Disaster Preparedness Plan Background
The January 2010 earthquake in Haiti triggered an unparalleled response from AAOS members. More than 500 of them traveled to Haiti as volunteers.
Concern for the safety and welfare of member volunteers during disaster service prompted the AAOS and OTA boards of directors to establish a Disaster Preparedness Project Team. The two organizations agreed it was essential to have a more organized approach to disaster response for future events, including appropriate medical, disability and liability protection for volunteers.
In June 2011, the project team presented its plan to the AAOS Board of Directors, which voted its approval.
Key elements of the plan include:
- A customized, orthopaedic-specific training course to help prepare members for service in mass casualty environments. (The Disaster Response Course, developed with the SOMOS, was first held in December 2011 and February 2012. It will be offered twice a year.)
- An AAOS-Registered Responder Database to more efficiently connect trained volunteers with response agencies in the event of a disaster
- Information on volunteer pre-credentialing through the US Federal Government and/or NGOs
- A Disaster Preparedness and Response section of the AAOS website to communicate to members about the Disaster Preparedness Plan, suggested training opportunities, and other resources
Because disaster preparedness and response is not static, the Disaster Response Project Team implementing the plan continuously monitors new information available and responds accordingly.
If you have questions about the Disaster Preparedness Plan, please contact disasterprep@aaos.org.
