title: Implementation of a medical command and control team in Switzerland.
abstract: In case of a major incident or disaster, the advance medical rescue command needs to manage several essential tasks simultaneously. These include the rapid deployment of ambulance, police, fire and evacuation services, and their coordinated activity, as well as triage and emergency medical care on site. The structure of such a medical rescue command is crucial for the successful outcome of medical evacuation at major incidents. However, little data has been published on the nature and structure of the command itself. This study presents a flexible approach to command structure, with two command heads: one emergency physician and one experienced paramedic. This approach is especially suitable for Switzerland, whose federal system allows for different structures in each canton. This article examines the development of these structures and their efficiency, adaptability and limitations with respect to major incident response in the French-speaking part of the country.
authors.affiliation: Emergency physicians at the Service of Emergency Medicine and Learning Centre for Disaster Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pierre-Nicolas
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Carron
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reigner
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vallotton
authors.forename: Jean-Gabriel
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Clouet
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Danzeisen
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zürcher
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yersin
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004190:Disasters; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D013557:Switzerland
keywords: Switzerland; emergency response leadership; major incident management; medical command and control; prehospital operations