Super ready: how a regional approach to Super Bowl EMS paid off.

The Super Bowl and its associated activities represent one of the largest special events in the world. Super Bowl XLVIII was geographically unique because the NFL's and Super Bowl Host Committee's activities, venues and events encompassed two states and fell across numerous jurisdictions within six counties (Bergen, Hudson, Morris, Essex, Middlesex, and Manhattan).This Super Bowl was the first to do this. EMS was one of the largest operational components during this event. Last and most important, it is the people and relationships that make any planning initiative and event a success. Sit down and have a cup a coffee with your colleagues, partners and neighbors in and out of state to discuss your planning initiatives. Do it early-it will make your efforts less painful should an event of this magnitude come to a city near you!

New Jersey's EMS response to Superstorm Sandy: a case study of the emergency management assistance compact.

In the United States, understanding the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is critical to responding to a natural disaster or manmade event. Recently, the State of New Jersey responded to Superstorm Sandy and implemented the EMAC system by requesting ambulances to aid in the Emergency Medical Services response. New Jersey's response to Superstorm Sandy was unprecedented in that this storm affected the entire state and EMS community. New Jersey's EMS community and infrastructure were impacted greatly, despite years of planning and preparation for such an event. Once received, out-of-state EMS resources were integrated into New Jersey's emergency management and EMS systems. In this report, each phase of the EMAC in New Jersey is explored, from how the response was coordinated to how it ultimately was executed. The state coordinated its response on multiple levels and, as such, tested the practical applicability of the EMAC process and employed best practices and solutions to issues that arose. These best practices and solutions may prove invaluable for any state or territory that may activate the EMAC system for emergency medical service resources.

Active shooter in the emergency department: a scenario-based training approach for healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND: An active shooter in the emergency department (ED) presents a significant danger to employees, patients, and visitors. Very little education on this topic exists for healthcare workers. Using didactic and scenario-based training methods, the authors constructed a comprehensive training experience to better prepare healthcare workers for an active shooter. METHODS: Thirty-two residents, nurses, and medical students participated in a disaster drill onboard a US military base. All were blinded to the scenarios. The study was approved by the institutional review board, and written consent was obtained from all participants. Each participant completed a 10-item pretest developed from the Department of Homeland Security's IS:907 Active Shooter course. Participants were exposed to a single active shooter scenario followed by a didactic lecture on hostage recovery and crisis negotiation. Participants were then exposed to a scenario involving multiple shooters. Many of the participants were held hostage for several hours. The training concluded with a post-test and debrief. Paired Student's t-test determined statistical significance between the pretest and post-test questionnaire scores. RESULTS: Paired Student's t-tests confirmed a statistically significant difference between the pretest and post-test scores for the subjects, as a whole (p < 0.002 [-0.177, -0.041]). There was no difference in scores for nurses (p = 1 [-1.779, 1.779]). The scores for resident physicians (p < 0.01 [-0.192, -0.032]) and medical students (p < 0.01 [-0.334, -0.044]) were found to be significant. CONCLUSIONS: Didactic lectures, combined with case-based scenarios, are an effective method to teach healthcare workers how to best manage an active shooter incident.

Lessons learned in implementing a 24/7 public health call center in response to H1N1 in the state of New Jersey.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to collect, examine, and report the data obtained in response to opening a 24/7 Call Center in response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak in the State of New Jersey in the Spring of 2009. DESIGN: Data log sheets were collected and analyzed based on phone calls received into the State of New Jersey H1N1 Call Center during the initial response to the H1N1 public health emergency from April to May 2009. Data were stratified to examine the types of calls received, where they originated, and the types of organizations/agencies that needed guidance/information during the initial response to the H1N1 public health emergency. Additionally, lessons learned from this operational response were documented. RESULTS: 3,855 calls were received and analyzed during the first 8 days of commencing the H1N1 Call Center. Signs and symptoms were the main category of questions asked, representing 31.2 percent of the call volume. Of the 3,855 calls, 216 (5.6 percent) were from agencies, such as healthcare institutions. Multiple lessons learned were documented from a planning and operations perspective. CONCLUSIONS: Communication to the general public is paramount to ensure accurate information is being conveyed during a public health response. The lessons learned from this operation are currently being utilized in response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak during the Fall of 2009.