Mass casualty emergencies can happen at any time and just about anywhere in the country. They can take many forms, from natural disasters such as hurricanes on the Gulf Coast and the terrible flooding in their aftermath--to man-made disasters like the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The common denominator in most of these emergencies is that they tend to affect entire communities and they can give rise to a surge of victims needing assistance who may overwhelm the normal capacities of first responders such as police, fire and EMS, but also hospital first receivers, those healthcare providers who will be receiving victims in numbers that may quickly overtax their capabilities. This program will address steps that the Joint Commission has mandated for all hospitals to address emergency management planning. | 
