Preparedness and response to a rural mass casualty incident

By Theresa M. Wizemann, Bruce M. Altevogt, Kristin Viswanathan

Subjects: Congresses, Methods, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency management, Disaster medicine, Civil Defense, Rural Health Services, Rural health services, Mass casualties, Disaster Medicine, Mass Casualty Incidents, Emergency medical services, Organization & administration

Description: Problems contacting emergency services and delayed assistance are not unusual when incidents occur in rural areas, and the consequences can be devastating, particularly with mass casualty incidents. The IOM's Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events held a workshop to examine the current capabilities of emergency response systems and the future opportunities to improve mass casualty response in rural communities.