Overview
What is a disaster?
A disaster is an unexpected claustrophobic event or situation that depletes the survival resources and supplies in a relatively short timeframe.
Disasters in the U.S.
· Hurricanes
· Floods
· Fires
· Sinkholes
· 9/11
· Boston Marathon
Government Disaster Planning and Response
· Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
· FEMA
· CDC
· American Red Cross (ARC)
Ethical Issues and Government Disaster Planning and Response
Health Care Organizations and Disaster Planning
Health Care Issues:
Beneficence
Health Care Issues:
Altered Standards of Care
Health Care Issues:
CDC Recommendations
Professional Readiness
Society expects responders to be logically and ethically prepared.
Individual Response to Disasters
· We need to be “Red Cross Ready’ in the event of an emergency.
Ethical Implications for Individual Response to Disasters
· Autonomy
· Beneficence
A Practitioner’s View
· Create and practice a disaster plan