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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARCHIVES

Air Guard Strengthens Stance for Homeland Defense, Civil Support

During and since World War II, those serving in the National Guard and Reserve components have more than lived up to their Churchillian designation as “twice the citizen.” Their long list of missions will increase significantly in the months and years ahead, though – particularly in the field of homeland

Using Virtual Worlds to Plan for Real World Challenges

The battle of Waterloo was won, Wellington said, “on the playing fields of Eton.” Today’s high-tech playing fields – simulators and training devices, primarily – are somewhat less vigorous, but arguably much more important and can be used to train veritable armies of professional responders, either as individuals or as

Should U.S. ‘Take Out’ Julian Assange

If not, why not? There are good reasons, both pro and con. And is Assange the only culprit? Also, why are senior U.S. officials hiding behind reassuring comments that provide little or no comfort to U.S. allies throughout the world – and/or to the American people, either. Finally, at a

Pre-Planned Events: An Aid to Preparedness

The shopping list for a typical marathon requires that a number of “comfort stations” be available – also some ambulances and EMS techs, plus police and/or volunteers to seal off and protect a mere 26 miles plus of roads, traffic circles, bridges, and other urban thoroughfares. So why not get

Intelligent EOC Design: Today & Tomorrow

In ancient times – more specifically, the late 20th century – the emergency operations center was often whatever room at police headquarters, or in the Town Hall, happened to be vacant when the tornado struck. Today it is a well designed and properly equipped almost tailor-made space ready for use

A Breath of Fresh Air: The Best Respiratory Protection at the Most Reasonable Cost

Continuing budget constraints will make it very difficult for agencies at all levels of government – including the nation’s armed forces and homeland-security departments – to upgrade their “hardware” inventories during the coming year. For first responders, getting the most protection for the lowest acceptable cost could be a breathtaking

Healthcare Emergency Preparedness: An Improved Game Plan for 2011

The names of the players, the weekly practices, and the physical skills required may be different, but the principles are the same: Teamwork, advance preparation, proper coaching, and dedication are essential to final victory – whether the battle is on the football field, at the scene of a mass-casualty incident,

Lessons Learned: Mass Casualties and Communication Gaps

Emergency communications is key to incident management – and critical, both during and following, mass-casualty incidents (MCIs). On 7 July 2005, four suicide bombers detonated bombs between 8:50 a.m. and 9:47 a.m. on three underground commuter trains and a street bus in central London. Those bombings broke down the below-ground

A Mandatory Need for Gold Standard Sampling

The sampling of toxic gases, vapors, etc., at mass-casualty scenes can be no better than the equipment used to gather the sample, whether intended for on-scene analysis or at a fully qualified laboratory. Lives are at stake, which means strict adherence to gold-standard measurements: at the scene, in the lab,

Leadership at the Scene of a Mass-Casualty Incident

Not surprisingly, almost all media coverage of MCI situations focuses on the incident itself, the innocent victims, and the heroism shown by EMS techs and other responders. Little if any attention is paid, though, to the mundane organizational and administrative tasks involved in establishing an effective, well trained, and exceptionally

Bringing Greater Life-Saving Capabilities to the Incident Scene

Coming soon: New and highly capable CERFPs and better- trained and -equipped WMD CSTs. The acronyms are daunting and impossible to pronounce, but they represent another quantum leap in U.S. homeland-preparedness capabilities, with special significance at the state, local, and community levels of government.

The Hospital ICS: Mainstream Solution, or Barely Used?

Most but not all HICS policy guidelines have been deemed by the nation’s health-care community to be both reasonable and acceptable. And most but, again, not all are being incorporated into local emergency-response policies and guidelines as well. So the system is not yet perfect. It is headed in the

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