Burn Disasters in North Carolina: An Analysis of Four Major Incidents With a Look to the Future

This article examines the medical response to 4 significant burn disasters in North Carolina: the Pope Air Force Base disaster, the ConAgra/Garner food plant fire, the Imperial Foods/Hamlet chicken plant fire, and the West Pharmaceutical/Kinston fire. Each incident resulted in substantial injuries and fatalities, necessitating a coordinated medical response that involved local hospitals, emergency medical services, and burn and trauma centers. This analysis highlights the effectiveness of triage, mobilization of resources, medical transport, and the role of specialized centers in managing burn casualties. Furthermore, the article discusses the existing local, state, regional, and national burn disaster response plans, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among various agencies. In the context of North Carolina, the state's disaster preparedness strategies are evaluated, revealing strengths in outreach and training but also identifying gaps in resource allocation and inter-agency communication. Opportunities exist for improvements in communication with use of telemedicine and refining training with the utilization of artificial intelligence. This comprehensive review underscores the critical need for ongoing assessment and refinement of disaster response frameworks to better protect communities from the devastating impacts of burn incidents.