Emergency management and health professionals gathered at The Ohio State University’s Mansfield campus on Wednesday for a workshop regarding transportation and mass casualty incidents. The workshop was hosted by the Richland County American Red Cross.
Almost 20 people attended the workshop, which focused on the operations of a Family Assistance Center. Information regarding the Red Cross’s role in a transportation or mass casualty incident was also distributed. Julie Frim, Disaster Specialist for the American Red Cross Northeast Ohio Region, said the seminar was largely about informing the agencies about what the Red Cross was capable of, and filling in the gaps for the services each county could potentially need.
“We wanted to bring all our partner agencies together and lay out what Red Cross’s responsibilities are as well as how we would respond, and say these are the services we have,” said Frim.
Instructor Suzy Davidson highlighted both established processes and lessons learned in mass casualty responses in a Family Assistance Center, which provides a safe and private place for survivors and families to receive support while they wait for information regarding their loved ones. Davidson has 35 years of experience in the emergency preparedness, response and recovery fields, and has responded to disasters such as the Newtown shootings and the Boston Marathon bombings.
“This training is important because we want to bring all these agencies together to begin to have conversations about what they all do and what they need to have happen, and what could happen, so there’s a better response to support anybody that’s affected by these disasters,” said Davidson.
Frim noted the mass casualty team of the Red Cross is prepared to offer assistance in providing food, shelter, health services and mental health services for families and survivors of an incident.
“We’re not looking to take over any part of this, but we want the Emergency Management Agency directors to know we’re here to help, to support the communities,” said Frim. “Supporting the community and being a part of the community is really the important part.”
Another important aspect of the workshop, Frim added, is having these conversations prior to a transportation or mass casualty incident, and being proactive as opposed to reactive.
“It’s been brought into light because of the mass casualty incidents that have happened across the United States, so we’re trying to really get a hold of it and say this is what we’re looking at as a nation,” she said. “We want to be on the forefront of talking about it because if we don’t talk about it, it’s going to happen.”
Preparedness was an important point for attendee Jenn Perkins, Director of Nursing for the Shelby City Health Department. Perkins noted with such a small staff at the Shelby City Health Department, she valued department’s partnership with the Richland County Health Department.
“I’m excited to build that relationship and to work more on emergency preparedness,” Perkins said. “You can never learn too much or be too prepared.”
Davidson also stressed the importance of partnership between different agencies and organizations, and knowing which groups to talk to and work with in the event of an incident. She said training sessions like the one held Wednesday are important so agencies understand the different aspects of a mass casualty.
“It’s not like responding to a flood for clean up,” said Davidson. “Not everybody can respond to a mass casualty incident or a transportation incident. It’s gruesome. It takes a lot of stamina, and you need to be able to understand the psychological aspects, the emotional aspects, and the numbers of people you’re going to be dealing with like family and friends.”
