• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.19-31
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate disaster preparedness competence and disaster response competence of paramedics working in emergency medical centers operating a disaster medical assistance teams. Methods: Data of 174 emergency medical technician(EMT)-paramedics were collected from July 15 to August 14, 2018 at regional and local emergency medical centers that operate disaster medical assistant team. Analysis of the data was carried out with IBM SPSS statistics 24.0 software (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The mean disaster preparedness competence score was $3.57{\pm}0.63$ (out of five). Participants' disaster preparedness competence significantly differed according to type of emergency medical center (p<.000), disaster education experience (p<.000), and education frequency (p=.001). The mean disaster response competence score was $4.09{\pm}0.57$ (out of five). Participants' disaster response competence significantly differed according to disaster education experience (p<.000) and medical assistance experience (p=.045). Conclusion: Emergency medical technician-paramedics without disaster training should first be provided with this training. Further, it is important for EMT-paramedics to know their disaster preparedness and response capacities and strengthen their shortcomings. It is also important to develop education and training programs that properly equip EMT-paramedics with practical competencies.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.17-25
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• 2019

Purpose: Despite the fact that the needs for disaster emergency medical facilities to minimize casualties are increasing, research for emergency medical facilities is insufficient compared to research for DMAT investment. A management strategy for emergency medical facilities in disaster site needs to be proposed. Methods: Recently there was introduction of mobile hospital system using unit modular method, but it was found out to be used only in disaster emergency training. Emergency medical facilities in disaster site require various tasks. Examination for our research was carried out through consultations with emergency medical and mobile hospital expert because there is no practical use case to apply Emergency Medical Facilities in Korea. Result: In this research we proposed a management strategy to manage and operate emergency medical facilities composed of tent, unit module and container in the aspects of management efficiency. Implications: It is highly expected to establish a foundation for fast and accurate disaster emergency medical facilities deployment by applying the results of our research to Emergency response manual of disaster emergency medical service.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.327-330
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• 2004

This research work is concerned with a location-based alert service in wireless communication network environment. The alert service automatically transfers alert message to subscriber in the disaster area. This research work deals with automatic alert services that automatically provide people in emergency area with the state of emergency. The alert service uses the mobile device to inform its urgency to the subscribers in its area. The location tracking service will give the list of people in emergency area. The all processes of this research work are followed as. First, when a disaster or a calamity comes in, an emergency management center receives the emergency to analyze its shape and size and to declare the place to 'the disaster area.' Secondly, then the center finds information of mobile device subscribers in the disaster area. Finally, the center automatically generates a shape of text or audio of alert message of the emergency to send the message to the subscribers in the disaster area. Our mobile automatic alert service proposed above is so efficient that the subscribers in disasters area may meet the emergency more efficiently and may save their own valuable lives and properties more safely.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-39
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• 2006

In Korea, There are many disasters, like the collapse of Sampung department store, the strike of severe typhoon 'Rusa' and the subway tragedy in Taegu, because of global warming, urbanization, high-density and high-rise of buildings. So, the government made 'The Framework Act' on the safe and management of disaster and 'The National Emergency Management Agency' was established. But emergency medical service systems in Korea is not growing so much. The purpose of this research is to give basic data for the development of emergency medical service systems in Disaster by comparing of disaster management systems and emergency medical systems among the nations of the world, analysing emergency medical systems in disaster in Korea and suggesting some improvement methods. The improvment methods are like this ; First, establishing the National Disaster Medical System in Korea, making the good triage by EMT, expansion of EMT's working area, developing protocols and framing of medical director increasing the working force of EMT, broad inner cavity of ambulance for treatment of patientent, supplement of professional equipments, active using of helicopters are needed in prehospital are. Second, equal establishment of emergency medical center and increase of working force of emergency medical team are needed in hospital area. Finally, enforcement of the dispatcher's qualification, smooth communication among EMSS systems and actualization of medical direction through screen are needed in the Telecommunication system.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

The current study aims to propose a reorganization plan for the national emergency management system to improve the current organizational structure for responding to national disasters and emergency situations. As a theoretical framework, the current study identified four key elements of successful disaster response systems: responsiveness, controllability, expertise, and devotedness. On the basis of the four key elements of disaster response systems, this study critically reviewed the current state of the organizational structure of the Korean national emergency response system by discussing the issues inherent in the current structure and by doing a comparative analysis of two high-profile national disaster cases-the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014 and the Gwangsan Rescue of buried people in 2013. Then, this study proposed the reorganization plan for the national disaster response system in which the NEMA is under direct control of the Prime Minister of Korea. It coordinates and controls the related government departments, such as the police, maritime police, and military during the national disaster and emergency situation. This study also proposed a reorganizational plan for the regional disaster response system in Korea. Finally, it was suggested that the status of firefighters should be elevated to the national public servant level in order to achieve organizational efficiency and solve existing problems that come from the current separated systems.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.521-531
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• 2013

Temporary residence in disaster scenarios emergency response system designed for utilizing emergency incident types identified through the rapid emergency response procedures and proper application of the resulting accident is very important in order to minimize the damage. In this study, emergency disaster expected to analyze the potential for accidents, the possible accident scenarios emergency disaster preparedness These were derived on the basis of temporary residence in the emergency scenario, the scenario for the emergency response and recovery measures were derived. In addition, each event of an emergency response scenario to be taken during the emergency response requirements for emergency response to a step-by-step behavior was defined by the subject. In addition, subject-specific, step-by-step emergency disaster scenarios emergency response is quick and can be done in a comprehensive foundation was laid.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.235-246
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• 2003

