Strategies to Integrate Disaster Telemedicine in Local Emergency Preparedness Planning and Response Operations
This research project examines strategies for integrating disaster telemedicine into local emergency preparedness planning and response operations, emphasizing the importance of providing timely and efficient medical care during disasters and assessing the viability of telemedicine as a critical response tool. While existing research has outlined the components and applications of telemedicine in disaster contexts, the technology’s relative novelty underscores the need to identify effective strategies and best practices for its implementation. By advancing this understanding, the project aims to enhance the capacity of local emergency management systems to deliver coordinated, technology-enabled healthcare during crises.
Disaster Telemedicine Planning for Medical Surge Following Catastrophic Disasters in Rural Communities in North Carolina
This research project focuses on identifying and addressing the challenges that local emergency management agencies in rural communities face when responding to medical surges during catastrophic disasters, as well as on exploring how telemedicine can enhance their capacity to manage these crises effectively. This project aligns with the mission of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen homeland security through improved operational planning, information sharing, and real-time decision-making. By advancing the understanding and application of disaster telemedicine, our work seeks to equip rural communities — often constrained by limited healthcare infrastructure and preexisting barriers to critical care access — with innovative tools and strategies to better serve disaster survivors and improve overall emergency response outcomes.
Student Training Program: WebEOC Disaster Management Platform
This training program introduces undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Criminal Justice to the proficient use of Web-based Emergency Operations Center (WebEOC) and its advanced AI tools. Designed to prepare students for active roles in emergency operation centers (EOCs) and incident command (IC) environments, the program emphasizes competency-based learning and applied skill development. Over an intensive eight-week period, students will participate in weekly two-hour sessions that cover key areas such as situation reporting, resource management, task tracking, and interagency communication. Through immersive, scenario-based simulations — including hurricane, chemical spill, and cyberattack exercises — participants will apply WebEOC features such as the Juvare AI Assistant (JAI), geographic information system (GIS) mapping, and social vulnerability indexes (SVI) to real-world disaster contexts. By bridging theory and practice, this initiative strengthens students’ technical proficiency, critical thinking, and leadership capacity, empowering them to support effective, coordinated responses during large-scale emergencies.
