The team uses evidence-based analysis of current and emerging trends and standards in the field of disaster and emergency management to make sure BCEHS retains or recovers functionality as quickly and efficiently as possible in the event of a disaster.
For BCEHS, there are four categories of impact that can affect our ability to provide pre-hospital care. The four categories are:
- An overwhelming increase in number of patients, to the point where we can no longer effectively respond (e.g. a tsunami that impacts a populated area).
- Staffing levels are inadequate to staff ambulances or dispatch centres (e.g. a pandemic where a significant number of staff are home sick).
- Receiving hospitals lack capacity due to damage or overwhelming numbers of patients (e.g. a destructive earthquake in the Lower Mainland).
- Transportation issues where major transportation networks are disrupted (e.g. large wildfires or floods).