Due to major disasters Korea has been damaged, and they caused lots of casualties: for last ten years natural disasters caused 1288 deaths including missing people; human disasters including industrial disasters brought as many as 4,512.148 casual ties (126,372 deaths with 4,385,400 injuries); and they cost 44.1 trillion property damage. However, even though major disasters have brought about tremendous human loss and property damage, Koreas National Disaster Medical System to rescue casualties is insufficient, and it has not been activated. Fortunately, through major disaster management process, the National Disaster Management System has been developed, increasing its own efficiency, and resulting in to organize an Office of Firefighting and Prevention of Disasters under the central government. Considering the value of human lives, the disaster medical part, in the U.S.A. as well as in Korea, must have an independent organization in the government, not as one sector of the government department. It will have its own organizational structure, such as disaster planning, operation, and logistics, and interact with central and local government or between local government agencies. So each agency will cooperate and supply resources interchangeably. Also, with the system of disaster management and restoration, the disaster medical system must be advanced in keeping step. Its role must be extended due to the possibility of biological terror or SARS around the world, resulting in severe casualties. Korea has the Emergency Medical Service System based on the regulation of emergency medical care, yet it is a part of the National Disaster Management System. It must be managed independently apart from it. As we see the emergency medical technicians playing as the backbone in disaster medical care in the US, we should have legal foundations for Koreas emergency medical technicians, emergency medical providers, to participate in rescue operation actively. At the same time, we need to have a national register system to classify disaster medical resources, and a total plan to place resources according to the impact of disaster, and how to organize teams. We also need to draw up a scheme to activate civil disaster medical resources, as integrating public and private or voluntary organizations.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.65-80
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• 2003

Various disasters have been continuously occurred in Korea from 1990s to now. However, there is no substantial improvement against damages as compared with the past due to various reasons such as lack of fundamental recognition, ineffective response systems and widespread insensitivity to safety. More worse, new types of disasters have been frequently generated due to rapid changes in social structures and industrial development, unusual changes in weather and changes of international situations. These disasters request comprehensive countermeasures. In particular, while material damages by disasters can be recovered, the losses of precious lives cannot be recuperated in any ways. Thus, it is critical to set effective disaster medical plans. The first way to minimize damages by disasters is the prevention and the next is to set the disaster medical plans focusing on preliminarily activating the emergency medical system to rapidly rescue and take appropriate emergency medical services for casualties in the early stage when any disaster occurs. Nevertheless, no sufficient researches or references do not exist up to now. Even worse, effective emergency medical systems that play critical roles in increasing survival rates of casualties in actual disaster areas is not deployed. For the United States, the consistent countermeasure system is established in FEMA through a close cooperative system with relevant organizations for serious accidents including terrorists' attacks or natural disasters. For the emergency medical services in disasters, the disaster medical plan is set to cope with any disasters in perfect order by special area as operating the National Disaster Medical SystemESF#8 Role by FEMA. Accordingly, we need to set the extensive and integrated disaster prevention system for rapid and flexible operation against various kinds of serious accidents. This study identified overall problems in disaster control plans in Korea and suggested how to improve the emergency medical service system in disaster areas. Furthermore, it aims to prepare the basic data to set the effective emergency medical service plans when substantial casualties break out and more reasonable and systematic disaster control plans to cope with the future occurrence of serious disasters.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.17-32
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• 2023

Purpose: We aimed to identify disaster preparedness, disaster response competency, and willingness to participate in disaster response among university students. Methods: Data were collected from the paramedic students after consent to this study through online. The period of data collection was from June 13 to August 3, 2023 and 207 questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 program. Results: The subject's disaster preparedness was 7.67±3.10 out of 15, disaster response competency was 2.79±0.69 out of 5, and willingness to participate in disaster response was 6.06±4.59 out of 15. There was a significant difference in disaster preparedness depending on the disaster education experience (p<.001), in disaster response competency depending on the number of courses completed (p<.05), in willingness to participate in disaster response in cases of disaster experience (p<.05) and number of times disaster education was completed (F=3.146, p=.047). In particular, if the number of disaster training courses completed was three or more, disaster response competency and willingness to participate in disaster response were significantly high. There was a significant positive correlation between the subjects' disaster preparedness and disaster response competency (r=.655, p<.001). Conclusion: Three or more sessions of continuous disaster education is important, it will be necessary to develop educational content that matches the characteristics of the target subjects or college.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.21-36
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• 2022

Purpose: This descriptive research study aimed to investigate the knowledge and perception of the natural disaster medical system by relevant disaster medical response teams in Jeonnam region, and provide baseline data for a disaster education program based on analysis of priorities of educational demand. Methods: Online questionnaires were distributed to 200 research participants including paramedics from five fire stations in J province, 22 public health centers, two disaster base hospitals, ERU (Emergency Response Units), and DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team). The questionnaires elicited basic information about respondents, their knowledge and perception on disaster preparation and response, cooperation system, and educational and training needs. Results: The top priority items selected were: other disasters for paramedics, first aid for the rapid response team, and command system for DMAT. Conclusion: Customized education and training programs must be developed to suit each organizational need. Detailed operational guidelines must be established and with them a unified educational curriculum should be put into practice.