Pediatric Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness: A ... - PHE Home

• Police, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sheriff.
• Military (local or regional).
• Regional poison centers.
• Local health department.
Community/citizen response involves the following:
• Schools, public and private.
• Daycare centers, public and private.
• Service groups (Kiwanis, Rotary, Salvation Army, parent/teacher associations
(PTAs), etc.).
• Nonsecular groups (churches, synagogues).
• Public recreation administrations (zoos, amusement parks, sports stadiums, museums,
etc.).
Inpatient Service Readiness
Anticipating surge capacity for inpatient care is vital in preparedness planning and perhaps is
the greatest contribution of pediatricians working in hospitals. Areas that should be
considered include the following:
• Increasing the number of inpatient beds within a community (e.g., by using several
strategies such as converting cafeterias and meeting spaces into ward capacity or
making arrangements with other community hospitals). Local hotels, school
gymnasiums, etc., may be converted into low-acuity medical facilities with some
planning.
• Contingency plans for acquiring or maintaining essential services, such as water,
electricity, portable oxygen, garbage/trash removal, etc.
• Planning for stockpiling or readily acquiring medical supplies such as vaccines,
antitoxins, and antibiotics (in dosages, formulations, etc., appropriate for pediatric
patients). In addition, pediatric-specific supplies and equipment in a full range of
sizes to accommodate pediatric patients should be available.
• Networking community resources to organize volunteers to become proxy caretakers
for orphaned children.
Hospital Infrastructure Needs
Crisis drills. Hospital and community-wide drills are essential to preparedness planning.
They need to be done on both a wide scale and with a narrow focus. Drills should include not
only the initial triage and decontamination, but also the 48-72 hours after impact to measure
readiness with all provider and support services that will be needed. Specific drills should be
planned and practiced for evacuation in response to fire or other disasters.
Infection control plans. Infection control plans closely parallel quarantine procedures in the
community and on a public health basis. The in-hospital level involves quarantine or
isolation and control measures to limit spread of infection to staff and other patients.
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