Major Disasters

The Size of the Problem Major disasters are thankfully few and far between, but all emergency services, including accident doctors, must be constantly ready for "The Big One." In recent years, BASICS doctors have attended major incidents as diverse as: Lockerbie air crash Hungerford shooting Docklands bombing Dunblane shooting Kegworth motorway air crash Clapham junction rail crash King's Cross underground fire Marchioness boat disaster and obviously we all saw the devastating effects of terrorist attacks in America - particularly on The World Trade Centre, The Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. In Plymouth there is an enormous potential for major accidents, as the city and surrounding area contain the following: Large rail terminus Airport Major road network Ferryport Naval base and dockyard (including nuclear risk) Industrial sites Gas installations Large sports grounds and public arenas Fishing quay For this reason, a number of PLIMS doctors have successfully completed specialist courses in Manchester and London which qualify them to assume the role of Medical Incident Officer (MIO) at a major accident. Each of these doctors can be alerted by pager and in the event of a disaster occurring, they are trained to take control of all medical resources at the scene.                                                       This role demands teamwork and close liaison with Police, Fire and Ambulance Incident Officers. Regular inter-service training is therefore undertaken. In the last few years, PLIMS doctors have played an important role in two major incidents, both involving toxic chemicals.

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