Communicating In A Disaster

Newswise — Coordinated communication systems remain a huge problem a year after Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Conference of Mayors reported this week. But UAB's Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Services System (BREMSS) is a national model for how trauma and mass casualty victims can be routed to the closest appropriately equipped and staffed hospital. Executive Director Joe Acker said, "Our unique software system manages minute-by-minute life-saving data, gives real-time updates every 30 seconds and provides air and ground ambulance routing. We even have the capacity to identify an outbreak of symptoms that may be due to a public health or terrorist event." On July 25, BREMSS, which has reduced trauma deaths 12 percent, won the national 2006 Mitretek Innovations Award for Homeland Security.