Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x24gv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T17:12:20.031Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 22 - Occurrence of the Mass Casualty Incident at a Mass Gathering Event

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2024

William J. Brady
Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Mark R. Sochor
Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Paul E. Pepe
Affiliation:
Metropolitan EMS Medical Directors Global Alliance, Florida
John C. Maino II
Affiliation:
Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn
K. Sophia Dyer
Affiliation:
Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Massachusetts
Get access

Summary

The mass casualty incident marks the ultimate challenge for emergency services at a mass gathering event. This chapter provides a thorough review of the unique challenges associated with the occurrence of a mass casualty incident in a mass gathering setting and summarizes a comprehensive, flexible framework to manage this specific scenario. In particular, we provide a detailed summary of the evidence and recommendations associated with the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts related to mass casualty incident management at a mass gathering event. Our discussion of prevention focuses on proper risk assessment practices and a recommended set of effective measures that can be used to promote crowd management within the mass gathering setting. Our section on disaster preparedness highlights the critical initial step to identify and engage all stakeholders associated with the mass gathering event and the particular disaster scenarios identified in the event’s risk assessment profile, as well as key measures to establish clear disaster plans and promote organized command and communication. Finally, specific recommendations are provided for efficient disaster response through the initial and longer-term phases, as well as for the recovery process that includes effective community support and psychological first aid for affected parties.

Type
Chapter
Information
Mass Gathering Medicine
A Guide to the Medical Management of Large Events
, pp. 320 - 341
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

