Evacuate or shelter-in-place? Applying a risk-informed decision support tool for long-term care facilities threatened by wildfire
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Healthcare leaders developed a new tool to help decide when to evacuate long-term care (LTC) residents during wildfires. This standardized approach aids critical decisions, prioritizing resident safety during climate-related disasters.
Area Of Science
- Environmental Health
- Public Health Policy
- Emergency Management
Background
- Canada experienced its most destructive wildfire season in 2023, significantly impacting British Columbia.
- Long-term care (LTC) residents are particularly vulnerable to climate-related disasters like wildfires and floods.
- Healthcare leaders require robust strategies for evacuation decisions concerning LTC facilities.
Purpose Of The Study
- To address the need for a standardized approach to evacuation decision-making for LTC facilities during climate-related emergencies.
- To analyze the development of an Evacuation Risk Decision-Support Tool by Interior Health (IH) and Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC).
Main Methods
- Collaboration between Interior Health (IH) and Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC).
- Development of a standardized Evacuation Risk Decision-Support Tool.
- Application of the tool during the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, BC.
Main Results
- The Evacuation Risk Decision-Support Tool provided critical information for LTC facility evacuation decisions during a major wildfire.
- The tool facilitated a structured risk assessment, balancing the dangers of the event against the risks of resident displacement.
- Informed evacuation decisions for LTC facilities during the McDougall Creek wildfire.
Conclusions
- A standardized decision-support tool is essential for managing LTC facility evacuations during increasingly severe climate-related disasters.
- The IH/HEMBC collaboration demonstrates a successful model for developing and implementing emergency management tools.
- Effective risk assessment and decision-making are crucial for protecting vulnerable LTC residents during health emergencies.
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