The
Red Cross Unit
Prologue
The German Red Cross takes for granted that all its
active volunteers take part in civil defence and catastrophe protection.
When people need help and the government will or cannot intervene, the
German Red Cross will take the initiative by itself.
The presidential bodies of the German Red Cross have
decided on October 8, 1992 – in logical consequence to the requirements
made in the "Positioning Paper of the German Red Cross for Taking
Part in the Civil Defence and Catastrophe Protection" – that
multifunctional units should be established, basing on the
catastrophe-protection directive of the German Red Cross and on a new
proof for strength and equipment.
This enables the German Red Cross to provide a wide
emergency assistance system which can act fast and flexibly to help all
injured people involved in case of major and minor incidents and in
collaboration with the existing emergency and fire-rescue systems. Thus,
the German Red Cross meets the requirements for incidents which can happen
in a modern industrial society.
Representing
the national Red Cross community of the Federal Republic of Germany, the
German Red Cross thus fulfills the obligations it has taken on by having
been accepted by the Federal Government and by the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Nonwithstanding, the obligations of the federation,
the regions and the communities to protect their citizens in times of need
must be emphasised, the German Red Cross units being only a contribution
in partnership.
Bonn, June 1995
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Knut Ipsen, President of the German
Red Cross
The
Situation in the County of Lippe...
The German Red Cross in Lippe has four units, each
again comprised of four groups:
We, the Red Cross unit of Blomberg, provide the medical-care unit for the
Lippe-Ost unit and its leading team. The volunteers of our community act
for this unit. We also provide personnel for the technical and safety unit,
but we do not have any equipment for this. Some of our volunteers are in
our unit as an alternative to the military service. We are responsible for
the towns of Blomberg, Schieder, and Luegde and their sorroundings. This
is a rather large region, sometimes leading to long drives to the site of
an emergency.
The
Medical-Care Unit in Blomberg...
Due to the development in emergency medical aid in the
emergency medical service, the requirements for medical-care service have
changed in the past years. In the case of incidents with injured persons,
rescue headquarters will – depending on the extent of the damage and
according to the alarm guidelines – alarm and mobilise all available
rescue units, including units of neighbouring emergency stations,
emergency units and air rescue units, if necessary. It is assumed that all
injured persons will first be attended to by emergency-service personnel.
A leading emergency physician is responsible for the medical part.
Together with the organisational leader, he or she decides which rescue
units will be used. Thus, the medical-care unit plays primarily a
supporting role.
However, the county of Lippe is special because it has its own emergency
system. It has the same requirements and tasks as the medical-care unit.
This system comprises the vehicles of the Blomberg unit (emergency
ambulance and patient transport vehicle) and some vehicles of the
medical-care unit (both patient transport vehicles with 4 stretchers).
Thus, the emergency system of Lippe county will be alarmed first.
Tasks
of our Medical-Care Unit...
We...
supply the emergency site with urgently needed materials such as
stretchers, covers, infusions, oxygen equipment, wound dressings, etc.
and support the emergency physicians and emergency-service personnel
provide medical services to injured people (making
sure that patients can be transported)
create the needed infrastructure at the emergency site
by setting up a casualty station, if necessary
search for injured people and provide medical care as
first responders
take over patients after first medical care, e.g. from
a first-aid station, and take them to the casualty station
provide medical services to injured and sick persons
until they are transported to a hospital
provide medical services to lightly injured people,
thus relieving ambulance service, emergency physicians and hospitals
provide medical services to contaminated injured
persons and conduct a provisional decontamination
take uninjured people affected by an incident under
our wing and care for them until the support unit takes over
take care of registration and documentation
Qualification
of our Personnel in the Medical-Care Unit
The qualification must correspond to the tasks and the multifunctional
character of the unit and is modular.
Basic
Qualification
All
volunteers of the unit get a basic qualification in the areas of medical
care, human support, and technical support. This comprises the
medical-care qualification (San A), the human-support qualification, the
basic qualification for technical and safety equipment, as well as
organisational facilities, civil and catastrophe defense. This
quailification enables the volunteers for taking part in all tasks of the
unit.
Extended
Medical Qualification
Furthermore,
the volunteers complete an extended medical-care qualification (former San
B and C). It is our aim that all volunteers have the minimum qualification
of a ”Rettungshelfer” (EMT-Basic). Some even work full-time in the
ambulance service of have experience in this work. Therefore there are
some EMT-Intermediates and paramedics in our unit, one of which has a
further qualification of ”Lehrrettungsassistent” (teaching paramedic)
and ”Org. Ltr. Rettungsdienst” (organisational qualification).
Further
Training
Depending
on the tasks, further training such as radiotelephony, driving, etc.
