Below are examples of private sector partners that should be covered in an emergency response plan for a town or city. Each are dependent upon the other and must work together:
Transportation (e.g., trains, planes, ships, emergency vehicles)
Telecommunication systems
Utilities (e.g., water, electricity, waste disposal)
Banking (responding to local credit demands)
Hospitals
Retail (e.g., lumber outlet, supermarket)
Although Transportation and Telecommunication are involved, for purposes of this assignment, you will focus on Hospitals. One of the main components of an emergency response plan is medical care. Depending on the type of terrorist response, medical facility caregivers must be ready to attend to the sick and injured.
Injuries could be from shrapnel, blasts, brain trauma, contamination from a biological agent, or radiation poisoning, for example. Those injured will be civilians, children, and first responders. Medical triaging, accessing supplies, and fielding medical personnel will certainly take priority. The Incident Commander must establish a liaison with the medical gatekeeper.
Some of the injured come from diverse backgrounds requiring assistance in understanding medical staff. Culturally appropriate communication is necessary. Depending on the multicultural configuration of the affected site, emergency hospital personnel may require interpreters or the aid of family members.
Assignment
1. View the video clips: Radiological Terrorism: Just-in-Time Training for Hospital Clinicians and What Do Radiation Contamination and Exposure Mean?
A “dirty bomb” has exploded, exposing numerous persons to radiological contamination. Some patients presented with life-threatening injuries while others were not physically compromised but were exposed radiologically.
After viewing the video clips, comment on what the videos say about treatment priorities; that is, life-threatening injuries vs. radiological contamination. Which should be attended to first and why?
2. Go online and search the title: “hospital’s emergency operations plan.” NOTE: You may want to place a specific hospital’s name before the title. Go to the section on radiological contamination and describe the steps to be taken. If the plan does not have a radiological section, locate a section about terrorism.
3. After reading the Shiu-Thornton et al. (2007) article located in the Background reading, what conclusion can you draw concerning Medical Interpreters as cultural brokers and gatekeepers?