Medical Support Operations Team Readiness Training

Medical Support Operations teams need to learn how to work effectively and safely in a coordinated response to large scale disaster situations such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. A key challenge in such situations is the need for situation awareness at all levels of command, which requires multi-agency coordination and communication. We propose to develop the Medical Emergency Team Training and Learning Environment (METTLE), which will prepare medical support operations teams to work together in diffuse, complex disaster situations that are hazardous and dynamic, where they need to be able to perform under stress to determine “ground truth,” maintain awareness of the larger situation, prioritize needs, communicate to coordinate efforts most effectively, and work with limited resources. The training will consist of didactic and scenario-based experiential training delivered using a combination of interactive multimedia web-enabled e-learning software and distributed multi-player simulation software. The training will align with national preparedness priority capabilities and equip medical support personnel with the skills with which to assess situations as they unfold and develop strategies for effective emergency management. The program will allow medical support teams to face the challenges of large scale disaster response to complete their mission safely and effectively.