Evaluation of prehospital preparedness for major incidents on a national level, with focus on mass casualty incidents

Evaluation of prehospital preparedness for major incidents on a national level, with focus on mass casualty incidents

Purpose To investigate prehospital preparedness work for Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI) and Major Incidents (MI) in Norway. Method A national cross-sectional descriptive study of Norway’s prehospital MI preparedness through a web-based survey. A representative selection of Rescue and Emergency Servic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of trauma and emergency surgery (Munich : 2007) Vol. 50; no. 3; pp. 945 - 957
Main Authors: Ugelvik, Kristina Stølen, Thomassen, Øyvind, Braut, Geir Sverre, Geisner, Thomas, Sjøvold, Janecke Engeberg, Agri, Joakim, Montan, Carl
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-06-2024
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Critical Care Medicine
Cross-Sectional Studies
Disaster Planning - organization & administration
Emergency Medical Services - organization & administration
Emergency Medical Services - standards
Emergency Medicine
Emergency services
Humans
Intensive
Interdisciplinary aspects
Mass Casualty Incidents
Medicin och hälsovetenskap
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Norway
Original
Original Article
Sports Medicine
Surgery
Surgical Orthopedics
Surveys and Questionnaires
Traumatic Surgery
Triage - standards
Norway
Mass Casualty Incidents
Major Incidents
Prehospital preparedness
Trauma
Disaster planning
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Summary:Purpose To investigate prehospital preparedness work for Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI) and Major Incidents (MI) in Norway. Method A national cross-sectional descriptive study of Norway’s prehospital MI preparedness through a web-based survey. A representative selection of Rescue and Emergency Services were included, excluding Non-Governmental Organisations and military. The survey consisted of 59 questions focused on organisation, planning, education/training, exercises and evaluation. Results Totally, 151/157 (96%) respondents answered the survey. The results showed variance regarding contingency planning for MCI/MI, revisions of the plans, use of national triage guidelines, knowledge requirements, as well as haemostatic and tactical first aid skills training. Participation in interdisciplinary on-going life-threatening violence (PLIVO) exercises was high among Ambulance, Police and Fire/Rescue Emergency Services. Simulations of terrorist attacks or disasters with multiple injured the last five years were reported by 21/151 (14%) on a regional level and 74/151 (48%) on a local level. Evaluation routines after MCI/MI events were reported by half of the respondents (75/151) and 70/149 (47%) described a dedicated function to perform such evaluation. Conclusion The study indicates considerable variance and gaps among Prehospital Rescue and Emergency Services in Norway regarding MCI/MI preparedness work, calling for national benchmarks, minimum requirements, follow-up routines of the organisations and future reassessments. Implementation of mandatory PLIVO exercises seems to have contributed to interdisciplinary exercises between Fire/Rescue, Police and Ambulance Emergency Service. Repeated standardised surveys can be a useful tool to assess and follow-up the MI preparedness work among Prehospital Rescue and Emergency Services at a national, regional and local level.
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ISSN:1863-9933
1863-9941
1863-9941
DOI:10.1007/s00068-023-02386-7