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Lightning strikes the earth over 8 million times a day; there are more than a million earthquakes every year; the energy of a hurricane equals 50,000 atomic bombs. And then there are landslides, tornadoes, wildfires, floods and now, terrorist attacks. A disaster can strike anywhere at anytime.
With earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides and flooding hitting the region seemingly every year, Southern California has faced disasters many times. Our medical personnel, police, fire departments and other first responders understand the need for disaster preparedness and we can help you prepare also.
In the event of an accident, natural disaster or terrorist attack – any event with mass casualties – children cannot be treated like little adults. Children are more physically and psychologically vulnerable than adults to biological and chemical agents, and other assaults to their bodies. Critically injured children may require different treatments, different equipment, different drugs and their bodies will respond differently than an adult. As we saw with Katrina, there also are numerous logistical challenges when pediatric patients have been separated from their parents.
The Pediatric Disaster Resource and Training Center (PDRTC) at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles was created in 2008, with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of the PDRTC is to identify and address gaps in pediatric disaster resources, communication and training, so that healthcare providers throughout Los Angeles County are prepared to handle all emergency medical needs of the region’s 2.8 million children.
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