PREPARING FOR THE UNTHINKABLE

Mass casualty events put emergency training to the test

By: Bill Levesque
“It is something that our society, our institutions, our hospital, our personnel have to proportionately get used to. I worry that it’s the new norm. I hope it isn’t. But we still have to prepare as if it is.”
— Adrian Tyndall, M.D.
vigil

An all-hazards approach

Cass The ability to quickly assess a victim’s injuries is key to getting care first to those most in need. Photo by Jesse S. Jones
cass Photos by Jesse S. Jones

Learning to think strategically

cass UF Emergency Medicine Residents, UF EMS Resident Day, Department of Emergency Medicine Photo by Jesse. S. Jones
masscass3 Lessons learned in training sessions will help medical personnel respond quickly and effectively during an actual emergency. Photo by Jesse S. Jones
"If you have dozens of people who are victims of a bomb or a mass shooting, you have to think differently: How do we allocate our emergency room resources to do the most good?"
— Matthew Ryan, M.D., Ph.D.

The cold calculus of triage

masscas4 As part of a mass casualty drill, undergraduate students in UF SHPEP learned the importance of the nationwide Stop the Bleed campaign Photo by Jesse S. Jones