Abstract:After-action reports on the 2005 hurricane relief efforts pointed to the need for effective and efficient civilian/military operational cooperation. Cited for particular attention was the interface with National Guard units. This article describes an exercise conducted with National Guard units and members of the Central New York Medical Reserve Corps to educate all participants in effective interaction during disaster responses. Using a unique health care facility located at the New York State Fairgrounds, th… Show more
“…The exercise reports were reviewed to identify any evidence that communication strategies were tested, and if so, how successful they were in facilitating the management of victims during these exercises. Six of the 13 identified exercise papers make no mention of how communication strategies were employed, or what information simulated victims were provided with (Al‐Damouk and Bleetman, 2005; Fertel et al , 2009; FitzGerald et al , 2003; Grant, 2007; Hayes, 2010; Lenz and Richter, 2009).…”
PurposeEffective communication has been recognised as an important issue for the management of incidents involving decontamination; evidence shows that failure to communicate effectively may result in increased public anxiety and non‐compliance. This paper aims to examine current provision for communicating with members of the public during decontamination, to facilitate the development of improved responder communication strategies.Design/methodology/approachTo examine the current provision for communicating with members of the public, the authors reviewed open source decontamination guidance documents for responders, as well as published reports of emergency preparedness exercises involving decontamination.FindingsThe review of decontamination guidance documents showed that specific guidance for professional responders on how to communicate with the public during incidents that involve decontamination could be improved. Similarly, the review of published decontamination exercises shows that a stronger emphasis on communication with members of the public is needed, in addition to the use of exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies.Originality/valueThe present research summarises existing evidence relating to how communication strategies employed by responders can shape public responses to decontamination. Analysed alongside current decontamination guidance for emergency responders, this evidence highlights potential gaps in planning for communicating with members of the public during decontamination. It is hoped that this will promote an increased understanding of the importance of communication during these types of incidents, which will in turn facilitate the development of more comprehensive responder communication strategies.
“…The exercise reports were reviewed to identify any evidence that communication strategies were tested, and if so, how successful they were in facilitating the management of victims during these exercises. Six of the 13 identified exercise papers make no mention of how communication strategies were employed, or what information simulated victims were provided with (Al‐Damouk and Bleetman, 2005; Fertel et al , 2009; FitzGerald et al , 2003; Grant, 2007; Hayes, 2010; Lenz and Richter, 2009).…”
PurposeEffective communication has been recognised as an important issue for the management of incidents involving decontamination; evidence shows that failure to communicate effectively may result in increased public anxiety and non‐compliance. This paper aims to examine current provision for communicating with members of the public during decontamination, to facilitate the development of improved responder communication strategies.Design/methodology/approachTo examine the current provision for communicating with members of the public, the authors reviewed open source decontamination guidance documents for responders, as well as published reports of emergency preparedness exercises involving decontamination.FindingsThe review of decontamination guidance documents showed that specific guidance for professional responders on how to communicate with the public during incidents that involve decontamination could be improved. Similarly, the review of published decontamination exercises shows that a stronger emphasis on communication with members of the public is needed, in addition to the use of exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies.Originality/valueThe present research summarises existing evidence relating to how communication strategies employed by responders can shape public responses to decontamination. Analysed alongside current decontamination guidance for emergency responders, this evidence highlights potential gaps in planning for communicating with members of the public during decontamination. It is hoped that this will promote an increased understanding of the importance of communication during these types of incidents, which will in turn facilitate the development of more comprehensive responder communication strategies.
“…Areas of improvement identified by MI simulation Communication 7,11,40,41 Lack of working knowledge of MIRP 7,11,39–41 Staffing, and medical resources 7,11,40,41 Command structure 11 Lack of compatibility between prehospital and hospital teams, or between departments. 41 Improved security during events 39 Engagement with community partners and first responders 39,43 Documentation 7 Media strategy 9 …”
Major incidents are occurring in increasing frequency, and place significant stress on existing health-care systems. Simulation is often used to evaluate and improve the capacity of health systems to respond to these incidents, although this is difficult to evaluate. A scoping review was performed, searching 2 databases (PubMed, CINAHL) following PRISMA guidelines. The eligibility criteria included studies addressing whole hospital simulation, published in English after 2000, and interventional or observational research. Exclusion criteria included studies limited to single departments or prehospital conditions, pure computer modelling and dissimilar health systems to Australia. After exclusions, 11 relevant studies were included. These studies assessed various types of simulation, from tabletop exercises to multihospital events, with various outcome measures. The studies were highly heterogenous and assessed as representing variable levels of evidence. In general, all articles had positive conclusions with respect to the use of major incidence simulations. Several benefits were identified, and areas of improvement for the future were highlighted. Benefits included improved understanding of existing Major Incident Response Plans and familiarity with the necessary paradigm shifts of resource management in such events. However, overall this scoping review was unable to make definitive conclusions due to a low level of evidence and lack of validated evaluation.
“…The cultural differences between the military and civilian sectors can lead to communication difficulties, thus impacting the ability of the team to optimally assist during an emergency event. The frequent use of acronyms and the perceived abrupt nature of military communications were noted as difficulties during a field training exercise in Upstate New York in 2006 (Grant and LaLainia 2007). Perhaps the use of such communication templates could assist in improving communications both to the concerned public being served, and within the joint response organization as well.…”
Experience gained during a field training exercise with a Medical Reserve Corps unit on the screening of large groups of individuals for possible contamination with radioactive material revealed that while exercise participants were generally attentive to the proper use of protective equipment and detectors, they tended to overlook important basic risk communications aspects. For example, drill participants did not actively communicate with the persons waiting in line for screening, a step which would provide re-assurance, possibly minimize apprehension, and would clarify expectations. When questioned on this issue of risk communication, drill participants were often able to craft ad hoc messages, but the messages were inconsistent and likely would not have significantly helped diminish anxiety and maintain crowd control. Similar difficulties were encountered regarding messaging for persons determined to be contaminated, those departing the screening center, and those to be delivered to the media. Based on these experiences, the need for a suggested list of risk communication points was identified. To address this need, a set of risk communication templates were developed that focused on the issues likely to be encountered in a mass screening event. The points include issues such as the importance of remaining calm, steps for minimizing possible intake or uptake, considerations for those exhibiting acute injuries, expected screening wait times, the process to be followed and the information to be collected, the process to be undertaken for those exhibiting contamination, and symptoms to watch for after departure. Drill participants indicated in follow-up discussions that such pre-established risk communication templates would serve to enhance their ability to assist in times of emergency and noted the potential broader applicably of the approach for use in responses for other disasters types as well.
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