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Title: Mass Casualty Chemical Incident Operational Framework, Assessment and Best Practices

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1313544· OSTI ID:1313544
 [1];  [1]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Emergency response agencies in most US communities are organized, sized, and equipped to manage those emergencies normally expected. Hospitals in particular do not typically have significant excess capacity to handle massive numbers of casualties, as hospital space is an expensive luxury if not needed. Unfortunately this means that in the event of a mass casualty chemical incident the emergency response system will be overwhelmed. This document provides a self-assessment means for emergency managers to examine their response system and identify shortfalls. It also includes lessons from a detailed analysis of five communities: Baltimore, Boise, Houston, Nassau County, and New Orleans. These lessons provide a list of potential critical decisions to allow for pre-planning and a library of best practices that may be helpful in reducing casualties in the event of an incident.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; US Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS). Office of Health Affairs
DOE Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1313544
Report Number(s):
LLNL-TR-701202
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English