On hand for the presentation were, from left, Mason Holmes, Western Region EMS Specialist DHHS; Deb Hayes, Imperial EMS Director; Heidi Wheeler, Readiness and Response Coordinator for Nebraska Plains Health Care Coalition; and Craig Loeffler, Imperial EMS training officer. (Courtesy photo)
Imperial EMS presented with mass casualty field-triage bag
Nebraska Plains Health Care Coalition (NPHCC) provided a mass casualty incident field-triage bag to Imperial Emergency Medical Services (EMS) during a meeting on Nov. 14.
The bag contains field triage supplies such as triage tarps, triage belts with colored tape, safety identification vests, forms and administrative supplies for EMS personnel to conduct field triage during a mass casualty incident.
The equipment will help Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) sort and group injured victims by severity of injuries.
Victims are then prioritized to determine who requires immediate treatment and transport.
Imperial EMS is one of the departments in a 15-county region covered by NPHCC.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) lead the country in preparing for, responding to and recovering from the adverse health effects of emergencies and disasters.
This is accomplished by supporting the nation’s ability to withstand adversity, strengthening health and emergency response systems and enhancing national health security, as reported in a statement by NPHCC.
ASPR, through the Nebraska HHS and Office of Preparedness and Emergency Response, provides funding and guidance to health care systems.
These systems include the Health Care Coalition (HCC), hospitals and EMS to effectively prepare for and respond to emergencies that impact the public’s health.
Each jurisdiction, including emergency management organizations and public health agencies, provides key support to the HCCs.