Review of Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Among Summer Camps in the United States: Updates and Challenges. Issue Volume 34:Issue s1(2019) (May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hashikawa, Andrew; Bradin, Stuart; Ambrose, Michael
• Is Part Of: Prehospital and disaster medicine. Volume 34:Issue s1(2019)
• Page Start: s61
• Page End: s61
• Publication Date: 2019-05
• Subjects: Emergency medical services -- Periodicals; Emergency medicine -- Periodicals; Disaster medicine -- Periodicals; 616.025
• DOI: 10.1017/S1049023X19001377
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1049-023X

Abstract

Abstract : Introduction: More than 14 million children in the United States attend summer camps yearly, including many special medical needs children. Summer camps are at risk for multiple pediatric casualties during a disaster. The American Camp Association, in the 2017 critical issues report, identified emergency preparedness as the top critical health and safety issue. Camps, compared to school-based settings, face unique challenges when planning for disasters, but research has been challenging because of the lack of access to camp leadership and data. Aim: Provide a targeted up-to-date synopsis on the current state of disaster preparedness and ongoing collaborative research and technology interventions for improving preparedness among summer camps. Methods: Researchers partnered with a national health records system (CampDoc.com) and American Academy of Pediatrics disaster experts to review results from a national camp survey. Main themes were identified to assess gaps and develop strategies for improving disaster preparedness. Results: 169 camps responses were received from national camp leadership. A substantial proportion of camps were missing 4 critical areas of disaster planning: 1) Most lacked online emergency plans (53%), methods to communicate information to parents (25%), or strategies to identify children for evacuation/reunification (40%); 2) Disaster plans failed to account for special/medical needs children (38%); 3) Staff training rates were low for weather (58%), evacuation (46%), and lockdown (36%); 4) Most camps (75%) did not plan with disaster organizations. Discussion: Collaboration with industry and disaster experts will be key to address the gaps identified. Current research and interventions include the recent release of a communication alert tool allowing camps to send mass text emergency notifications. Additionally, a recent pilot to incorporate disaster plans into the electronic health records platform emphasizing communication, evacuation, and identification of local experts has begun. Efforts to develop a unified disaster tool kit for summer camps remains a challenge.