DeNolf, R. L., Kahwaji, C. I. EMS Mass Casualty Management. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing; 2022. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482373/. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Heightman, A. J. Many Factors Contribute to the Successful Management of a Mass Casualty Incident. JEMS: EMS, Emergency Medical Services – Training, Paramedic, EMT News. 2012. www.jems.com/operations/many-factors-contribute-successful-manag/. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Newgard, C. D., Schmicker, R. H., Hedges, J. R., Trickett, J. P., Davis, D. P., Bulger, E. M., et al. Emergency Medical Services Intervals and Survival in Trauma: Assessment of the “Golden Hour” in a North American Prospective Cohort. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2010;55(3):235–246.e4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brittanica. Mecca | Definition, History, Pilgrimage, Population, Kaaba, City, & Facts | Britannica. 2022. www.britannica.com/place/Mecca. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Almukhtar, S. To Get All the World’s Muslims to Hajj, It Would Take at Least 581 Years. The New York Times. 2018. www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/23/world/middleeast/hajj-attendance-expansion.html. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Census Bureau. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: State College Borough, Pennsylvania. 2020. www.census.gov/quickfacts/statecollegeboroughpennsylvania. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Snyder, S. Beaver Stadium. Penn State. 2016. https://sites.psu.edu/slspassion/2016/04/15/beaver-stadium/. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Jena, A. B., Mann, N. C., Wedlund, L. N., Olenski, A. Delays in Emergency Care and Mortality During Major U.S. Marathons. N Engl J Med. 2017 Apr 13;376(15):1441-1450 www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMsa1614073. Accessed October 4, 2019.Google Scholar
Turris, S. A., Lund, A., Bowles, R. R. An Analysis of Mass Casualty Incidents in the Setting of Mass Gatherings and Special Events. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 2014;8(2):17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milsten, A. M., Maguire, B. J., Bissell, R. A., Seaman, K. G. Mass-Gathering Medical Care: A Review of the Literature. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2002;17(3):151162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bajaj, S., Dudeja, P. Food Poisoning Outbreak in a Religious Mass Gathering. Medical Journal Armed Forces India. 2019;75(3):339343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kak, V. Infections on Cruise Ships. Microbiology Spectrum. 2015;3(4).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Florida, R., Goldfarb, Z. Woodstock ’94. Peace, Music and EMS. JEMS. 1994;19(12):4548.Google ScholarPubMed
Dress, J. M., Horton, E. H., Florida, R. Music, Mud & Medicine. Woodstock ’94: A Maniacal, Musical Mass-Casualty Incident. Emergency Medical Services. 1995;24(1):21, 30–2.Google ScholarPubMed
Riedel, S. Biological Warfare and Bioterrorism: A Historical Review. Proceedings (Baylor University Medical Center). 2004;17(4):400406.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keudell, A. von, Koh, K. A., Shah, S. B., Harris, M. B., Smith, M., Rodriguez, E. K., et al. Mental Health After the Boston Marathon Bombing. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2016;3(9):802804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
CDEM. Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 No 33 (as at 01 June 2018), Public Act 3 Purpose – New Zealand Legislation. 2002. www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0033/51.0/DLM149795.html. Accessed January 27, 2022.Google Scholar
CDEM. National Civil Defence Emergency Management Strategy. 2008. www.civildefence.govt.nz/cdem-sector/plans-and-strategies/national-civil-defence-emergency-management-strategy/. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Bledsoe, B., Songer, P., Buchanan, K., Westin, J., Hodnick, R., Gorosh, L. Burning Man 2011: Mass Gathering Medical Care in an Austere Environment. Prehospital and Emergency Care. 2012;16(4):469476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutty, M., Scott, D., Steiger, R., Johnson, P. Weather Risk Management at the Olympic Winter Games. Current Issues in Tourism. 2015;18(10):931946.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glassberg, E., Lipsky, A. M., Abramovich, A., Sergeev, I., Hochman, O., Ash, N. A Dynamic Mass Casualty Incident at Sea: Lessons Learned from the Mavi Marmara. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. 2013;75(2):292297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dörries, B. Violent Allegations Against the Organizers of the Love Parade. Süddeutsche.de. 2010. www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/loveparade-rainer-schaller-heftige-vorwuerfe-gegen-veranstalter-der-loveparade-1.980628. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Helbing, D., Mukerji, P. Crowd Disasters as Systemic Failures: Analysis of the Love Parade Disaster. EPJ Data Science. 2012;1(1):7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bird, J. Fire in the Bronx: Austerity, Quality of Life, and Nightlife Regulation in New York City Post-1975. Journal of Urban History. 2020;46(4):836853.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, W. M., Simone, B. M., Niemann, J. T., Daly, A. Special Event Medical Care: The 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics Experience. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 1986;15(2):185190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sanchez, R. “Beyond Your Control.” The Recipe for a Deadly Crowd Crush. CNN2021. www.cnn.com/2021/11/06/us/what-is-a-crowd-surge/index.html. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Kershner, I., Nagourney, E., Ives, M. Stampede at Israel Religious Celebration Kills at Least 45. The New York Times. 2021. www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/world/middleeast/israel-mount-meron-stampede.html. Accessed February 5, 2022.Google Scholar
Ganguly, S., Friedman, M. Mass Gathering Medicine: Lessons from the Hajj. Emergency Physicians Monthly. 2015. https://epmonthly.com/article/mass-gathering-medicine-lessons-from-the-hajj/. Accessed February 5, 2022.Google Scholar
Davies, G., Dawson, S. E. The 2011 Stanley Cup Riot: Police Perspectives and Lessons Learned. Policing: International Journal of Police Strategy and Management. 2015;38(1):132152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delany, C., Crilly, J., Ranse, J. Drug and Alcohol Related Patient Presentations to Emergency Departments During Sporting Mass-Gathering Events: An Integrative Review. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2020;35(3):298304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thierbach, A. R., Wolcke, B. B., Piepho, T., Maybauer, M., Huth, R. Medical Support for Children’s Mass Gatherings. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2003;18(1):1419.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bernardo, L. M., Veenema, T. G. Pediatric Emergency Preparedness for Mass Gatherings and Special Events. Disaster Management & Response. 2004;2(4):118122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rostrup, M., Gilbert, M., Stalsberg, H. A Snow Avalanche in Vassdalen. Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening. 1989;109(7–8):807813.Google ScholarPubMed
