Emergency Preparedness: Emergency Preparedness: Education and Training for Education and Training for

Treating the Pediatric PopulationTreating the Pediatric Population

Michael Shannon, M.D., M.P.H.Michael Shannon, M.D., M.P.H.DirectorDirectorThe Center for BiopreparednessThe Center for BiopreparednessProfessor and ChairProfessor and ChairDivision of Emergency MedicineDivision of Emergency MedicineChildren's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolChildren's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MABoston, MA

Unmet Needs in Pediatric Unmet Needs in Pediatric Emergency PreparednessEmergency Preparedness

Comprehensive, school-based Comprehensive, school-based emergency preparedness protocolsemergency preparedness protocols

Pediatric protocols in every hospitalPediatric protocols in every hospital Pediatric surge capacity plansPediatric surge capacity plans Education/training on unique issuesEducation/training on unique issues Community involvementCommunity involvement Identification and reunification of Identification and reunification of

children and parents children and parents

Key Issues in Education & TrainingKey Issues in Education & Training

Many first responders remain Many first responders remain inadequately trained in pediatric inadequately trained in pediatric aspects of disaster responseaspects of disaster response

Training programs are failing to Training programs are failing to provide specific pediatric trainingprovide specific pediatric training

There has been little development of There has been little development of DVDs/videos as training tools DVDs/videos as training tools

Decontamination of Children: Preparedness Decontamination of Children: Preparedness and Response for Hospital Emergency and Response for Hospital Emergency DepartmentsDepartments

Video provides step-by-step Video provides step-by-step demonstration of decontamination demonstration of decontamination process in real time process in real time

Training tool for emergency Training tool for emergency responders and hospital emergency responders and hospital emergency department staffdepartment staff

Video-based Training TopicsVideo-based Training Topics

Responding to mental health needs Responding to mental health needs of children after disasterof children after disaster

Development of comprehensive, Development of comprehensive, school-based disaster planschool-based disaster plan

Specific to children:Specific to children:• Management of mass casualty incidentsManagement of mass casualty incidents• Management of bioterrorism and other Management of bioterrorism and other

infectious emergenciesinfectious emergencies• Management of radiologic emergenciesManagement of radiologic emergencies

Identification and Reunification of Identification and Reunification of Children After a Mass Casualty IncidentChildren After a Mass Casualty Incident

Requires means of rapidly collecting Requires means of rapidly collecting information on arriving casualties information on arriving casualties (e.g., digital photos)(e.g., digital photos)

Photo indexingPhoto indexing Site where arriving parents can Site where arriving parents can

review photosreview photos System for presenting select photosSystem for presenting select photos