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

State, and Federal agencies and committees. Often, this activity can be through
involvement in professional organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics,
its chapters, and special committees and task forces.
Pediatricians as the experts in the care of children should:
• Advocate for inclusion of the needs of children in all Federal, State, and local
disaster planning.
• Advocate for research on the pediatric aspects of biological, chemical, and
radiological terrorism, including mechanisms, pathophysiology, and treatments.
This includes the availability of appropriate medications and antidotes.
• Work with DMATs to ensure that they are equipped and trained for the care of
children.
• Assist in developing a hospital disaster plan that provides for the proper care of
children.
• Provide on-site emergency and primary health care at emergency shelters.
• Be involved in emergency medical services (EMS), e.g., develop proficiency in
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, train first responders in pediatric
assessment, assist in development of prehospital pediatric protocols, help
establish protocols for consent to treat and identification of minors, and ensure the
availability of pediatric resources.
At the local and community level, pediatricians should:
• Work with local police, fire, and EMS departments to ensure that their plans and
equipment address the needs of children.
• Be involved with local and community emergency preparedness task forces and
committees.
• Work with schools, child care centers, and other locations where children spend
their time to ensure that they have adequate emergency plans.
Similarly, at the State level, pediatricians should:
• Ensure that State emergency management, department of health, and EMS
advisory committees have pediatric expertise as part of their membership.
• Advocate for all State disaster and terrorism education and funding to require
inclusion of provisions for children.
Resources Available from Government Agencies
A number of State and Federal Government agencies have information, tools, electronic
media, and other materials to assist physicians, including pediatricians, and other health
care providers in disaster planning, preparedness, and response. Many of these resources
can be found in the bibliographies that follow chapters in this report.
Another Federal agency, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), has
provided support for research on bioterrorism preparedness and response and the
development of materials to improve the Nation’s capacity to respond to bioterrorism and
other disasters. AHRQ’s multimillion dollar investment in bioterrorism research
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