Enhancing Mass Casualty Preparedness: A New Initiative

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​We proudly announce a significant step forward in emergency response capabilities by establishing the Mass Casualty Program. This initiative is a collaborative effort between Trauma Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Health Emergency Preparedness, and our dedicated healthcare professionals.

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Area of Focus

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Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI) are universally defined as a single event that overwhelms the resources available do to the number of patients requiring medical care and/or the severity of their injuries. Activation of MCI plans will be dependent on service and resource thresholds that will vary depending on the site or region in which they occur.

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A Unified Approach

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Through this partnership, we aim to revolutionize our clinical response to Mass Casualty Incidents by:​

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• Integrating resources and strategies across the four Nova Scotia Health Zones.

• Enhancing existing plans with insights gained from a comprehensive provincial overview.

• Standardizing procedures to improve efficiency and effectiveness in crises.

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Importance of MCI Preparedness

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• No warning

• Unpredictable

• Can occur anywhere in the province.

• Overwhelm first responder and healthcare resources.

• Increase stress on responders, staff, and patients.

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MCIs fall into the High Acuity Low Occurrence (HALO) type events. A robust Mass Casualty Plan that is based on the clinical capabilities for each hospital and healthcare zone will allow for a more organized response that could improve patient outcomes and reduce critical incident stress on staff and patients. Engaging with external partners in the development, planning, and testing phase of this work is a critical component for a unified response. 

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Join Us in This Critical Endeavor

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Your insights and questions are invaluable to us. For any inquiries or suggestions, please reach out to MassCasualtyProgram@nshealth.ca 

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