• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2016

The disasters in Korea, such as the Sewol Ferry Ship sinking disaster has had problems related to the medical response system, with the problems of emergency medical support team in the site, the cooperation between medical staff and fire department officer at disaster site, field medical support and hospital acceptance of the wounded in trouble, the lack of specific systematic medical response manual. Therefore, from May 2014, when the disaster emergency information center in Central Emergency Medical Center starts, collection, modification and education of scattered preexisting disaster emergency medical manual had appeared as important issues. So, it was necessary to develop the early medical response system to disaster. The correction planning of disaster emergency medical response system by Central Emergency Medical Center included quick response system with the fast medical team operation, but the practical application was not enough. So the researcher and his team developed the first Korean disaster emergency medical response manual and the process of development was documented and arranged with the application by education and training.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.121-135
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a training protocol to standardize the management of mass casualties as part of the disaster response, and to verify the effectiveness of the training protocol. Methods: The study was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group and pretest-posttest design. The protocol was divided into 5 parts, the first for the advance party, the second for the rescue team, the third for the paramedic team, the fourth for the ambulance team, and the fifth for the 119 EMS team. This study was conducted on November 15, 2021 and consisted of 21 subjects in the final experimental group and 23 subjects in the control group. In this study, the prior homogeneity test was analyzed using the χ²-test, intragroup comparisons were analyzed using the paired t-test, and intragroup comparisons were analyzed using the independent t-test. Results: The protocol was developed in five parts: advance party, rescue team, paramedics team, ambulance team, and 119 EMS team. In verifying the effectiveness of the protocol, it was found that there were significant differences in self-efficacy (t=-0.941, p=0.001) and self confidence within the group (t=-0.025, p=0.001) after the implementation of the mass casualty incident response training program. However, there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it is believed that disaster response personnel can experience lower levels of anxiety and tension in disaster situations if they receive practical and realistic education and training. In the future, it is necessary to enhance protocol based practical education that can improve the knowledge and skills of each team and individual.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 2015

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the cohesions status of the coordination within response teams in the emergency response team (ERT) in a refinery. Methods: For this study, cohesion indicators of social network analysis (SNA; density, degree centrality, reciprocity, and transitivity) were utilized to examine the coordination of the response teams as a whole network. The ERT of this research, which was a case study, included seven teams consisting of 152 members. The required data were collected through structured interviews and were analyzed using the UCINET 6.0 Social Network Analysis Program. Results: The results reported a relatively low number of triple connections, poor coordination with key members, and a high level of mutual relations in the network with low density, all implying that there were low cohesions of coordination in the ERT. Conclusion: The results showed that SNA provided a quantitative and logical approach for the examination of the coordination status among response teams and it also provided a main opportunity for managers and planners to have a clear understanding of the presented status. The research concluded that fundamental efforts were needed to improve the presented situations.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2015

Background: To prepare for possible emergency situations during dental treatment, it is helpful to know how often and what kinds of emergencies may arise. This study set out to evaluate the incidences, causes, treatments, and outcomes of emergency situations in the outpatient clinic of a dental teaching hospital in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who had experienced an emergency situation and emergency response team activated in a selected outpatient clinic between November 2004 and November 2013. Specific information about the emergency cases was collected, including the patient characteristics and the frequency, types, treatments, and outcomes of the emergency situations. Results: We identified 35 instances of emergency situations in 2,890,424 patients (incidence = 0.012 per 10,000 outpatients). The number of cases was as follows: 10 (28.6%) in the Department of Periodontics, 10 (28.6%) in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 6 (17.1%) in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, 4 (11.4%) in the Department of Prosthodontics, 2 (5.7%) in the Department of Conservative Dentistry, 2 (5.7%) in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, and 1 (2.9%) in the Department of Orthodontics. Three (8.6%) of the emergency situations arose before treatment, 22 (62.9%) during treatment, 7 (20.0%) after treatment, and 2 (5.7%) in a patient's guardian. Conclusions: In accordance with the growing elderly population and more aggressive dental procedures, the number of emergency situations may increase in the future. We recommend that clinicians keep in mind airway management and the active control of emergency situations.

