Overview of Authority Activities

While the EMS Authority does not have a specific response plan for major civil disturbances in a particular area or throughout the state, it does have a general plan for obtaining medical supplies, health care personnel, and for identifying hospital beds for the injured. Like local EMS agencies, the emphasis has been on preparing multi-functional plans to meet FEMA guidelines that include appendices and State Plans for earthquake and hazardous materials disasters. The Authority did not en-age in preplanning to respond to major civil disturbances throughout the state, nor did the agency participate in OES preplanning efforts (Sacramento Bee, May 26, 1992). At about 10:30 PM, the evening of April 29, the Director activated the EMS Authority response (See Appendix D, a time line of EMS related response activities). Staff contacted the Los Angeles EMS Agency Administrator at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Emergency Operations Center (LADHS EOC), OES Warning Center and State Operations Center (SOC), and the California Ambulance Association. An assessment of the situation revealed: Paramedics were transporting patients injured in the disturbance; The EMS field personnel were having problems with security (in at least one case an ambulance had been shot at and a paramedic had been injured); Hospital emergency departments had sufficient staffing and supplies to absorb casualties; and, Sufficient beds were available to care for patients without assistance from surrounding counties or from the EMS Authority. The EMS Authority EOC (EMSOC) was operational in the EMS Authority office at 7:30 AM on April 30. Existing procedures for setting up the Emergency Medical Services Operations Center were followed. Data on casualties, deaths, and hospital status were collected from LADHS EOC and provided to the SOC by 7:45 AM. The status of the county EMS response and capabilities were discussed. Various state agencies received oral and written status reports. By noon Thursday, television coverage, information from the SOC, and casualty data from Los Angeles indicated that the civil disturbance was growing worse. The EMS Agencies in Orange and San Bernardino Counties were placed on alert, to provide medical mutual aid (personnel, supplies, and hospital beds) if needed. At 1:30 PM, the LADHS EOC reported that there had been a sudden increase in casualties. The LADHS EOC did not request supplies or personnel. A basic principle of the EMS Authority's response to disasters is to anticipate medical needs in the coming eight to twenty-four hours. This information is used to lay the ground work for a rapid response. The EMSA Incident Commander made the decision to implement plans to prepare for this response if needed. The EMS Authority moved into this phase at 1:30 PM on Thursday. The state blood bank mutual aid system was alerted. EMS administrators in major metropolitan counties were placed on medical mutual aid alert. California Amateur Radio Emergency Service radio operators established a radio path to LADHS EOC. EMS Authority staff in the field was recalled and twenty-four hour staffing schedules established. By 3:00 PM Thursday, other cities were experiencing civil disturbances. Contact was established with the EMS Agencies in San Francisco and San Bernardino Counties. Casualty data and information on their EMS system status were collected. As with Los Angeles County, no mutual aid was requested by the affected counties. During the day, OES Region 1, activated the Los Alamitos California National Guard base as a State staging area. OES requested EMSOC staff to establish a medical liaison position there at about 5:30 PM. At the request of the EMS Authority, the Orange County EMS Agency, Southern California Earthquake Preparedness Project (SCEPP), and San Luis Obispo County EMS Agency staffed the position over the next two days. With the assistance of LAEMSA, and the EMS Authority they established a successful means for responding to requests for assistance. During the evening and the following day, these medical representatives coordinated the transport of three groups of medical volunteers from Orange County to Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood. By late Thursday evening the level of the civil disturbance had decreased in Los Angeles and in other cities. Issues addressed by the EMS Authority included plans for meeting potential needs in the following areas: medical personnel and supplies; communications; power and water for hospitals; and, staging areas for medical supplies and personnel. On Friday, the Chief of the Disaster Medical Services Division was dispatched to the LADHS EOC to assist coordination as needed. EMSOC operations were transferred to the EMS staff member at the SOC on Saturday. Information on casualties, and EMS system status were constantly monitored. The position was staffed from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Saturday. By the end of the day it was apparent that the acute medical phase of the civil disturbance was over. On Saturday evening, May 2, Assemblyman Curtis Tucker requested the National Guard to deploy the 143rd Evacuation Hospital to South Central Los Angeles. The hospital was to supplant medical resources lost in the riot. Los Angeles County declined to request this asset because it was not needed. At the request of the State Operations Center, EMSA forward a request to LAEMSA to establish a way to provide pharmaceutical prescriptions to people in the disaster area. In summary, the State medical response coordinated the delivery of medical volunteers to Daniel Freeman Hospital, tracked casualty and medical operations data from impacted counties, and provided medical advice and consultation to the State Office of Emergency Services and the LA DHS Emergency Operations Center.

Medical Care for the Injured

Continue to Management of the EMS Authority's Emergency Operations Center

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