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Community Disaster Preparedness
Questions and Answers
1
How has emergency medical services been involved in disasters in the past?
Emergency medical services (EMS) has been involved with disaster response as part of their routine responses. During a disaster, EMS will typically be called on through 911. EMS is likely to be the first to respond on a scene for an unexpected incident. EMS providers have acted as Incident Command to initiate response efforts until the rest of the system has been established. Simultaneously, EMS is expected to treat the injured and coordinate transport to definitive medical care as needed. As for predicted incidents, EMS has usually been involved in the planning and preparedness efforts in order to react and respond in the most effective and efficient ways possible.
2
During an epidemic, what are some ways that EMS is involved?
Epidemics are described as the widespread manifestation of an infectious disease in a population during a particular time frame. Some epidemics can be expected, such as the potential for pandemic influenza during the winter months in the United States. The concept of an infectious disease that could easily be spread is a subject that EMS can prepare for, and in some ways can directly prepare the community. EMS providers can be prophylactically vaccinated against easily communicable diseases including influenza, but also measles or hepatitis A. Agencies can work together to determine the required level of isolation needed and potentially coordinate specific units to respond to calls that are suspected of an infectious disease. Working with the hospital system, specific sites can be predesignated to receive the potentially infected patients.
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