI participants.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s19-s19
Author(s):  
Beth Weeks

Introduction:In a disaster or mass casualty incident, the Emergency Department (ED) charge nurse is thrust into an expanded leadership role, expected to not only manage the department but also organize a disaster response. Hospital emergency preparedness training programs typically focus on high-level leadership, while frontline decision-making staff get experience only through online training and infrequent full-scale exercises. Financial and time limitations of full-scale exercises have been identified as major barriers to frontline training.Aim:To discuss a cost-effective approach to training ED charge nurses and informal leaders in disaster response.Methods:A formal training program was implemented in the ED. All permanent and relief charge nurses are required to attend one four-hour Hospital ICS course within their first year in their position, as well as participate in a minimum of one two-hour ED-based tabletop exercise per year. The tabletop exercises are offered bimonthly, covering various mass casualty scenarios such as apartment complex fires, riots, and a tornado strike. Full-scale exercises involving the ED occur annually.Results:ED permanent and relief charge nurses expressed increased skills and knowledge in areas such as initiation of disaster processes, implementation of hospital incident command, and familiarization with protocols and available resources. Furthermore, ED charge nurses have demonstrated strong leadership, decision-making, and improved response to actual mass casualty incidents since implementing ICS training and tabletop exercises.Discussion:Limitations of relying on full-scale disaster exercises to provide experience to frontline leaders can be overcome by the inclusion of ICS training and tabletop exercises for ED charge nurses in a hospital training and exercise plan. Implementing a structured training program for ED charge nurses focusing on leadership in mass casualty incidents is one step to building a more resilient and prepared ED, hospital, and community.


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