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Implementation of a medical command and control team in Switzerland
Author(s) -
Carron PierreNicolas,
Reigner Philippe,
Vallotton Laurent,
Clouet JeanGabriel,
Danzeisen Claude,
Zürcher Mathias,
Yersin Bertrand
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/disa.12043
Subject(s) - triage , command and control , software deployment , adaptability , medical emergency , control (management) , mass casualty incident , poison control , medical evacuation , emergency medical services , computer security , disaster medicine , engineering , human factors and ergonomics , operations research , computer science , medicine , ecology , software engineering , artificial intelligence , biology , aerospace engineering
In case of a major incident or disaster, the advance medical rescue command needs to manage several essential tasks simultaneously. These include the rapid deployment of ambulance, police, fire and evacuation services, and their coordinated activity, as well as triage and emergency medical care on site. The structure of such a medical rescue command is crucial for the successful outcome of medical evacuation at major incidents. However, little data has been published on the nature and structure of the command itself. This study presents a flexible approach to command structure, with two command heads: one emergency physician and one experienced paramedic. This approach is especially suitable for Switzerland, whose federal system allows for different structures in each canton. This article examines the development of these structures and their efficiency, adaptability and limitations with respect to major incident response in the French‐speaking part of the country.