(P1-8) The Port-Au-Prince 2010 Earthquake - Unique Lessons Learned by Florida One Disaster Medical Assistance Team (FL1 DMAT) in the First International Dmat Deployment

Abstract

Introduction

The devastating Haiti earthquake of January 10, 2010 resulted in 250,000 dead, more than 300,000 wounded and at least 1.3 million displaced. As the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, life in Haiti was already fraught with poverty and one of the highest HIV rates in the world. After the earthquake, life in Haiti became intolerable. As Chief Medical Officer of Florida One DMAT, the author helped to coordinate medical relief operations at the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince beginning within 60 hours of the earthquake. The author and his FL1 DMAT team supported medical relief operations not only at the US Embassy but also at the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport for air evacuation of survivors to Miami and at Terminal Varreux for coordination of ingress/egress casualty operations for the USNS Comfort hospital ship.

Results

Unique lessons were learned in this first ever deployment of US DMATs on foreign soil. The presentation will describe the medical operations, the triage process, the challenges of operating on foreign soil, and the results of the relief efforts. Recommendations will be offered to facilitate future international DMAT deployments including development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for DMAT international deployments and increased coordination between the US Department of State (who have jurisdiction over US assets on foreign soil) and the US Department of Health & Human Services (who are the coordinating governmental department for DMAT operations).