This is a test

Other Resources

>>12th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Conference, June 1-4, 2009

Emergency Management Presentations

These are two abstracts from Dr. K. C. Rondello, M.D., M.P.H, and Assistant Professor of Emergency Management and Health Services Administration at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY.

Submission #1: An Emergency Manager’s Guide to Establishing Alternate Care Facilities

Shortly after the advent of a natural or anthropogenic disaster, local hospitals and doctor’s offices are likely to become quickly inundated with casualties. This will necessitate the rapid establishment of Alternate Care Facilities (ACFs) to augment the medical care being provided by existing healthcare sources. Many disaster officials believe that the sole consideration in arranging such facilities is providing adequate physical space, however there are a myriad of factors that must be considered prior to launching these temporary care sites. While ACF designers need not be clinically trained, they must have a fundamental understanding of the concerns involved in operating such an essential component of the disaster response infrastructure.

This presentation is based on lessons learned following the establishment of ACFs deployed in response to several recent national disasters, including Hurricane Ike. Its intention is to highlight for emergency managers what essential factors should be foremost in mind when charged with establishing such a facility. Without a fundamental understanding of these vital points, not only will critical time be lost, but excess morbidity and mortality may result.

Principal considerations include logistical issues (dimensions of space, safety and security, utility support, location and access), clinical issues (infection control, patient flow, recordkeeping, mental health) and administrative issues (source of personnel, policies for operations, nutrition and sleeping arrangements). In addition, specific challenges and pitfalls are likely to be faced when establishing ACFs which range from accommodating special needs patients to managing adverse environmental conditions and political concerns.

Submission #2: EMOC: Emergency Management On Campus -- Student Assistance in University Disasters

Disaster management on a university campus presents several unique challenges – and opportunities. In the advent of widespread catastrophe affecting a geographic area encompassing a college campus, medical and emergency personnel will be few and far between. It may be necessary for university communities to address disaster situations internally without the aid of external forces – for what may be a prolonged period of time. With the large number of individuals on a college campus (students, faculty, staff, administration, visitors, etc.) this urgent need may quickly overwhelm the often limited university staff charged with emergency management and health services. A study was undertaken in order to better describe and quantify the human resources that may be available within the student population – possibly a valuable source of skill and expertise that may be tapped in a disaster.

Over the course of four months, a graduate research team at Adelphi University surveyed over 500 graduate and undergraduate students assessing the skills and abilities they possessed that would be useful to emergency managers in handling a crisis. In addition to appraising their expertise, students were asked to gauge their willingness to participate in a rescue and recovery effort given a spectrum of different disaster conditions. Student competency (medical, managerial, security and otherwise) and alacrity were rated and entered into SPSS for analysis. The resulting evidence-based models devised by the researchers provide valuable tools that may be used by any emergency manager faced with a disaster affecting a university community.

Dr. Rondello can be reached at: >>Rondello@adelphi.edu.