Romundstad, L., Sundnes, K. O., Pillgram-Larsen, J., Røste, G. K., Gilbert, M. Challenges of Major Incident Management When Excess Resources Are Allocated: Experiences from a Mass Casualty Incident After Roof Collapse of a Military Command Center. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2004;19(2):179184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolfe, J., Martinez, R., Scott, W. A. Baseball and Beer: An Analysis of Alcohol Consumption Patterns Among Male Spectators at Major-League Sporting Events. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 1998;31(5):629632.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friedman, M. S., Plocki, A., Likourezos, A., et al. A Prospective Analysis of Patients Presenting for Medical Attention at a Large Electronic Dance Music Festival. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2017;32(1):7882.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hendrickson, R. G., Horowitz, B. Z. Disaster Preparedness. In: Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. Tintinalli J. E., Ma O. J., Yealy D. M., et al. (eds.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2020. accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1166526002. Accessed February 21, 2022.Google Scholar
Pozner, C. N., Zane, R., Nelson, S. J., Levine, M. International EMS Systems: The United States: Past, Present, and Future. Resuscitation. 2004;60(3):239244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Persoff, J., Ornoff, D., Little, C. The Role of Hospital Medicine in Emergency Preparedness: A Framework for Hospitalist Leadership in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. Journal of Hospital Medicine. 2018;13(10):713718.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
The Joint Commission. Emergency Management. 2022. www.jointcommission.org/resources/patient-safety-topics/emergency-management/. Accessed February 5, 2022.Google Scholar
Boyle, M. F., Lorenzo, R. A. D., Garrison, R. Physician Integration into Mass Gathering Medical Care: The United States Air Show. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 1993;8(2):165168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cryer, H. G., Hiatt, J. R. Trauma System: The Backbone of Disaster Preparedness. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. 2009;67(2):S111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Biddinger, P. D., Baggish, A., Harrington, L., d’Hemecourt, P., Hooley, J., Jones, J., et al. Be Prepared: The Boston Marathon and Mass-Casualty Events. New England Journal of Medicine. 2013;368(21):19581960.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gates, J. D, Arabian, S., Biddinger, P., Blansfield, J., Burke, P., Chung, S., et al. The Initial Response to the Boston Marathon Bombing. Annals of Surgery. 2014;260(6):960966.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leonard, H., Cole, C., Howitt, A., Heymann, P. Why Was Boston Strong? Lessons from the Boston Marathon Bombing. Ash Center Policy Briefs Series, Harvard University. 2014. https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/42372460. Accessed February 5, 2022.Google Scholar
Rahmat, N., Jusoff, K., Ngali, N., et al. Crowd Management Strategies and Safety Performance among Sports Tourism Event Venue Organizers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. World Applied Sciences Journal. 2011;12:4752.Google Scholar
Williams, J., Freeman, C. L., Goldstein, S. EMS Incident Command System. StatPearls Publishing; 2021. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441863/. Accessed February 5, 2022.Google Scholar
Kahn, C. A., Schultz, C. H., Miller, K. T., Anderson, C. L. Does START Triage Work? An Outcomes Assessment After a Disaster. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2009;54(3):424–430.e1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarkson, L., Williams, M. EMS Mass Casualty Triage. StatPearls Publishing; 2021. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459369/. Accessed February 5, 2022.Google Scholar
Romig, L. E. Pediatric Triage: A System to JumpSTART Your Triage of Young Patients at MCIs. JEMS. 2002;27(7):52–8, 60–3.Google ScholarPubMed
Cone, D. C., Serra, J., Burns, K., MacMillan, D. S., Kurland, L., Van Gelder, C. Pilot Test of the SALT Mass Casualty Triage System. Prehospital and Emergency Care. 2009;13(4):536540.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wuerz, R. Emergency Severity Index Triage Category Is Associated with Six-Month Survival. Academic Emergency Medicine. 2001;8(1):6164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benson, M., Koenig, K. L., Schultz, C. H. Disaster Triage: START, then SAVE – A New Method of Dynamic Triage for Victims of a Catastrophic Earthquake. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 1996;11(2):117124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coleman, C., Hrdina, C., Casagrande, R., Cliffer, K., Mansoura, M., Nystrom, S., et al. User-Managed Inventory: An Approach to Forward-Deployment of Urgently Needed Medical Countermeasures for Mass-Casualty and Terrorism Incidents. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 2012;6:408414.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CDC. Strategic National Stockpile. Public Health Emergency. 2021. www.phe.gov/about/sns/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed February 6, 2022.Google Scholar
Gamberini, L., Imbriaco, G., Ingrassia, P. L., et al. Logistic Red Flags in Mass-Casualty Incidents and Disasters: A Problem-Based Approach. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2022;37(2):18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowes, A., Cosgrove, J. Prehospital Organization and Management of a Mass Casualty Incident. BJA Education. 2016;16(10):323328. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjaed/mkw005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Brocklin, E. “Scoop and Run” Can Save Lives. Why Don’t More Police Departments Try It? The Trace. 2018. www.thetrace.org/2018/11/scoop-and-run-gunshot-victim-police-transport/. Accessed February 11, 2022.Google Scholar
Jacoby, S. F., Reeping, P. M., Branas, C. C. Police-to-Hospital Transport for Violently Injured Individuals: A Way to Save Lives? The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 2020;687(1):186201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Brocklin, E. Where Cop Cars Double as Ambulances. The Trace. 2018. www.thetrace.org/2018/11/philadelphia-police-scoop-and-run-shooting-victims/. Accessed February 11, 2022.Google Scholar
Ruzek, J., Brymer, M., Jacobs, A., Layne, C., Vernberg, E., Watson, P. Psychological First Aid. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. 2007;29:1749.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, J. T. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). www.info-trauma.org 1995;10.Google Scholar
Everly, G. S., Flannery, R. B., Mitchell, J. T. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM): A Review of the Literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2000;5(1):2340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pfefferbaum, B., Newman, E., Nelson, S. D., Nitiéma, P., Pfefferbaum, R. L., Rahman, A. Disaster Media Coverage and Psychological Outcomes: Descriptive Findings in the Extant Research. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2014;16(9):464.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heir, T., Hussain, A., Weisæth, L. Managing the After-Effects of Disaster Trauma: The Essentials of Early Intervention. European Psychiatric Review. 2008;1:6669.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×