ABSTRACT
At the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, disaster planning has been an integral part of the airport operations for the past 20 years. The medical component of this disaster planning has focused around the Medical Office at JFK. Through this office, on-site emergency medical teams have been established and trained from all ranks of airport personnel. Following the crash of a Boeing 727 aircraft in 1975, a new concept was added to disaster planning for JFK, which involves bringing the hospital, its facilities, and its personnel to the scene. A new piece of equipment, known as Emergency Mobile Hospital, was developed with the cooperation of the airlines, the operating authority of the airport, and other interested parties. Two such vehicles are now in constant readiness at the airport, and together provide two operating rooms, 12 monitored ICU beds, a 16-bed burn unit, and 72 other beds to be used for on-site stabilization of critically ill patients, before transfer to a definitive care facility. Under the auspices of a single area medical school (New York Medical College) and its affiliated departments of surgery, trauma teams are made available to be airlifted to the scene within 30 minutes of notification. Additional medical teams from other medical school hospitals serve as backup support. The principle of bringing the hospital to the emergency, and of assembling trauma teams for the initial phase, remains the same for Kennedy Airport as for that of any other metropolitan airport.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Disaster Planning , Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Hospital Administration , Hospitals, Packaged/organization & administration , Humans , Interinstitutional Relations , New York City , Resuscitation , Transportation of Patients , Triage , United StatesABSTRACT
With more survivors of air crashes involving jumbo jets, an improved plan for life-saving emergency care at the crash site is discussed. The concept of airlifting predesignated Trauma Teams to the crash site from large medical centers within a radius of 100 miles is discussed. The "work-shop" for these teams is described in detail, providing an operating and intensive care facility at the scene of the disaster. It is shown how this kind of planning can be applied to natural disasters with multiple casualties as well as to airport disasters.
Subject(s)
Aircraft , Disasters , Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Wounds and Injuries , Forecasting , Hospitals, Community , Mobile Health Units , New York , Patient Care Team , WorkforceABSTRACT
An analysis of survival of passengers involved in accidents over the last decade shows approximately three time fewer fatalities, in proportion to the number of passengers involved, in wide-bodied jets than in piston aircraft. Various factors affecting the improved survival rates are discussed. Application of these points with particular reference to airport disaster planning is made. It is shown that there are larger numbers of survivors when life-saving emergency treatment utilizes the concept of "bringing the hospital to the disaster." Details of the Mobile Emergency Hospital developed at Kennedy International Airport are described.