Manning
Level and Equipment
The minimum manning level of the whole unit is 30
volunteers according to the general secretariat and 33 volunteers
according to the regional unit of Westfalen-Lippe. In our local unit, we
provide 44 volunteers for the leading, medical, technical and safety
components. Thus, we are clearly above the requirements and can turn out
any time of the day with enough volunteers.
Every unit must provide a doctor, who has to be a
qualified emergency physician. This task is currently fulfilled by our
unit physician. Substitutes for personnel of the unit are mandatory.
Investigations of sub-catastrophic incidents of the
past years have shown that the event of a large number of people in need
of support – injured or not – in a short time is quite possible.
Ambulance service is concentrating mainly on the medical care and
transport for seriously wounded patients.
Uninjured persons or family members of injured people
are mostly not cared for at all or only insufficiently. In this case, the
support unit of the Lippe-Ost Red Cross unit can be alarmed. But our unit
too can help due to our manning level if the support unit is delayed
because of long distances to travel.
Since the ambulance service is generally provided with
equipment for individual emergencies (according to the German DIN
standards), the equipment of an emergency ambulance or of a patient
transport vehicle is usually only sufficient for providing medical care to
one seriously wounded patient. In the case of an incident with a large
number of injured people, things such as stretchers, covers, infusions,
medicine, immobilizing equipment, and oxygen are severely lacking.
Furthermore, in the case of bad weather the ambulance service has no
possibility of setting up a covered casualty station (tent) or to light
the site when it is dark.
The Lippe-Ost unit closes this gap.
Supply
Capacity
Medical
Care
The
manning level and the equipment fo the medical-care unit is rated for 20
injured persons. In collaboration with an emergency physician of the
ambulance service, two emergency ambulances and one patient-transport
vehicle (the Blomberg unit has emergency ambulance and one
patient-transport vehicle), the physician and the nine volunteers of the
medical-care unit provide medical services to
2
- 3 seriously wounded patients (care priority with subsequent transport
priority, including
infusion and intubation therapy) and
4
- 5 wounded patients (care priority but no transport priority) and
12
lightly wounded patients (no care priority or transport priority).
In
the case of a large number of injured persons, medical care is a priority.
Therefore, all volunteers of the unit will primarily provide medical care
Social
Support
The
support unit alone can care for about 100 persons in need of social
assistance.
If
the situation requires mainly support work, these tasks will be carried
out by the whole unit.
Depending
on the situation, the whole unit can quarter, feed and care for up to 500
persons.
Mixed
Situations
In
mixed situations, the unit will have to care for about 120 persons (20
injured persons and 100 100 persons in need of social assistance).
By
calling other units or parts thereof for help, the performance level of
the unit can be increased, especially in mixed situations
Collaboration
in the Unit
The
volunteers of the medical and of the support units help each other. Thus,
support capacities can be increased.
The
unit for technical and safety equipment supports the other units where
needed, improving the situation at the emergency site by setting up tents,
lighting and heating the site in the case of bad weather.
In
special emergency situations, special temporary groups may have to be
formed. E.g., in the case of chemical or radiological danger or for human
decontamination, a group of qualified experts is formed out of all units.
Emergencies
Generally, there are three reasons for an emergency
unit to turn out, working on the principle of a mixed situation (medical
care and support), depending on the necessities.
Emergencies
of a Sub-Catastrophic Level
In the case of sudden sub-catastrophic incidents in
the area of the unit, the situation can be dealt with by using the local
available capacities of ambulance service and emergency units. Such
situations must be included in the alarm plans of the rescue headquarters.
For emergencies with up to 20 injured persons, a medical-care unit must be
created, which is alarmed by beepers and turns out directly. Also the
group leaders of the human support unit and the technical leader should be
included. They arrive at the site together with the organisational leaders
and are responsible for their specific tasks.
Emergencies
of a Catastrophic Level
In the case of a catastrophe, the unit will be requested by public
authorities within the scope of the organisational structures of
catastrophe defense. The unit will be alarmed, prepare and turn out all
together and be directed to the emergency site or a room near the site.
When the capacities of units in the local area are depleted, nearby areas
can be called for help.
Especially
when the number of injured persons is so large that the regional or even
federal units are not sufficient to help all persons in need of assistance,
or when the emergency is bound to last a long time, an Auxiliary Unit of
the German Red Cross (who has ten such units at the time) can be appointed
for support and replacement, if necessary. Each auxiliary unit can support
3000 persons. In this case, there is no more time limit provided that
enough materal and personnel will be supplied.
Scheduled
Assignments
The unit can also turn out in the case of scheduled
and planned assignments, e.g. evacuation of buildings, medical and support
services at big events (Wilbasen funfair, Easter fire wheels), foreseeable
catastrophes such as flooding, fires, etc. This happens on the German Red
Cross’ own initiative or by governmental appointment. Since we assume
that these emergencies can happen for our own unit, we do regular
trainings.
Written by: Lars Riemeier 09/2001
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