Challenges of Self-Deployment for Disaster Responders

This week’s episode of the Disaster Podcast is coming again from EMS Today 2014 in the Physio-Control Podcast Studio, the third of our special episodes produced there. In this segment, our host Sam Bradley is joined again by Dr. Joe Holley and paramedic Jim Logan from the Paragon Medical Education Group. Also joining them is Andrew Swartzell, captain and EMS coordinator for San Ramon Valley Fire District. Andy is also the Deputy Commander of DMAT California CA-6.

The discussion kicks off with a look at the challenges of responders self-deploying to a disaster situation. As Dr. Joe Holley points out, these self-deployed people are not prepared adequately and don’t have the back up and resources to support them long term. Without food, lodging and other support in place, these misguided responders become yet another part of the local community that needs support from the true disaster response teams. Jim says that these self deployed individuals become a huge safety issue and, in some cases, these people can actually impede the help from reaching the locations in needs.

Again, a special thank-you to Paragon Medical Education Group for their continued support of this podcast as our partners in this endeavor to bring disaster medicine to you. Check out their page and educational resources that can help your system be more prepared for what happens in your area.

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