Evening star., 1942-12-04
0CDAdvocates
Simpler Medical
Service Plan
Would Cut Casualty
Stations, Stort New
Rescue Setup

Rescue Setup
In a move to conserve medical
manpower and to profit by recently
observed British experience, the
Office of Civilian Defense yesterday
urged on local defense councils
simplified plan of operating their
Emergency Medical Services.
OCD Director James M. Lands
recommended a reduction in the
number of casualty stations for the
slightly injured and the abolition
of most first aid posts at the scene
of incidents and all first aid parties
as such.
Under the new plan first aid
would be limited to a few simple
measures administered at the scene
by medical personnel or a rescue
team under professional direction.
OCD officials emphasized the new
plan does not affect the warden
service and other civilian defense
personnel required to take first aid
since the revised instructions apply
to medical treatment of large-scale
bombing incidents and not to the
ordinary calls on warden talent for
first aid.
Plan New Rescue Service.
The early establishment Of an
OCD Rescue Service specially
trained as phase of emergency
medical work is also indicated in the
instructions. The details of the new
service are not outlined and it has
not yet been made clear how the
contemplated new service would af-
feet the existing rescue organization
which, in the District, is under the
Fire Department.
1t has been clear for some time,
however, that additional emphasis
would be put on rescue work, pre-
sumably as an independent organi-
zation.
Asked to comment on the new rec
concentrations for the Emergency
Medical Service, DR.. John Reed,
local chief of the service, said that
for some time the District had been
following the general plan as out
ing teams to the scene of incidents
in proportion to the number sup
posedly injured.
Stations Far Above Quota.
The District has 78 casualty sta
tions, which is far above the one to
$4,000 population recommended by
| OCD. DR.. Reed said, however, that
these would be retained here for
their psychological effect. Since
they require no equipment or per-
sonnel until actually in use. he
pointed out, they are in no way a
drain on existing resources.
Mr.. Lands emphasized that the
British have found more lives can
be saved If the bombing victims are
treated for little more than shock
and bleeding at the scene of an
incident, and then only by doctors
or nurses or by rescue workers di-
rectly under their supervision.
| The experiences of Britain under
air raid conditions he said. have
dlspelled many preconceived notions
! concerning first aid. Almost all raids
occur at night. Most of the victims
are crushed under the debris of
demolished buildings and are either
dead or severely injured.
Most Injuries Serious.
LESS than a third are slightly in
jured and can be cared for at cas-
ualty stations. All the severely in
Jured must go to a hospital. Vic
tins are covered with dirt and dust.
which hangs in the air for hours,
The conditions under which the res
cue workers encounter the injured
and the urgent need for immediate
| disqualification make it impossible
to apply most peacetime concepts of
| first aid
Under the new plan, an express
party" composed of a rescue team.
mobile medical team, an ambu-
lance and possibly a passenger car
or station wagon will be dispatched
to the scene of an incident.
Every large hospital was urged to
have at least one or more mobile
medical teams, consisting of a physi-
clan, trained nurse and two auxil-
iaries, always on call, but these
would not be dispatched unless cas-
ualties were reported.
1t was also recommended that the
practicing physicians of each neigh
borhood be modified to relieve mo-
bile medical teams when there is
continuing need for field service or
where the incidents call for the
use of a nearby casualty station.
Based on British Practice.
The instructions, based largely
on the recent visit to England made
by DR.. George Baehr, chief medical
officer of the OCD, point out that it
Is ordinarily impossible to do much
more than cover wounds, control
bleeding, apply a simple splint and
administer morphine before the vic
tim is removed to hospital. Most
OF this has been done, it was said.
by the rescue workers and physician
at the scene by the time the cas-
ualty is extricated.
1t was also recommended that
Wherever possible one and two
Stretcher ambulances should be made
into four-stretcher ambulances to
reduce travel during a raid and
carry casualties to hospitals as soon
as possible. At least one of these
ambulances, the instructions 20 on.
is required for every 10000 persons
In target area cities. In addition,
passenger cars should be made avail
able to transport the slightly injured
to casualty stations and a number
OF large vehicles such as buses