We are working on a mathematical model to help emergency preparedness planners evaluate plans for resupplying PODs from a local RSS during a mass dispensing event. If you have looked at this problem as well, please contact me at jwh2@umd.edu. I would like to know what questions are important to answer and to what level of detail you considered the problem.
We are pleased to announce that Version 2.04 of the Clinic Planning Model Generator is now available at the project web site: http://www.isr.umd.edu/Labs/CIM/projects/clinic.
Version 2.04 fixes some minor bugs in 2.03, including updated queueing approximations for estimating the queueing time at each station. It also changes the input information needed for the clinic arrival process to make it simpler and more intuitive.
It is interesting to see how many different ways folks use the word “model.” In general, we mean mathematical models that evaluate a plan by estimating some performance measure or calculating needed resources, for instance. However, “model” is a very general term and also describes figures, scale models, and computer simulations.
The website “Development of Models for Emergency Preparedness” has two different types of models: The Mass Casualty Detailed Decontamination Model calculates decontamination throughput and decontamination site staffing. A report available there has models that are flowcharts for determining what type of personal protective equipment (PPE) an organization needs, assessing what type of decontamination a patient needs, and answering other, related questions.
The University of Missouri Extension’s Community Emergency Management group has a great five-minute video about how one should (and should not) cough and sneeze. In order to follow the infection control guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one should cough or sneeze into one’s sleeve, where the germs are trapped until they die.