Medical Response Capabilities to a Catastrophic Disaster: "House" or House of Cards?
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Donald A. Donahue
Abstract
Planning for a disaster is often influenced by the dual factors of perception of probabilities and current technology. Response design is built upon assumptions on the size, scope, and severity of the catastrophe. Yet, history documents myriad disasters that far surpassed even the direst predictions. Similarly, response mechanisms build upon what is in use at the time in terms of equipment, transportation, and employment. Current planning factors may prove inadequate to address a disaster of historical proportion. The authors offer a review of significant disasters as a measure of the potential scope of needed medical response and the inherent shortcomings therein. They call for a more comprehensive approach to medical response planning.
©2012 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
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- Cybersecurity Policy-Making at the Local Government Level: An Analysis of Threats, Preparedness, and Bureaucratic Roadblocks to Success
- Between Safety and Security: The Policy Challenges of Transporting Toxic Inhalation Hazards
- Simulation-Based Evaluation of Port Emergency Evacuation Plans for Predictable Natural Disasters
- Tornado Warnings in Three Southern States: A Qualitative Analysis of Public Response Patterns
- Negotiating the 'Trading Zone'. Creating a Shared Information Infrastructure in the Dutch Public Safety Sector .
- The Cross-National Adaptability of EMS Protocols for Mass Casualty Incidents
- Graph Matching Based Decision Support Tools For Mitigating Spread Of Infectious Diseases Like H1N1
- Comparison of Sampling Methods for Post-Hurricane Damage Survey
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- The Status of General Aviation Airports in Disaster Response Planning
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