Take-home messages

Planning & collaboration in emergency management Emergencies are not only possible, but inevitable Emergency planning should include strength & gap analysis Strengthen regional & global cooperation in development & application of novel technologies Encourage public-private cooperation in emergency response models Long term recovery should be considered in emergency planning

International humanitarian action Denial of potential threats by the public & authorities must not preclude preparedness Local preparedness is crucial to building a resilient society Appropriate humanitarian response should be designed in accordance with needs of the particular population including refugees

Leadership/Coordination Global collaboration is a key to successful emergency management Enhance decision-making skills of emergency leaders Building team coordinators facilitates effective operation and ensures quality of care

Ethics in Disaster Management Triage decisions should not discriminate against terrorists Quality assurance of emergency response teams should be based on specified standards Informed consent may be complex in studies of emergency/disaster medicine

Building & Sustaining Resilience Emergency planning should include lessons from bio- medical, psychosocial & environmental events Establishing family & community networks increases resilience Building resilience should include response capacity, anticipation and monitoring

Training & Exercises Training must be measured based on explicit goals & indicators Drill, drill, drill Exercises are a key to successful operations during an emergency Simulation training is a cost-benefit alternative to full-scale exercises Training should rely on potential events and data from real events

Human Resources Roles & competencies of all stakeholders must be pre-defined Transform a team of experts into an expert team Identify potential sources of personnel availability: o Integration of paramedics as community first care o Use of veterinary staff to reinforce medical personnel

Communication A common disaster management language needs to be established Media is an important tool for informing the population Needs of vulnerable populations (i.e. deaf) should be integrated in the response mechanisms

Civil-Military Cooperation Need to establish civil-military collaboration prior to emergencies Common terminologies & guidelines should be developed to facilitate a coordinated response

Animal Sheltering First responders & pet owners are put at risk if animals are not included in the emergency planning Public health and re-unification of animals with their owners should be included in the response model Biosecurity is crucial even when animals appear healthy