Response burn disasters

Lachance, K. R., Santos, A. B., Burns, B. J. (1994). The response of an assertive community treatment team program follotwing a natural disaster. Community Mental Health Journal, 30(5), 505-515. 

The disaster iife cycie for a mass burn casuaity incident is simiiar in structure to aii other disasters. This chapter wiii discuss preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and evaiuation. it is imperative that disaster... 

Burn patients consume many resources and have long lengths of stay. After the response to the disaster is over, these patients can remain hospitalized for months. The average length of stay for a patient with 50% TBSA burns is 50 days. Burn center staff may become exhausted, operating at or above capacity for this period of time. It is recommended that staff work regular 8-hour shifts if possible to prevent emotional and physical fatigue. 

Burns are unique injuries, and planning for a burn MCI may seem overwhelming. By following the basic principles of the disaster life cycle, an effective response plan can be created. For more information on your community or state plan for a burn MCI contact your local and state health departments. 

The magnitude of a disaster will determine whether the involvement of local, state, or federal government agencies is necessary. It is imperative that all elements of the ABA, from local burn units to the national office, work together efficiently and interact in a similar manner with various federal, state, and local agencies to create the maximum state of preparedness and the most effective response when a burn mass casualty event occurs. Disaster response in the United States is multitiered, reflecting limits placed on federal (in particular, the military) involvement in local affairs. 

Levels of medical response for a burn mass casualty disaster can be ranked as follows, from most to least likely to be used ... 

Military support to civil authorities is the final tier in the nation s disaster response system. Federal resources that may be implemented in the event of a major biochemical or radiation disaster are the U.S. Army Special Medical Augmentation Response Teams. The mission of the SMART teams is to provide short-duration medical liaison to local, state, federal, and DOD agencies responding to disasters, civil-military cooperative actions, humanitarian assistance missions, weapons of mass destruction incidents, or chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive incidents. There are 37 SMART teams, including two burn SMART teams operated by the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical... 

There was neither a full-scale emergency response plan nor a tug boat to tow the dangerously burning Grandcamp away from the port. A little after 9.00 a.m., the Texas City Disaster (as it is popularly known) occurred as the ship Grandcamp exploded. A great column of smoke shot up to an estimated 2000 ft, followed in 10s, by another even more violent shockwave. Within minutes of the second blast, the Monsanto Chemical Plant was in flames that resulted from broken lines and shattered containers. Entire buildings collapsed and people were trapped inside. Fire spread to the refineries that made up the Texas City industrial complex. 

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