Basic Disaster Life Support Course, March 10, 2016

On March 10, 2016, EMS, Fire, Healthcare and other professionals came together for Region 7's Basic Disaster Life Support class being held in Traverse City at Munson Community Health Center: Northwest Medical Control Office. Students learned about responder safety, natural, chemical and biological attacks as well as triage.

The class also included information on the health care professional’s role in the public health and incident management systems, community mental health, and special needs of under served and vulnerable populations. 8 MDCH EMS CEUs were given to all applicable medical professionals for completing the training. As a basic requirement for some organizations, re-certification is required every 3 years and training is offered by the Healthcare Coalition on an annual basis. Target audiences for this training include: Physicians & Physician assistants, Registered or licensed practical nurses, Paramedics or national intermediate EMTs, Allied health professionals, Pharmacists, Public health professionals, Health professions students, and Mental health professionals.

BDLS students utilize the  D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R paradigm, which is a unique approach used to reinforce the recognition and management of the disaster scene and victims. The mass casualty triage system used in BDLS® and the other NDLS courses employs the S.A.L.T. methodology. In both the BDLS and ADLS courses, students become fluent in these methods and will be able to apply them during actual events.

BDLS® is targeted to multiple disciplines including emergency medical service (EMS) personnel, hazardous materials personnel, public health personnel, and health care providers. The course aims to improve the care and coordination of response in disasters by developing a common approach and language among multiple disciplines in the healthcare community.  The BDLS® course is a review of the all-hazards topics including natural and accidental man made events, traumatic and explosive events, nuclear and radiological events, biological events, and chemical events. Also included is information on the health care professional’s role in the public health and incident management systems, community mental health, and special needs of under-served and vulnerable populations.

Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to describe an all-hazard, standardized, scalable casualty management approach for use in disasters and public health emergencies, including life-saving interventions and medical decision making in an altered care environment. Participants should also be able to identify the potential casualty population in a disaster or public health emergency, including persons with acute injuries or illnesses; those with pre-existing disease, injuries, or disabilities; those with age-related vulnerabilities and other functional and access needs; and their family/caregiver support network.