The Fort McMurray, Alberta wildfires: Emergency and recovery management of healthcare services
Abstract
One of the largest wildfires in Canadian history raged through northern Alberta in May to July 2016, and prompted the largest emergency air evacuation in Canadian history. Central to the challenges were the evacuation of a regional hospital, and the emergency and recovery management associated with healthcare services. This paper describes multiple phases of emergency and recovery management, which employed and adapted the Incident Command System to healthcare services. There were no injuries reported throughout the medical evacuation and recovery of medical services. The leadership and management of healthcare services achieved the goals of evacuating patients and staff effectively, supporting emergency first responders and the re-entry of the population to Fort McMurray.
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Author's Biography
David Matear was the Incident Commander and Senior Operating Director, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre and Fort McMurray Area for Alberta Health Services during the Fort McMurray Wildfires. David’s global healthcare leadership and clinical experience includes hospitals in Scotland and England. He has also served as an officer in the Royal Navy and Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, and spent ten years in Abu Dhabi working to commission a centre of excellence for dentistry and develop the framework and standards for its healthcare system.
Citation
Matear, David (2017, December 1). The Fort McMurray, Alberta wildfires: Emergency and recovery management of healthcare services. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 11, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/QUTQ7746.
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