Planning and Triage in the Disaster Scenario

1. Operator - dispatch center

• Receives initial call or warning message concerning the event
• Establishes: caller’s name and telephone number - nature of event - exact location of event - time of occurrence - approximate number of victims
• Verifies information (if an unqualified observer)
• Mobilizes and sends a dispatch team to site for initial assessment
• Alerts potential responders (stand by)
• Receives report of initial assessment
• Dispatches necessary resources

2. Initial assessment team

• Travel to site expeditiously
• Identify a leader
• Establishes: precise location of the event time of the event - type of incident
• Estimates: number of casualties - added potential risk - exposed population
• Team Leader reports initial information to dispatch center
• Draws a single map of the area indicating:
  • main topographical features
  • potential risk areas
  • victims
  • access roads various field areas
  • limits of restricted areas
  • compass rose
  • wind direction
• Directs resources arriving in the field until the arrival of a high ranking officer
• Hands over the map and briefs first arriving officer of rank
• Reports to reassigned station

3. Fire services

The Fire Services will be responsible for:

• Safety
• Search and rescue
• Risk reduction
• Definition of restricted areas
• Providing a senior officer as a staff member of the Command Post
• Providing the Advanced Medical Post (AMP) with a Transport Officer

4. Search and rescue team

• Locates victims
• Removes victims from unsafe locations to collection point if necessary
• Conducts initial triage of victims (acute/ nonacute)
• Provides essential first aid
• Transfers victims to Advance Medical Post

5. Search and rescue officer

• Coordinates search and rescue activities by:
• identifying and assigning teams supervising team functioning
• establishing a collection point when necessary coordinating the transfer of patients from the collection point to the Advance Medical Post communicating with Command Post for resource reinforcement
• ensuring safety and welfare of search and rescue teams

6. Coordinator of the command post

• Performs overall coordination of the field operations
• Receives reports from the other officers in the Command Post
• Continuously assesses the general situation
• Coordinates requests between sectors in the field
• Ensures links between sectors
• Ensures the welfare of all staff involved in field operations
• Liaises with central headquarters, (e.g., EOCs)
• Authorizes releases to the media
• Acts as link between field operations and backup system
• Acts as link between field operations and backup system

7. Fire officer in command post

• Coordinates activities of the Fire Service in the field (ensures safety, search and rescue)
• Assists in transport organization
• Manages fire staff resource needs by:
  • continuous assessment
  • requests for backup
  • timely rotation of staff withdrawal of staff no longer needed
• Reports to the coordinator of the Command Post

8. Police officer in command post

• Ensures that radio communication is established and maintained
• Implements security measures to:
  • maintain restricted areas
  • provide crowd and traffic control
• Manage field police resources by:
  • continuous assessment of needs
  • redeployment of police officers
  • requests for backup
  • ensure adequate supply of necessary equipment
• This officer is generally the coordinator of the Command Post

9. Health officer in command post

• Supervises the field care of victims
• Provides the link between the health/ medical backup system
• Ensures the adequate supply of manpower and equipment
• Receives reports from the manager of the Advance Medical Post (acute treatment manager)
• Deploys and manages health staff resources
• Reports to the coordinator of the Command Post

10. Acute treatment manager (manager of advance medical post)

• Supervises triage and stabilization of victims in AMP
• Establishes the internal organization of the AMP
• Manages the staff of the AMP
• Ensures that effective victim flow is maintained
• Ensures adequate equipment and supplies are available in each treatment area
• Organizes the transfer of patients to health care facilities in collaboration with the Transport Officer, the Health Officer in the Command Post and receiving Health Care facility
• Decides on the transfer order of victims, the mode of transport, escort and destination
• Ensures staff welfare
• Reports to the Health Officer in the Command Post

11. Medical triage officer

• Receives victims at the entrance of the AMP
• Examines and assesses the condition of each victim
• Categorizes and tags patients as follows
  • Red-immediate stabilization necessary
  • Yellow-close monitoring, care can be delayed
  • Green-minor delayed treatment or no treatment
  • Black-deaths
• Directs victim to appropriate treatment area
• Reports to the manager of the AMP

12. Red team leader

• Receives patient from medical triage
• Examines and assesses the medical condition of the victim
• Institutes measures to stabilize the victim
• Continuously monitors victim’s condition
• Reassesses and transfers victims to other treatment areas
• Prioritizes victims for evacuation
• Requests evacuation in accordance with priority list
• Reports to the manager of the AMP

13. Evacuation officer

• Receives victims for evacuation
• Assesses the victim’s stability
• Assesses the security of any equipment attached to victims and corrects deficiencies
• Ensures that immobilization is adequate
• Ensures that the tag is safely and clearly attached
• Maintains observation of victims until transported
• Supervises loading and ensure escort is briefed
• Reports to manager of AMP

14. Transport officer

• Coordinates and supervises the transportation of victims
• Identifies access routes and communicates traffic flow to drivers
• Supervises all available ambulance drivers and drivers of assigned vehicles
• Receives requests for transportation
• Assigns appropriate vehicle tasks in accordance with specific needs
• Maintains a log of the whereabouts of all vehicles under his control
• Reports to the manager of the AMP

15. Administration clerk - triage area

• Maintains a register of all victims admitted to medical triage
• Records
  • name or identification number
  • age when possible
  • sex
  • time of arrival
  • injury category assigned
• Reports to Triage Officer

16. Administration clerk evacuation area

• Maintains a register of all victims leaving the AMP
• Records
  • victim name/number
  • injury category
  • time of departure
  • mode of departure (vehicle) and escort destination
• Reports to the evacuation office

17. Ambulance driver

• Remains in the vehicle at all times
• Responds promptly to directives from Transport Officer
• Ensures that vehicle is parked in designated area and is ready to move
• Transports patients in accordance with safety rules and instructions
• Reports to Transport Officer