Preparedness for Mass Casualty Incidents: The Effectiveness of Current Training Model. (29th October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Biswas, Seema; Bahouth, Hany; Solomonov, Evgeny; Waksman, Igor; Halberthal, Michael; Bala, Miklosh
• Is Part Of: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness. Volume 16:Number 5(2022)
• Page Start: 2120
• Page End: 2128
• Publication Date: 2022-10-29
• Subjects: Mass casualty incidents -- disaster medicine -- emergency medical services -- emergency preparedness -- trauma centers; Disaster medicine -- Periodicals; Emergency management -- Planning -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 363.34
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2021.264
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1935-7893

Abstract

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.