Title: Rhode Island disaster initiative

Authors: Kenneth A. Williams, Francis Sullivan, Selim Suner, Marc Shapiro, Leo Kobayashi, Robert Woolard, Whit Hill, Charlie Seekell

Addresses: Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School, 593 Eddy St. Providence, RI 02903, USA. ' Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School, 593 Eddy St. Providence, RI 02903, USA. ' Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School, 593 Eddy St. Providence, RI 02903, USA. ' Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy St. Providence, RI 02903, USA. ' Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy St. Providence, RI 02903, USA. ' Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School, 593 Eddy St. Providence, RI 02903, USA. ' Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy St. Providence, RI 02903, USA. ' Battelle Memorial Institute Providence Operations, Coro West, One Hoppin St., Providence, RI 02903, USA

Abstract: The Rhode Island Disaster Initiative (RIDI) is providing research in the areas of readiness, technology and training to address the significant gaps that remain in real-time medical response to events involving the use of weapons of mass destruction; terrorist use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive devices; mass casualty incidents and toxic industrial chemical and material accidents. Through a series of focused studies and full-scale exercises, RIDI is examining the underpinnings of common failures in disaster response, researching a number of potential best practice solutions to these failures and disseminating recommended solutions. Failed logistics, coordination, communication and inadequate decontamination practices are among the addressed areas.

Keywords: best practices; disaster response; emergency medical services; mass casualty incidents; real-time medical response; readiness; terrorism; toxic industrial chemicals; toxic industrial materials; weapons of mass destruction; WMD; emergency management; disaster management; Rhode Island Disaster Initiative; RIDI; failures; logistics; coordination; communication; decontamination.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRAM.2008.020416

International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 2008 Vol.9 No.4, pp.394 - 408

Published online: 22 Sep 2008 *

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