Synopsis
How prepared are we for disasters in 2025? Do we need state and national standards for disaster response teams?
The requirement for agile, prepared, and scalable emergency medical team response has been well demonstrated in recent years. The pandemic, bushfires, surface transport accidents and other major events challenged our systems in Victoria and more broadly. Given ongoing climate change events, geopolitical challenges, and possible threat of civil conflict (as international pressures play out in our multicultural society), there is no indication to relax preparedness. Furthermore, challenges in prehospital and health systems are ongoing post Covid. As a result of all these factors, it is imperative to ensure effective state, national and international disaster responses. Local responders and Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) must be appropriately trained and prepared for further challenges, as should our health systems.
We will discuss the recent history of Australian civilian disaster medical assistance team response, look at the development of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (AUSMAT) in Darwin, and the World Health Organization Emergency Medical Teams Initiative. We will analyse complex disasters and the role of international governance, humanitarian actors and challenges for responding Medical teams. Additionally, we will look at the state based Field Emergency Medical Officer Program, Victorian Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT) and how they integrate with Ambulance Victoria’s disaster response systems. We conducted a review of Victorian Medical Assistance Teams comparing them to interstate and international response. The findings and recommendations will be outlined.
Speaker
Associate Professor Peter Archer is an emergency physician at The Royal Children’s Hospital and retrieval physician with Ambulance Victoria. He also holds current roles with Victoria’s Field Emergency Medical Officer Program, as an AUSMAT team member and a WHO Global Emergency Medical Teams Mentor with Indonesia’s Muhammadiyah EMT. Peter teaches disaster and retrieval medicine teaching at The University of Melbourne and Charles Darwin University. Peter has previously held a Medical Director role with the disaster response team at the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre and as Director of Emergency Services at Eastern health. He has been involved in disaster team responses including the Victorian Field Emergency Medical Officer program, AUSMAT COVID-19 response; 2020 Victorian Bushfires; 2019 Samoan Measles Outbreak; 2018 PNG Highlands Earthquake; 2018 Tongan Cyclone Gita; 2016 Fiji Cyclone Winston; 2015 USAID Liberian Ebola response; 2013 Philippines Typhoon Haiyan and 2009 Victorian Black Saturday Bushfires.