Planning for medical emergencies critical at political conventions

New AMA disaster journal study reviews medical emergency plans from 2004 DNC

For immediate release
Aug. 20, 2008

CHICAGO – As the Democratic and Republican national parties prepare for their upcoming conventions, a new study of a first-of-its-kind medical emergency plan implemented at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (DNC) can provide insight for both conventions’ medical and safety contingency plans. The study has been released early on the American Medical Association (AMA) Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal Web site at http://www.dmphp.org/pap.dtl and will be published in the journal’s October issue.

Mass gatherings have many medical challenges, but prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11 little explicit attention was paid to the possible medical consequences of mass casualties and medical emergencies at events that were designated as National Special Security Events (NSSE).  Because of its high profile, the 2004 convention in Boston was designated a NSSE, and the Boston Emergency Medical Services (BEMS) served as the lead planning agency for all DNC-related health and medical services. Researchers at the Center for Public Health Preparedness at the Harvard School of Public Health reviewed the emergency medical plan for the 2004 DNC and provide suggestions for how to improve on the plan. 

“Before September 11, little effort was put into creating a comprehensive proactive approach for protecting health at national security events, such as political conventions,” says Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Director of the Division of Public Health Practice at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “In contrast, for Boston, medical issues received the highest priority and involved unprecedented coordination between public safety and medical experts at the federal, state and local levels.”

The study reports that at the 2004 DNC there was unprecedented planning and collaboration for possible mass casualties, including off-site areas with medical supplies, federal medical personnel to support local staff, collaboration with mutual aid partners to augment citywide ambulance and emergency service coverage, and maximization of area hospital beds.  Future improvements could include larger medical aid stations, adding additional first aid stations within the convention venue, providing better access to water and improving communication and staffing.

“Involvement of the medical community required collaboration and coordination of public health agencies, emergency medical services, primary care clinics and community health centers and hospitals,” says co-author Richard A. Serino, EMT-P, Chief of Boston Emergency Medical Services for the City of Boston. “BEMS took lessons learned in Boston to provide ongoing assistance for the emergency medical planning efforts for the conventions in Denver and Minneapolis.”

The 2008 conventions are applying this example by adding more first aid stations and available ambulances, and by improving communication to the public.

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This article is available ahead of print at http://www.dmphp.org/pap.dtl and the full journal will publish on Oct. 9, 2008. There will be a special issue published on Sept. 9, 2008.

Note to reporters: To obtain complete online access to the journal, contact AMA Media Relations at (312) 464-4813 and provide appropriate press credentials.  The AMA’s Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal maintains editorial independence and the statements and opinions in the journal, including the articles referenced above, are not those of the AMA or Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

About AMA’s Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness Journal
The AMA Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal was created to promote public health preparedness and the science of disaster medicine.  It is the first comprehensive, peer-reviewed publication emphasizing public health preparedness and disaster response.  The journal is published for the AMA by leading health care publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.  An online version can be found on the web at www.dmphp.org and is also available on the Journals@Ovid platform.

For more information or to obtain a copy of any article, please contact:

Leah Dudowicz
AMA Media Relations
(312) 972-1942
leah.dudowicz@ama-assn.org