Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T10:13:05.908Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Emergency Response to Mass Casualty Incidents in Lebanon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2013

Mazen J. El Sayed
Mazen J. El Sayed*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medical Services and Prehospital Care Program, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Mazen J. El Sayed, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, PO Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh 110 72020, Beirut, Lebanon (e-mail: [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The emergency response to mass casualty incidents in Lebanon lacks uniformity. Three recent large-scale incidents have challenged the existing emergency response process and have raised the need to improve and develop incident management for better resilience in times of crisis. We describe some simple emergency management principles that are currently applied in the United States. These principles can be easily adopted by Lebanon and other developing countries to standardize and improve their emergency response systems using existing infrastructure. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;0:1–6)

Keywords

Lebanonemergency responsemass casualty incidentsdisasterdeveloping countries
Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , August 2013 , pp. 433 - 438
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.WHO response to the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. Bull World Health Org. 2006;84(9):697.Google Scholar
2. Lebanon: life set to get harder for Nahr al-Bared refugees. IRIN. November 5, 2008. http://www.irinnews.org/Report/81306/LEBANON-Life-set-to-get-harder-for-Nahr-al-Bared-refugees. Accessed May 13, 2012.Google Scholar
3.US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. National Response Framework; Washington, DC: US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency; January 2008. http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/. Accessed May 14, 2012.Google Scholar
4. Ship sinks off Lebanon coast. The Guardian. December 18, 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/18/cargo-ship-sinks-off-lebanon. Accessed July 7, 2012.Google Scholar
5. Aviation Safety Network. Accident description. The Netherlands: Flight Safety Foundation; January 25, 2010. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20100125-0. Accessed July 7, 2012.Google Scholar
6. Fatal building collapse in Beirut. BBC News. January 16, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16573210. Accessed July 14, 2012.Google Scholar
7. House of cards. Now news. January 17, 2012. http://nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=353553#ixzz20aEr2BUZ. Accessed July 14, 2012.Google Scholar
8.Quarantelli, EL: Major criteria for judging disaster planning and managing and their applicability in developing societies. Newark, DE: Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware; 1998.Google Scholar
9.Republic of Lebanon Ministry of Finance. Post war relief operations. Beirut, Lebanon: Republic of Lebanon Ministry of Finance; August 31, 2006. http://www.finance.gov.lb/en-US/finance/DonorCoordination/Pages/AidCoordination.aspx. Accessed July 14, 2012.Google Scholar
10. US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. National Incident Management System. December 18, 2008. http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/NIMS_core.pdf. Accessed July 20, 2012.Google Scholar
11. UN and Lebanese forces conduct disaster preparedness exercises. UN News Centre. February 27, 2011. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37634&Cr=Lebanon&Cr1=#.UX7XwzYo7IU. Accessed August 1, 2012.Google Scholar
12.Miller, R. Hurricane Katrina: Communications and Infrastructure Impacts. Fort McNair, DC: National Defense University; 2006. http://www.carlisle.army.mil/DIME/documents/Hurricane%20Katrina%20Communications%20&%20Infrastructure%20Impacts.pdf. Accessed July 17, 2012.Google Scholar
13.Federal Communications Commission, National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Report to Congress: Joint Advisory Committee on Communications Capabilities of Emergency Medical and Public Health Facilities. Washington, DC: Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; January 2008.Google Scholar
14.Lutz, LD, Lindell, MK. Incident Command System as a response model within emergency operation centers during Hurricane Rita. JCCM. 2008;16:122-134.Google Scholar
15.Beeckman, K. Guidelines for the Domestic Framework of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance. Refugee Survey Q. 2007;26(4):207-213.Google Scholar
16.Federal Emergency Management Agency. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 93 288) as amended. Washington, DC: US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. http://www.fema.gov/about/stafact.shtm. Accessed September 28, 2012.Google Scholar
17.US Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Act of 2002. Wsahington, DC: US Department of Homeland Security. http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/laws/law_regulation_rule_0011.shtm. Accessed September 27, 2012.Google Scholar
18.The White House. Homeland Security Presidential Directive—HSPD-5. Management of Domestic Incidents. Washington, DC: The White House; February 28, 2003. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030228-9.Google Scholar
19.United Kingdom Legislation. Civil Contingencies Act 2004. Great Britain: National Archives website. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/36/contents. Accessed July 17, 2012.Google Scholar
20.International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Introduction to the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance. Geneva, Switzerland: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; 2011. http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/41203/1205600-IDRL%20Guidelines-EN-LR%20(2).pdf. Accessed July 16, 2012.Google Scholar
21.United Nations Development Programme. Strengthening Disaster Risk Management Capacities in Lebanon. New York, NY: United Nations Development Programme. http://www.undp.org/content/dam/rbas/doc/Crisis%20prevention/Lebanon_Strengthening%20Disaster%20Risk%20Management%20Capacities.pdf. Accessed September 28, 2012.Google Scholar
22.Kahn, LH, Barondess, JA. Preparing for disaster: response matrices in the USA and UK. J Urban Health. 2008;85(6):910-922.Google Scholar
23.The White House. Hurricane Katrina Critical Challenges: Chapter 5. Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The White House; February 2006. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned/chapter5.html. Accessed September 28, 2012.Google Scholar