JANE'S MASS CASUALTY HANDBOOK: PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
By Craig DeAtley, PA-C, et al, spiral-bound, 372 pages, Jane's Information Group,
2003, ISBN 071062591X, $35
One of the challenges for public safety today is integrating a wide range of
topics and competencies that since the terrorist attacks have gone from "gee
whiz" to "need to know." Fortunately, this handbook provides
up-to-date, systematic information for any organization that participates in
prehosptial response.
The book takes an all-hazards, systems approach to mass-casualty events, one
that integrates a multi-agency response into a single response outline for each
type of hazard, with a bulleted list of important points and, where needed, tables,
flowcharts or pictures.
The book's format will be familiar to field responders: The inside front and
back covers provide immediate on-scene procedures, and the 11 chapters provide
condensed information in an outline/bullet format. Chapters on emergency
operations plans, incident response and crime scene considerations are followed
by chapters focusing on explosive and incendiary devices, chemical emergencies,
nuclear and radiological incidents, biological incidents, natural disasters,
and manmade disasters.
Each chapter describing a hazard follows the same format, covering planning and
preparedness, agent/weapon types, incident response and hazard-specific considerations.
This integrated response outline is one of the handbook's most valuable features,
providing clear explanations of the roles and responsibilities for each agency. This
is valuable for the local responder training for a mass-casualty event or the
field commander operating at an incident. Each of these chapters provides
a comprehensive outline of the urgent, important and long-term issues.
A second valuable feature is descriptions of the detection equipment available
to field responders for chemical, nuclear and radiological incidents.
Chapter 10, Extended Operations and System Recovery, provides information not
generally found in other mass-casualty references. The authors draw from
their experience with domestic and international US&R deployments, as well
as the 2001 terrorist attacks. The last chapter describes how to conduct
mass-casualty exercises.
This is a valuable handbook providing a comprehensive approach to post--9-11
mass-casualty events.
—Michael J. Ward, MS, MIFireE
EMS Management Program, George Washington University
Emergency Services Times
April/May 2003
(c. 4,800, UK)
Jane’s Mass Casualty Handbook: Pre-Hospital
Fire, ambulance and law enforcement personnel have always been expected to respond
to
incidents involving mass casualties, whether natural or manmade. Fortunately,
most communities have rarely experienced an incident that has overwhelmed their
resources or tested other aspects of their disaster response planning and training.
However, the escalating threat of terrorism means that now more than ever, all
emergency
services personnel along with public health, the healthcare community and emergency
management officials must collaborate to develop, train on and rehearse mass
casualty plans that address the possible use of chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear or explosive
weapons.
Mass casualty incidents
The new Jane’s Mass Casualty Handbook:
Pre-Hospital, together with the Hospital edition, is designed to assist responders
prepare
for and respond to mass casualty incidents of all types. Rather than a comprehensive
textbook, it is designed to be a rapid guide that identifies critical planning
issues and presents important action steps and response considerations in a succinct
and user friendly
format. The recommendations are intended to provide guidance that is practical,
realistic,
cost effective and, by adopting a systems approach, useful in multiple situations.
Decontamination procedures
Specific guidance is provided on decontamination procedures, personal protective
equipment, on scene procedures (including site set up), as well as speciality
considerations
for the elderly, infants and those with special needs.
The chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear sections also include critical
information on the signs, symptoms, precautions and treatment for incidents involving
weapons of mass destruction.
Craig DeAtley, the editor and lead author, is a leading expert in emergency disaster
preparedness including terrorism, chemical, biological and nuclear incidents.
He is the
Deputy Director of the Institute of Public Health at Washington Hospital in Washington
DC. In 2002 the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) named him the
Outstanding Physician Assistant of the Year.
EMS Magazine
Van Nuys, California, USA
Monthly circulation: 50,500
APRIL 2004
EMS Magazine's Resource Guide: WMD/Terrorism Response
Jane's Offers Prehospital Disaster Handbook
It's a dirty-nuke attack--quick, what do you do? No, wait--it's a biological
outbreak. What does that mean for you? Hold on--now it looks like an intentional
release. How does that change things?
By now, some of you may have reached for several different resources. Radiological
requirements here, infectious-disease protocols there, bioterror considerations
over yonder. Useful one and all, but inconvenient when seconds count. Who can
waste time juggling references in an emerging disaster?
For many, having a single, convenient wide-ranging resource for a variety of
disaster situations would be preferable. To meet that need, Jane's Information
Group--a leading publisher of defense, transport and security news, information
and analysis--offers Jane's Mass Casualty Handbook: Pre-Hospital, a comprehensive
guidebook to preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters both
natural and manmade.
"After almost 30 years in EMS, I didn't feel there was a compendium of classical,
tried-and-true information in this area that had been formatted into a user-friendly
design," says the book's editor and lead author, Craig DeAtley, PA-C, a
former paramedic and a leading expert on disaster preparedness. "Certainly,
there are some excellent books on disaster, but that's a key difference: Those
are books; this is a handbook. We wanted to provide down-to-earth suggestions
for planning and response to many of the most common types of disaster situations
that we can expect to see."
The book---a companion to Jane's Mass Casualty Handbook: Hospital, published
earlier in 2003--identifies planning issues and discusses common disaster scenarios,
outlining applicable action steps and response considerations. Topics covered
include the full range of CBRNE threats; on-scene procedures; incident command;
PPE; decontamination procedures; and treating casualties.
"We try to give some unique planning insights, as well as some response
principles to keep in mind," says DeAtley.