• 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.12-19
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• 2011

Drawing on its extensive experience with natural disasters, Japan has been dispatching Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) team to disaster-stricken countries to provide specialist assistance in rescue and medical operations. The JDR team has assisted in the wake of disasters including the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China. Information about the affected area is essential for a rapid disaster response. However, it can be difficult to gather information on damages in the immediate post-disaster period. To help overcome this problem, we have built on an Earthquake Damage Estimation System. This system makes it possible to produce distributions of the earthquake's seismic intensity and structural damage based on pre-calculated data such as landform and site amplification factors for Peak Ground Velocity, which are estimated from a Digital Elevation Model, as well as population distribution. The estimation result can be shared with the JDR team and with other international organizations through communications satellite or the Internet, enabling more effective rapid relief operations.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.189-200
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• 2021

Purpose: We aimed to provide effective emergency medical services (EMS) response strategies for coping with high acuity patients during the pandemic by analyzing the influence of the COVID-19 and social distancing on EMS. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed the distribution of high acuity patients transported by Daejeon 1-1-9 EMS during the COVID-19 pandemic period, between February 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020 and the same period in 2019, as well as the level 3 social distancing enforced period, between July 27, 2020 and October 31, 2020. Results: The EMS dispatches decreased by 17% during the observed COVID-19 pandemic period compared to the same period in 2019. The number of cases with cardiac arrest and positive prehospital stroke scale rose by (p<.001). Patients with cardiac arrest, trauma, and positive prehospital stroke scale increased by during the level 3 social distancing period. Conclusion: Unlike the decreased EMS call volume and patient transports during the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiac arrest cases and the severity of high acuity patients tended to increase. We suggest that EMS systems should contrive a response strategy considering the collateral effect of major epidemics on the incidence rate of high acuity patients.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.585-594
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• 2018

Objective: This study was designed to report on the progress of the fire at Jecheon sports complex and to assess the adequacy of Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT)'s activities in response to the fire disaster. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review based on camera recordings and medical records that were recorded at the disaster site for assessment of activities. We cooperated with firefighters, police officers, local hospital medical staffs and public health personnel in Jecheon in order to classify patients in the disaster field and to understand the patients' progress. Results: At 15:53, the first request for emergency rescue came to the 119 general emergency call center, and a request for DMAT activation came at 16:28. DMAT arrived at the site at 17:04 and remained active until the following day at 00:43. The total number of casualties was 60, including 27 minimal (Green) patients, 29 expectant (Black) patients, three delayed (Yellow) patients, and one immediate (Red) patient. There were 32 patients who received on-site care by DMAT. Two patients were transferred from a local hospital to Wonju Severance Christian Hospital for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Conclusion: Twenty-nine victims were found in the sports complex building, and there were 31 mildly to moderately injured patients in this fire disaster. The main cause of death was thought to be smoke suffocation. Although DMAT was activated relatively quickly, it was not able to provide effective activity due to the late rescue and difficulty with fire suppression.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.65-75
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• 2021

Purpose: During the pandemic, a large number of orders forced online retailers of fresh produce to quickly change their emergency logistics capabilities to meet the needs of ordinary consumers during the pandemic. Our research aims to help online retailers establish an emergency physical distribution framework for fresh produce during disasters to meet consumer needs. Research design and methodology: 160 effective responses were collected from the online response team in Wuhan, China, and exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the emergency logistics capability framework. Twelve experts were invited online to collect their scoring opinions and use the entropy method to determine the importance of emergency logistics capabilities. Results: Our results have identified a total of 17 emergency logistics factors for online retailers, and we found that Transportation route planning and reconstruction capabilities, Emergency plan planning ability, and Supply chain real-time information sharing capability are the most important in the overall framework. Conclusions: This research completely established the physical distribution framework of fresh agricultural products online retailer in emergency situations. It enriches academic resources in the field of emergency distribution and provides a scientific basis for corporate managers to improve their physical distribution capabilities in emergency situations.