How it Works; How to Help
MMS Physician Focus: December 2010
By Paul Biddinger, M.D.
If disaster strikes: Will my family and I be safe? Who
will help? What can I do?
These are the questions we may ask when witnessing major
emergencies such as natural disasters, severe storms, infectious
disease epidemics, or intentional or accidental man-made disasters
such as terrorist acts or hazardous spills. The vivid memories and
images from 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Haiti, as well as the
disruptions caused by the recent H1N1 flu epidemic show just how
significant these events can be and how much they can affect public
health and safety.
Responding to emergencies can be an enormous challenge for
public officials, health providers, and private citizens alike,
requiring vast resources and involving thousands of individuals.
But it's critical to remember that preparing for emergencies before
they occur can limit the damage caused by the event. Now is the
time for all of us to remember both how important it is to be
prepared for disasters and also how much we can help each
other.
So, exactly who does what? And how can citizens get involved?
Here's a primer:
At the local level (and all disasters depend on the local
response first), your fire department, police department, Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) provider, public health department, and
other local government representatives work together to identify
the extent of the disaster, respond as much as possible to calls
for threats to personal safety and health, and maintain order.
Emergency managers help coordinate the efforts of the local
responders. Hospitals and health professionals try to coordinate
with either their local health department or local emergency
manager.
States have agencies that specialize in managing disasters, and
in the Commonwealth it's the Massachusetts Emergency Management
Agency, (MEMA). MEMA works with local emergency managers, other
state agencies, private organizations, and the federal government
to help the Commonwealth respond to and recover from disasters
large and small.
For health and medical concerns, the Massachusetts Department of
Public Health (DPH) takes the lead to work with health providers to
plan for and respond to emergencies. DPH also oversees two
systems that manage volunteer efforts and are critical to the
state's emergency response efforts. The Massachusetts System for
Advanced Registration (MSAR) is a program that recruits and
pre-registers licensed health care professionals - physicians,
nurses and others, to ensure they can be used to help in
emergencies. In addition, DPH coordinates more than 40 Medical
Reserve Corps (MRCs), which are locally-based volunteer units in
communities and regions across the state that stand ready to help
in events ranging from flu clinics to health fairs to severe storms
to disasters.
Nationally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency supports
citizens and first responders, coordinating the federal response
working with more than two dozen partners and nonprofit agencies to
provide emergency food and water, medical supplies and services,
search and rescue operations, transportation assistance, and
environmental assessment. FEMA also oversees nearly 2,500 Citizen
Corps Councils across the U.S. - a network of volunteers willing to
be part of preparedness and response efforts.
Also at the national level, the National Disaster Medical System
is led by the Department of Health and Human Services, partnering
with FEMA, the Department of Defense, and the Veterans
Administration along with public and private hospitals across the
U.S. to provide emergency medical care following major
disasters.
Citizens can play dual roles in emergency preparedness.
First, we should all prepare now for emergencies by establishing
our own personal preparedness plans, assembling disaster supply
kits, and making a family communications plan. Although this might
seem hard, it isn't. Simple worksheets on how to accomplish
these tasks are available at www.ready.gov (which offers
information in 12 languages besides English) or at www.mass.gov/mema. There's even
information on these sites about how to prepare for "normal"
occurrences, like weather winter.
Second, we all have the opportunity to become an important part
of response efforts by volunteering for a Medical Reserve Corps
(MRC). Medical and nonmedical personnel with a variety of skills
are needed to play key roles at the local level in responding to
emergencies or to help with flu clinics or health educational
efforts. Training is provided for all volunteers, who run the gamut
from young to old, working to retired, and individuals can fit
their volunteering into their own schedules. Starting this year,
the state has established a new partnership -- Mass Responds - to
integrate local, regional, and statewide volunteer resources. To
enroll, visit the Mass Responds site at www.maresponds.org
While everyone's hope is that disasters and emergencies never
happen, such events will inevitably occur. It's easy to put
off improving your personal preparedness or forget about joining a
local MRC until an event strikes, and then it's often too
late. The better each of us is prepared today, the better it
is for our families and our community. Take a moment today to
improve your personal preparedness and consider joining a volunteer
team. We're all in this together.
Paul Biddinger, M.D., is Chairman of the Massachusetts
Medical Society's Committee on Preparedness and Director of
Pre-Hospital Care and Disaster Medicine at Massachusetts General
Hospital. Physician Focus is a public service of the Massachusetts
Medical Society. Readers should use their own judgment when seeking
medical care and consult with their physician for treatment.
Comments toPhysicianFocus@mms.org
. For a video discussion of emergency preparedness and how state
and local governments work together to prepare and respond, visit
the Massachusetts Medical Society at www.physicianfocus.org
.
