Casualty Triage and Removal in a Large Scale Terror Attack

Triage During a Terrorist Attack

Triage During a Large-Scale Terrorist Attack

Triage is the cornerstone of medical emergency response. Triage is a technique of prioritizing victim injuries based on severity. In a triage situation, the most serious injuries are treated first instead of first come first served. The reason behind the modern triage method is to save as many lives as possible as quickly as possible. While this method is effective, there are some considerations that should be examined regarding the safety and efficiency of the technique. When considering whether triage is the best approach in an emergency situation one must consider the safety of the rescue units, danger of remaining within a crowded area, and the overwhelming waves of victims at nearby hospitals.

Rescue units put their lives on the line ignoring their own safety to safely remove and save any victims from a disaster. In the 9/11 trade tower bombing, it was rescue workers who voluntarily went into the trade center building as it was collapsing in an attempt to save lives (Cushman 2003). The problem, as learned on this day, was that secondary attacks can happen resulting in vital support and rescue staff being injured as well. While the lives of rescue workers are important, the lives of victims are equally important. Thus, there is a tension between keep rescue workers safe and removing injured victims for escort and treatment in the medical centers.

The next consideration with the modern response to terrorist attacks is the danger of crowds. One means of efficiently triage and escorting victims is for emergency services to meet in a specific area and mobilize. During this mobilization, however, the rescue workers themselves can become a target for secondary attacks, especially given that their purpose is to save lives (CDC). Additionally, bringing victims into a central triage area can equally result in easy targeting for later attacks. This concern has yet to be addressed in modern emergency plans, resulting in the reality that it could pose a potential threat to rescue workers and victims at a later time.