Disaster
Medical System
Coordination
of Pre-Hospital Emergency Services
(This is a new draft, not previously provided.)
Function 7: Coordination of Pre-Hospital Emergency
Services
Element 7.1 Pre-Hospital system transformation to disaster status
Guideline 7.1.1: Pre-Hospital System Transformation
to Disaster
COORDINATION OF PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY SERVICES
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to summarize
provisions present in communication, transportation, and/or disaster plans
within the Operational Area that provide guidelines for the coordination of
pre-hospital emergency services during the progression from “normal”
pre-hospital care to disaster status.
II. AUTHORITY
Health and Safety Code, Division 2.5, Sections
1797.150-152
III. DEFINITIONS
A.
Normal Operations are defined as the day-to-day way in which the system functions to
provide dispatch, response, field and hospital care.
B.
Multi-Casualty Operations augment normal operations to provide care to an
increased number of patients. The
number of patients necessary to trigger this level of activity will vary and is
dependent on the geography and number and type of resources normally available
for deployment. (Within each
Operational Area, the criteria for escalation of operations should be clearly
defined.)
C.
Disaster Operations represent responses that are further augmented, to
provide care to a number of patients that exceeds the capacity of the
Operational Area. (Within each
Operational Area, the criteria for escalation of operations to this level should
be clearly defined.)
D.
Austere Medical Care is the level of medical care, modified from the
expected standard of care, that is provided when hospital resources, medical
supplies and medical personnel are limited or unavailable for an extended
response period.
IV. POLICY
A.
The interconnectedness
of response and communication plans is critical to assure the following:
1.
Clarity among
providers as to the extent and limitations of existing plans.
2.
The extent or severity
of response that dictates escalation or de-escalation of a response or
activation of another plan. (This is
individual to each system and may vary geographically within a system.)
3.
Plans are based on
Firescope, HEICS, or other SEMS-based management structure.
4.
That terminology
between and among existing plans is consistent.
B.
Fire, medical
transport, law enforcement, hospitals, dispatch agencies and local OES agencies
should participate with LEMSAs to assure unity in planning, training and
response efforts.
V. PROCEDURES
For each level of response established by an
Operational Area, the following items should be addressed in this policy:
A.
Specific definition of
the level (definition section)
B.
Individual(s)
authorized to declare or activate that level of response (policy section)
C.
The declaration or activation
process (procedure section)
1.
Includes
responsibility for notifications using Answering Point
2.
Includes list of
individuals or agencies to be notified at different levels
D.
Expectations of
activation for each group of providers (law, dispatch, fire, medical transport,
hospital, LEMSA, M/H OAC) as applicable
1.
Includes
responsibilities of Central Point
2.
Includes shift in
roles (for example, dispatch and ambulance priorities)
E.
Individual(s)
authorized to de-escalate or de-activate that level of response (policy
section)
F.
The implementation of
austere medical care within all or some of the permanent or temporary treatment
facilities
1.
Includes standard of
care specifics, treatment guidelines
2.
Includes
responsibilities for activation and deactivation of status
3.
Includes list of
individuals or agencies to be notified of need for implementation
4.
Includes alternatives
to be employed to avoid implementation of austere care