Since 1 August 1986, the [U.S.] Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has required medical kits be carried on all aircraft with thirty or more seats. In addition, kits are commercially available, as are published suggestions for the composition of kits which can be used by physicians during wilderness, overseas, and shipboard travel. However, little data are available regarding medical kits to be carried in a physician's private automobile for use in prehospital emergencies. It was the goal of this study to design such a kit for use by the residents, graduates, and faculty of the Emergency Medicine Residency at Wright State University. This paper will discuss how and why the various items were chosen for inclusion in this kit.

Natural disasters create a multiplicity of problems and hazards ranging from outbreaks of infectious disease to animal control problems. By virtue of their unique training and clinical skills, there is considerable potential for veterinarians to fulfill major roles in disaster intervention. The potential role of the veterinarian features a number of important tasks before, during, and after a natural disaster. Some of the tasks include: 1) resolution of problems common to many natural disasters; 2) control of disease vectors; 3) control of disease transmission; 4) herd management; 5) animal health care; 6) search and rescue; 7) animal control; 8) maintenance of medical supplies; 9) information dissemination; 10) disaster assessment; and 11) pre-disaster planning.

Due to time constraints, most Emergency Medical Services (EMS) certification and continuing education programs offer no more than an overview of the principles of anatomy, physiology, and pathology. In an effort to strengthen the EMS professionals' knowledge of these concepts, an EMS Anatomical Workshop was developed. This workshop is a day-long program consisting of lectures and laboratory sessions covering anatomy, physiology, and pathology of major body systems. The workshop has been successful, and its fourth offering has been completed. This program could serve as a model for areas that desire to enhance the education of their EMS providers.

The World Health Organization, Panafrican Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response (WHO/EPR) was established in 1988, and officially opened in March 1989, as a practical and functional response to the identified need for a regional institution to deal effectively with the health and related consequences of both natural and man-made disasters. The principal objective of the Centre is to aid member countries in the prevention and/or reduction of the adverse health effects of disasters, be they direct or indirect, by strengthening national capacities for disaster preparedness and response. The WHO has reoriented its disaster operations unit to incorporate preparedness activities, particularly within an overall developmental framework which is crucial for reducing losses, both human and material, in the event of a disaster. In keeping with this focus, the Centre has defined its goals and activities: development of national disaster preparedness programs; training of national and international personnel in health emergency preparedness and response; production and dissemination of technical publications on disaster preparedness and management; undertaking risk assessment missions; and executing relevant research projects.

While formal efforts have been made during the past quarter century in the United States to develop and coordinate emergency medical services (EMS) as a “system” of care, it was not until the past decade that we began to recognize and acknowledge the impact of stress on the lives of EMS and other public safety personnel, in both normal day-to-day response to emergencies as well as response to mass casualty incidents or disasters. The first significant writing on this complex issue, Emergency Response to Crisis, by Jeffrey T. Mitchell, PhD and H. L. P. Resnik, MD, provided a crisis intervention guidebook for emergency service personnel and early insight on crisis-worker stress and burnout. The most recent comprehensive discussion of this important area of concern can be found in Emergency Services Stress, by Mitchell and Grady Bray, PhD.

As evidenced in a number of recent disasters, there appears to be an increasing trend, for health care professionals to leave the confines of the hospital to provide on-scene care. This trend may be due to a number of recommendations from a variety of sources such as the National Disaster Medical System, the implementation of the United States Military Disaster Response, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommended airport disaster plans, trends in community disaster planning, and Emergency Medical Services practice.