Disaster response

Figure 2. Decontamination system. Bulgarian crisis intervention team. European Disaster Response Exercise, Austria, October 2004...

Nurses must participate as full partners with both the medical community and emergency management community in all aspects of disaster response and recovery. 

The principles of disaster planning, the common tasks consistent across all disaster responses, and the key components of a disaster preparedness plan are introduced in this chapter. Definitions of the different types of disasters are provided, along with a classification system for disasters based on their common and unique features onset, duration, and effect (immediate aftermath) and reactive period. The concept of the disaster time line as an organizational framework for strategic planning is introduced. The five areas of focus in... 

This chapter introduces the reader to the principles of disaster planning, the common tasks consistent across all disaster responses, and the key components of a disaster preparedness plan. 

Disasters may affect the psychological, emotional, and social well-being of the population in the affected community. Depending on the specific nature of the disaster, responses may range from fear, anxiety, and depression to widespread panic and terror. 

Preparedness refers to the proactive planning efforts designed to structure the disaster response prior to its occurrence. Disaster planning encompasses evaluating potential vulnerabilities (assessment of risk) and the... 

Activate disaster response plan Notification and initial response Leadership assumes control of event... 

Advance warning systems and the use of evacuation from areas of danger save lives and should be included in community disaster response plans whenever appropriate. Warnings can now be made months in advance, in the case of El Nino, to seconds in advance of the arrival of earthquake waves at some distance from the earthquake. Computers are being programmed to respond to warnings automatically, shutting down... 

A comprehensive disaster plan will account for the effective triage of patients (prioritization for care and transport of patients) and distribution of patients to hospitals (a coordinated, even distribution of patients to several hospitals as opposed to delivering most of the patients to the closest hospital). Review of previous disaster response efforts reveals that patients are frequently... 

Disaster planning must include a community mutual aid plan in the event that the hospital (s), nursing home(s), or other residential health care facility needs to be evacuated. Plans for evacuation of health care facilities must be realistic and achievable, and contain sufficient specific detail as to where patients will be relocated to and who will be there to care for them. Patient evacuation was a major challenge to disaster response efforts following Hurricane Katrina, and was hampered by the destruction of all major transportation routes in and out of the city. Pre-planning for the possibility of the need to evacuate entire health care facilities must address alternative modes of transportation and include adequate security measures (see Figure 1.4). 

Regardless of the type of approach used by planners (agent-specific or all-hazard), all hazards and potential dangers should be identified before an effective disaster response can be planned. 

The Southport County Health Department is holding a planning meeting with key public health officials and health care clinicians to address disaster preparedness. Southport is a town of 28,000 in northwest Montana and has experienced five blizzards and one flood in the past 3 years. Using the five focus areas of disaster planning, construct a disaster response plan for this community. 

What are some of the common problems, issues, and challenges associated with disaster response How can these problems and issues be addressed during the preparedness phase ... 

Auf der Heide, E. (1989). Disaster response Principles of preparation and coordination. St. Louis, MO Mosby. 

Schultz, C. H., Koenig, K. L., Noji, E. K. (1996). Current concepts A medical disaster response to reduce immediate mortality after an earthquake. New England Journal of Medicine, 334(7), 438-444. 

RESOLVED, that the NSNA encourage its constituents to work collaboratively with their local and state disaster response and healthcare agencies to develop a taskforce that will define the scope of practice of student nurses in disaster settings and develop a protocol for coordinating the collection and distribution of donations to be sent to disaster areas and be it further... 

RESOLVED, that the NSNA promote student involvement in community disaster response planning, implementation, and evaluation, and the collection and distribution of donations and be it further... 

The National Disaster Response Framework includes emergency management authorities, policies, procedures, and resources of local, state, and federal governments, as well as voluntary disaster relief agencies, the private sector, and international resources to provide assistance following a disaster. 

Changes in government structure in disaster response and in the public health system may create opportunities for nurses to act in new, yet-to-be defined roles. Nurses must actively seek out positions of leadership in health policy and disaster management. 

Disaster response, including national plans, must be routinely updated to incorporate new presidential directives and legislative changes and to reflect ongoing plan improvements and enhanced response capabilities, especially as a result of lessons learned. Because of the ever-changing nature of disaster response, published documents soon become outdated. Nurses need to know where they can obtain the most up-to-date information. Guidance to online resources on disaster response and emergency preparedness are provided. 

What will be the roles and functions of nurses in disaster response Nurses need to define what their roles will... 

Develop relationships with all participants and agencies that will be involved in a disaster response now, before a disaster occurs. 

Emergency Medical Services Committee, American College of Emergency Physicians. (2001). Disaster response and biolog-ical/chemical terrorism information packet. Dallas American College of Emergency Physicians. 

For more than 125 years, the American Red Cross has played an integral role in disaster response in communities across the United States. This chapter provides a historical overview of the structure and governance of the Red Cross, its conceptual foundation, fundamental principles... 

Planning is an ongoing feature of all Red Cross disaster activities. The Red Cross disaster response plan documents what it will take to respond to each type of disaster, what resources will be needed, how the resources will be coordinated and used, and contains policies, procedures, and protocols to ensure a systematic management of each facet of response, including those related to health (see Appendix I). The role of the Red Cross in disaster relief is that the Red Cross supplements the resources and services of the local, state, and federal government and does not override or substitute for the local, state, and federal governments responsihilities in times of disasters. The American Red Cross is not a first responder—all disasters are local—hut its services can be activated when the local need exceeds the availahle resources. 

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