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Factors Affecting Paramedic Response Readiness to CBRN Threats in Ontario, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 October 2022

Zachary Novack ,
Lewis Novack Open the ORCID record for Lewis Novack [Opens in a new window] ,
Robert Davidson ,
Gili Shenhar  and
Moran Bodas
Zachary Novack*
Affiliation:
The Department of Emergency & Disaster Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Lewis Novack
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Robert Davidson
Affiliation:
Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa, Canada
Gili Shenhar
Affiliation:
The Department of Emergency & Disaster Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Moran Bodas
Affiliation:
The Department of Emergency & Disaster Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv-Yafo, Israel Israel National Center for Trauma & Emergency Medicine Research, The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel
*
Corresponding author: Zachary Novack, Email: zacharynovack@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objective:

To determine factors associated with increased response readiness to CBRN threats of paramedics in Ontario, Canada.

Methods:

An internet-based survey was distributed via email and delivered at the start of each shift presentation during October, 2019. The target population was active-duty paramedics in the Ontario region of Canada. The survey was comprised of 6 sections pertaining to demographics, attitudinal components of risk perception, self-efficacy, deployment concerns, and resilience. Survey mean, univariate, and multivariate regression analyses were used to find the individual effect of each variable.

Results:

The univariate analysis indicated that higher response readiness was associated with additional training, education, CBRN, and family concerns, and incident experience. However, some variables were non-significant in the multivariate analysis. Increased response readiness was associated with CBRN concerns and training.

Conclusion:

CBRN concerns and focused training regarding terrorism were both associated with increased response readiness. The information from the study can be used to build upon existing knowledge and support paramedics though training and preparation for CBRN specific disasters. The findings may also be used to improve current competency-based frameworks focused on response readiness.

Keywords

CBRNresponse readinessparamedicsOntarioresilience
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e228
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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