Joint medical team prepares local officials during disaster training

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Vanessa Young
  • Defense Media Activity-San Antonio
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (AFNS) --  A joint team of medical instructors is working with local medical, government and emergency officials here July 19, to help them practice and coordinate their response efforts in the event of a disaster or mass casualty incident.

The Defense Institute for Medical Operations team, composed of Air Force and Navy servicemembers, is teaching a week-long, Disaster Planning and Mass Casualty Response hybrid course.

The first half of the course, developed by members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is designed to help Trinidadian officials develop an interagency, coordinated disaster preparedness and response plan. During the second half, the participants will apply their plans to a mass casualty incident.

"The whole idea is to share successful health care operations and programs with our international partners and coalition members so they can strengthen their programs," said Col. John Cinco, the medical director for DIMO.

During the course, more than 40 local officials from various agencies, and with varying specialties and experience, will work together so that all agency officials know exactly what is required in response to a disaster.

"My colleagues and I looked over the mass casualty plan, and one of the issues that kept coming up is the need to practice, practice, practice," Retired Trinidadian Defense Force Col. George Robinson, the chief executive officer of Trinidad and Tobago's Office of Disaster Planning and Management said to the participants of the course.

"It's not often we get to practice mass casualty management in the comfort of an air conditioned room," he said. "I can assure you, the environment, when it happens, will not be a forgiving environment."

The local officials will participate in scenarios at the end of each day, and will put their classroom training to practice during an exercise at the end of the week.

"The ultimate goal at the end of this course is for the local officials to conduct an efficient and effective mass casualty response," Colonel Cinco said.

DIMO, a training institute assigned to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, is designed to strengthen global medical capabilities in disaster response and health care management through education and training.