This document discusses preparing medical teams for disaster and humanitarian response through immersive training. It outlines the structure and tiers of Australia's national medical response team (AusMAT), from rapid response teams available within 24 hours to major enhanced response teams that can deploy for up to a month. The document details the training courses provided, including courses on safety, security, tropical diseases, and specialized surgical and logistics training. It emphasizes that no teams should deploy without appropriate training, medical clearance, and equipment. The goal is to have nationally standardized and self-sufficient AusMAT teams that meet international standards for disaster response.

1. Preparing teams for
disaster/humanitarian response
-the power of immersion
Dr. Ian Norton MB BAO BCh (Hons) MRCSI FACEM DIH DTM
Director, Disaster Preparedness & Response
National Critical Care & Trauma Response Centre
Darwin

2. Northern Australian risks

3. Remote Area MIMMS
& Trauma education
disaster
Command & Control
Communication
Safety
Triage
Treatment & Transport
(remote)
Remote logistics

4. Mass casualties in remote
Northern Australia >300km
from hospital
Remote trauma and disaster
training proven valuable in
the field

5. Ashmore Reef, SIEV 36
16th April 2009, Ashmore Reef, NT
SIEV 36
49 POB

6. Truscott airfield and Front Puffin

8. AusMAT National Structure
• Current state based teams (NT and – Major (enhanced) response team
WA most advanced in training and cache) (up to 45) <one week prep, up to one
month deployment and rotate>
• Core team as above plus multiple
• 4 response tiers specialist cells e.g. surgery, Paeds etc.
– Needs Assessment 1-4 personnel – Liaison staff (2) <available in 6 hours,
<Available in 6 hours for several days travel to CBR to assist tasking
and beyond> agency(s)
– Rapid response team (15-24) • Self contained and self sustaining
<available in 24 hours for 2 weeks>
• Leadership cell (2) with help from Fire and Rescue
• Logistics (2) services
• Enviro (1) • Specialist staff (consultants and
• Emergency Care docs, nurses, senior nurses)
paramedics (10)
• Plus specialist cells to max of 8 • Working day to day in acute care
people e.g. surgical/infectious facilities across Australia
disease , laboratory, etc.

9. Reasons for these courses
• Ethics of sending untrained responders into
the field
– Humanitarian excellence/ Australian
representatives of government
– Safety & Security (including “immersion phase”)
• Physical harm
• Preventable illness
• Psychological scarring
• Political imperatives & vulnerabilities
• International accreditation of medical teams

10. Reports of failed “lessons learned”
• Aceh Tsunami
• Yogyakarta earthquake
• Samoan tsunami
• Haiti
– USAR vs. medical response organization/volume
– Surgical/medical performance

11. AusMAT training
• MIMMS
State • Ongoing exercises and education
Team
• Humanitarian/Safety/Security course
• Field exercise with deployable gear
National team • Internationally relevant ongoing education/language etc
• Team Leaders/Needs Assessment course
• Surgical and Anaesthetic course
National
Specialist roles • Enviro health/logistics etc

12. AusMAT team training courses
• Humanitarian contexts and • Team operations and dynamics
organization of response
• Tropical and infectious diseases
• Local government and agencies (basic)
awareness (basic)
• Hygiene, first aid and medical kits
• Cultural awareness and language
• Personal kit requirements
• Command and control
• Safety and security awareness • Administrative requirements
• Strategic Medical care • Medical checks
• Survival in austere environments • Vaccination programme
• Equipment familiarization including • Physical Fitness
PPE
• Media awareness
• Use of vital equipment by all team
members (not specific to role) • Code of conduct
• Critical Incident Management • Post deployment awareness
Awareness

14. Surgical & Anaesthetic AusMAT courses
• Senior specialists
• World renowned teachers
• Appropriate disaster
response surgery
• Logistics, safety and
security
• Surgical workshops
• Live tissue lab in
functional field hospital in
remote NT

16. AusMAT Team Leader skills
• Core group available nationally (Civilian & ADF)
• Good AusGOV political knowledge
• Multi-task trained (Env, Needs Assessment,
Logistics, Comms, reporting)
• Leadership in difficult situations
• International agency interaction/ clusters
• Excellent media skills
• High level team safety, security and health
protection skills

18. AusMAT health logistics course
• First course July 2012, Darwin
• WHO, RedR and AusMAT faculty
• 1 week intensive course
• Multiple field exercises and visits in Darwin
• One day remote community simulation visit

19. The ideal!
• No further teams will deploy without;
– Appropriate training
– Vaccinations
– Medical
– Fitness
– SOPs pre-agreed
– Uniformed, equipped and nationally badged
– Full self sufficiency
• Options for AusGOV- ADF, AusMAT or
combined teams

20. Regional advantage

21. NCCTRC Developments
• AusMAT Textbook free on line www.ncctrc.com.au
• National Database ready for use
• Standardized training curriculum and pathway
• Fitness testing
• Medical screening (lessons from ACC & ADF)
• Vaccination programme (in place)
• Standard uniform and equipment (heat specific)
• Cache development & self sustainability
• Medical & surgical humanitarian disaster cache
• Field hospitals (small-large)

22. National & World wide Developments
• AusMAT Working Group (DoHA)
– Rosters, state team development +/-national
team(s)
• Deployment Working Group (EMA-AGD)
– National approach to internationally deploying
teams (USAR and AusMAT)
• Foreign Medical Teams Working Group (WHO)
– Attempt to mirror INSARAG system?
– Register of foreign medical teams regionally
– Pre-prepared/managed responses & reporting
systems

23. How does an ED Doctor get involved?
• Contact your state AusMAT coordinator
– Vaccinations, Medical, fitness tests etc
• Broaden your scope of practice
• Broaden your experience and mission skills
• Complete an AusMAT training course

24. Questions ?
Questions?
ian.norton@nt.gov.au