Search

This article argues that many of the root causes of disease are based on social inequality and structural violance, citing factors such as environmental conditions, racism, pollution, housing conditions, poverty, infrastructure, and access to food, water, and healthcare. It presents the case that if clinicians take these factors into account, programs can be put into effect which, even in the poorest of rural communities, could help to mitigate disease transmission.

"The violence broke out when the patient spit at the Emergency Service Unit officers and swore at them. The officers responded by hitting him in the face, hauling him off the stretcher to the ground and then tossing him back on the stretcher, "

"After the first round of punches, the patient was "taken off the stretcher to the ground and restrained again, pt. was thrown by ESU again on to my stretcher," the EMT wrote. "Pt. sustained injuries to face and head," the report said."

This group is a volunteer organization and is not a goverment program. Its disaster relief is based primarily on the desire of people to help others. The volunteers are not legally mandated to help, they do it because they want to.

This is a legislative report produced by Department of Human Services following up on SF 119, an act creating a new certification for Community Paramedics. 

While "front line" emergency response is not directly addressed in the article, it does discuss the motivation and sociopolitical background for emergency response from the public health perpsective at great length. The article looks at nationalism and the self interest of countries in epidemic scenarios and other international public health crises, and discusses how emergency response to a public health crisis and eradicating diseases within the borders of one country is not the best plan of action, but is the one most friequently taken under current international protocols.

The main point of the article is that a big name organization (The EPA) is taking steps to help the residents of Newark and the Ironbound Community monitor air pollution. Not only is the EPA donating $150,000 worth of equipment, but they are also training volunteers to monitor and mantain the machines so the EPA and the Ironbound Community can gather the information they need. The machines can also be moved around so multiple locations can be sampled and tested. 

FDNY, Fire Department, City of New York
-composed of individual Engine, Truck, Ladder, Rescue, HazMat, and EMS companies, as well as other specialized units which handle most of the city's emergencies that could cause dammage to life and property. The FDNY was technically the agency in command of the response at the WTC site.

NYPD - New York City Police Department. 
-Provides law enforcement for the NYC. Police Emergency Service Units are also mentioned. These are groups which share some of the responsibilities and training of firefighters, and are familuar with technical rescue equiptment.

PAPDNYNJ - Port Authority Police Department of New York and New Jersey. 
-Responsible for providing protection at all of the major ports and entrances to NYC, incluing bus terminals, shipping docks and ports, train stations, rail yards, bridges, tunnels, and other commuter and shipping hubs.

This article does not specifically address emergency response. It focuses more on the public health, its responsibility to deal with the health of immigrants, and the social factors behind this. 

This article was published throught the National Institute of Public Health's Public Access database. The NIH makes all of the peer reviewed articles and studies that it funds available to the public on this platform "to advance science and improve public health." 

I followed up on the history of PTSD, Mental illness in the Fire, Police, and EMS services both in disasters and in normal functions, and i looked at existing policies designed to minimize the trauma associated with disaster put in place by organizations such as FEMA and ARC.