Flexible surge capacity – public health, public education, and disaster management

Abstract

Background: Failed attempts to improve the delivery of healthcare to communities show distinct flaws that have a higher impact during a major incident or disaster (MID). This study evaluates the concept of surge capacity, which intends to achieve a balance between the needs and resources in affected areas by providing staff, stuff, structure, and system. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed according to the PRISMA statement and by using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, and related keywords. Results: There were limited publications about flexible surge capacity (FSC). However, the sum of data obtained indicated the need for flexibility in expanding major incidents or disasters, demanding new resources, which may neither be available on time nor reachable due to infrastructural damage. Conclusion: FSC is a novel concept based on international guidelines. It refers to the extra and adjustable human and material resources that can be mobilized by activating nonprofessional but educated staff and different but accepted facilities in a fast, smooth, and productive way. Public health and public education play an essential role in obtaining such flexibility.

Disasters and Public Health Emergencies—Current Perspectives in Preparedness and Response

“…In the preparedness phase, the ability and knowledge of each organization and all individuals in the management system should be tested and evaluated to ensure good readiness in responding to an emergency. Furthermore, plans should be available at all levels of the emergency chain of action to cope with all issues in the response and recovery phases [1,2]. This Issue of Sustainability aimed to cover emergency and public health crisis management from a multiagency perspective, by discussing lessons learned, introducing new ideas about flexible surge capacity, and showing the way it can practice multiagency collaboration.…”

Enhancing Local Disaster Management Network through Developing Resilient Community in New Taipei City, Taiwan

“…Surge capacity (SC) means the ability to increase staff, stuff, structure, and system (4S) rapidly and effectively in the affected areas. FSC indicates the capability to scale up and down resources in a fast, smooth, and productive way [15]. The community could provide manpower to help local government in many ways such as, but not limited to, evacuating vulnerable people, opening shelters, managing living supplies/materials, and identifying disaster hotspots.…”

Regional Flexible Surge Capacity—A Flexible Response System

“…The expansion of MID necessitates a new surge capacity (secondary SC), which underlines the need for increased effort to obtain additional resources still available within the management system [9][10][11]. A further expansion of incidences demands new approaches, policies, and adjustable preparedness within the community to scale up and down resources in a quick and seamless manner, i.e., "flexible surge capacity" (FSC) [12]. The concept of FSC is concordant with the new paradigm of proactivity in disaster management and emphasizes risk reduction rather than focusing on pure relief operations to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience within communities [13].…”

“…The focus of this paper, however, is on ACFs at predesignated, strategic buildings. These untapped resources available within a community can be lifesaving and deserve recognition and support from all agencies within the emergency management network [12,16]. A more comprehensive view of the Structure component of SC includes buildings of opportunity and facilities of interest that can be designated and converted to act as an ACF.…”

“…A more comprehensive view of the Structure component of SC includes buildings of opportunity and facilities of interest that can be designated and converted to act as an ACF. Such buildings can consist of, but are not restricted to, outpatient clinics, dental and veterinary clinics, schools, hotels, convention centers, and sports facilities [6,10,12,17,18].…”