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- Misconception #1: Disaster planning requires large mobilization of resources. Traditionally, medical disaster planning has focused on the need to rapidly mobilize large numbers of resources (physicians, nurses, support personnel, supplies, etc.) to care for multiple trauma victims, numerous displaced individuals, and the widespread devastation that seemingly accompanies a disaster. This occurs, in part, on the perception that disasters are emergencies that exceed or overwhelm the resources available in a given area or community. In fact, one of the biggest challenges in a disaster is managing these resources. When a “real” disaster occurs (manmade or natural), large numbers of hospital personnel will arrive at the emergency department (ED) to offer assistance, often without being requested. Unfortunately, many of these “volunteers” are members of the medical staff who never participated in any previous disaster drills. These individuals typically are unfamiliar with routine ED policies and procedures, have never used or seen the disaster triage tagging system, and are uncomfortable receiving orders from the chain of command implemented during the disaster. The end result is a loss of control over the disaster event. The responding personnel function independently without any unified direction or control. Response to an terrorism event would be further confused if these responders lacked NBC training. - Misconception #2: Most of the medical care for disaster victims is provided by pre-hospital personnel. During the planning process, many hospitals incorrectly assume that all of the disaster victims will arrive by ambulance after being triaged, decontaminated, and stabilized at the scene by pre-hospital personnel. Because of this assumption, hospitals are often caught unprepared for the number of patients that arrive by private vehicle who have never received any form of pre-hospital care. Most of these individuals will only have minor injuries, arrive unannounced to the closest ED, and will consume most of the bed space and personnel prior to the arrival of the most critical patients by EMS.