Civil-Military Partnership in Disaster Drills: A Necessity in Developing Countries Affected by Terrorist Activity

Abstract

Introduction:

Sri Lanka has experienced a 24-year civil war with monthly terrorist incidents. Disaster drills, as a method of teinforcing collaboration and improved communication, can enhance military and civil response coordination and ultimately benefit the community and the injured victim.

Methods:

Two large-scale disaster drills occurred in Sri Lanka in 2008 with participation of military disaster response teams, civil hospitals, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), the World Health Organization, American universities and hospitals, the local governments, Ministry of Health, non-governmental organizations, the Red Cross, and others. Training occurred in incident command, communication, clinical response, crowd control, evaluation, and the planning process. Civil and private prehospital care responders worked closely with the military during the drill. More than 400 participants gave active feedback and an educational video of the recorded drills was distributed for future training exercises.

Results:

Military and civil responders identified challenges and strengths and discussed improvements for future operations. In the days following the drill, participants responded to actual mass casualty incidents with improved skills, coordination and communication. Subsequent drills and task-force meetings were conducted. The INGOs supported follow-up activities and provided training materials. International partnerships were forged with military, civilian representatives, and disaster medicine specialists. Military and civil response teams had never performed a drill together before and felt it was invaluable for their coordination.

Conclusions:

The promotion of drills involving military, civil society, and communities should be encouraged to improve response, especially in countries with ongoing civil conflict and high terrorist activity. Drills can help military and civil partners reach a broader understanding of the others' role and methodology of response, which may improve the outcome and timeliness of a disaster response.