| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Barbara Herron 410-732-9564 BMC ANNOUNCES THREE INITIATIVES FOR MANAGING MASS CASUALTY EVENTS IN THE REGION BALTIMORE, MD (June 22, 2011) - In the last months we've heard about a number of events that resulted in mass casualties. The recent tornadoes which struck the Midwest demonstrate the critical need for response and recovery capabilities. A mass casualty incident would likely put unbearable stresses on the region's medical transportation and treatment resources. In Fiscal Year 2008, the Baltimore Urban Area Work Group (UAWG), a committee of emergency managers and first responders from throughout the region, began allocating federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Program funds to close this critical gap in medical response capabilities. A total of $3.3 million was allocated for three new initiatives which will enhance the Baltimore region's ability to cooperatively manage mass casualties from natural disasters, major transportation incidents, or a terrorist attack. Ambulance Bus - $1.5M Prior to the UAWG's multi-year investment, Annapolis, Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties had little capability to transport patients beyond their regular ambulances, usually limited to two patients each. The Baltimore UAWG purchased two Medical Ambulance Buses, each capable of efficiently moving up to 20 non-ambulatory patients in a single trip. The buses are deployed in Anne Arundel and Howard counties, but can be used in any of the region's jurisdictions. The addition of the Ambulance Buses will allow first responders to assist more citizens with fewer personnel. Only six personnel are needed to monitor and transport twenty patients by bus. Twenty personnel would be required to transport 20 patients via standard EMS units. Alternate Care Sites -- $500,000 A mass casualty incident would strain not just our medical transport resources, but would likely overwhelm the region's hospital systems. Alternate care sites will provide care that would normally be provided in an inpatient acute, sub-acute or chronic care facility. To date there has been no standard procedure in the region to pre-identify the facilities, staff, beds and other resources that could be deployed following a catastrophic event. This initiative will enable the UAWG to identify alternate sites, such as schools and community centers, that could be used for triage or initial care, and develop a plan for providing personnel and supplies. The region has also purchased six caches of supplies for temporary alternate care sites. These supplies include cots, blankets, medicines, computer equipment, tents and medical equipment. This equipment is the equivalent of six portable emergency rooms that can be set up anywhere at any time in the region. Patient Tracking - $1.3M The inability to track the movement of patients, clients in shelters, and other victims has been noted as a major deficiency in the response to many disasters, including the World Trade Center on 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and incidents such as the Water Taxi incident in Baltimore. In these kinds of incidents, information is typically collected with paper and pencil, and eventually entered into a central database. This can result in numerous problems and errors, such as inaccurate patient information, double-counting of some patients, and failure to record information on other patients. The new Electronic Patient Tracking System (EPTS) will allow emergency responders to collect accurate and timely information beginning with the first patient encounter and be able to respond to family inquiries as to the location and welfare of their loved ones. When EMS personnel first encounter a patient during a disaster, a pre-numbered, bar-coded triage tag is attached to the patient. EMS providers then use handheld computers to scan the triage tag, enter quick information about the patient's severity (the triage status) and, as time allows, patient identification and information on their injuries and care. Each time the patient moves through the process of care at the scene, the Triage Tag is rescanned and information updated until the patient is placed on an ambulance for transport to a hospital. At that point, the hospital will be notified and will have instant access to the information gathered at the disaster site. Hospitals receiving the patients will be able to use the handheld computers to accept the patients as they arrive at their facilities and also to track the movement of patients through their facility during treatment. The handheld computers also have the capability of taking a picture of the patient and attaching it to the patient care record in the system. Managers at the disaster scene, as well as those in the hospital, may use laptop computers and portable wireless access points to link all the handheld computer units and to monitor the flow of patients as they are treated and transported. Managers also have access to other information, including patient lists, maps and individual patient records. Everything within the system is encrypted, thus ensuring compliance with HIPAA (patient privacy) and all state IT (information technology) security guidelines. "Moments after I took the oath of office, the Baltimore region was hit with back to back blizzards," said Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the BMC Chair. "I learned first-hand how important regional cooperation is in dealing with emergencies. It is a great comfort to me and all the county executives and commissioners to know that we have these additional resources to draw on if the occasion should ever arise. "I commend the members of the Urban Area Work Group for their diligence in identifying a need, and finding a way to fill the need that will benefit all the citizens of the region." # # # | 
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