Disaster Preparedness

The purpose of the Pediatric Disaster Triage: Utilizing the JumpSTART Method online educational module is to provide a review of mass casualty incident (MCI) triage concepts and tools such as Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) for adults and JumpSTART for children. This training allows participants to learn about these MCI concepts and tools and apply them through interactive scenarios.

It is our hope that pre-hospital, hospital professionals, primary healthcare providers, school nurses, and public health department personnel will utilize these materials to further enhance the care of children during disasters.

This course has been approved for 1.0 continuing education hours (approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Emergency Medical Services and Highway Safety).

The National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) Pediatric Emergency Care (PEC) Council discerned a need for a simple tool to help State EMS Offices identify where possible gaps might still exist in the area of pediatric disaster preparedness. The report of the National Commission on Children and Disasters was used as a guide in developing checklist items that might assist in identifying potential gaps; perhaps in the process further educating State EMS Office personnel in the area of disaster planning.

October 2014

This manual builds the foundation for successful outcomes when first responders encounter incidents, including disaster situations, in which child maltreatment might be suspected.

Responding in Disasters starts on page 61.

This video game - focuses on prehospital triage of pediatric and adult disaster victims.

You are a paramedic responding to a series of multiple casualty incidents that have occurred in your city. Fire personnel are on scene, and you are the first paramedic there.

The incident commander has declared the scene safe. Your role is to perform primary triage. In the game, you will use the combined START/JumpSTART triage tool. The tool will be available to you in the game.

The Pediatric Tabletop Exercise Resource Kit provides step by step guidance to prepare for and implement a pediatric tabletop exercise in a community. Templates are provided for agendas, email invitations, and follow-up work. Additional resources to prepare pediatric practice settings for disasters and public health emergencies are also included.

Health care providers play a vital role in preparing families of children with disabilities in their community.  These resources are designed to position your community to “Be Ready” for  disaster. Using these materials as part of on-boarding all health care providers during orientation, continuing education, workshops, exercises and emergency management planning groups can assure that families of children with disabilities are disaster ready.

The purpose of this module is to provide education and resources that can assist providers in identifying the needs of unaccompanied pediatric patients during a disaster. This course is designed to build on existing knowledge regarding and outline specific pediatric components that should be incorporated into an organization’s disaster plans in order to address the needs of children. A number of topics will be discussed including:
- Challenges when caring for children in disasters
- Identifying unaccompanied minors
- Child safe areas/pediatric safe areas
- Family information and support centers
- Tracking unaccompanied minors
- Verification of relationship
- Reunification of unaccompanied minors

This document is offered as a resource to organizations as they conduct drills and exercises that involve mass casualty incident (MCI) triage and the use of START and JumpSTART Triage methods. Inclusion of infants and children in disaster drills and exercises is an essential component in preparedness efforts, and can assist in preparing an organization to treat critically ill or injured pediatric patients during an actual disaster or mass casualty incident (MCI).

Please note that any recommendations in this document are based on current information and guidelines found within the medical literature at the time of publication.