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Operation Canine Lifeline: Recommendations for Enhancing Prehospital Care for Government Working Dogs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 December 2016

Teija Corse ,
Chelsea Firth ,
John Burke ,
Kenneth Schor ,
James F. Koterski ,
Sabrina McGraw ,
Nancy Vincent-Johnson  and
Lori Gordon
Teija Corse*
Affiliation:
Healthcare Emergency Management, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
Chelsea Firth
Affiliation:
Healthcare Emergency Management, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
John Burke
Affiliation:
Healthcare Emergency Management, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
Kenneth Schor
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Rockville, Maryland
James F. Koterski
Affiliation:
CBRN Medical Countermeasures, Office of Health Affairs, Falls Church, Virginia
Sabrina McGraw
Affiliation:
Medical Diagnostic and Chemical Branch, USAMRICD, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
Nancy Vincent-Johnson
Affiliation:
Fort Belvoir Veterinary Treatment Facility, Fort Belvoir, Virginia;
Lori Gordon
Affiliation:
Urban Search and Rescue MA TF-1, Beverly, Massachusetts
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Teija Corse, Department of Healthcare Emergency Management, Boston University School of Medicine, 650 Albany St, X-140, Boston, MA 02118 (e-mail: tkcorse@gmail.com).
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Abstract

Operation Canine Lifeline was a tabletop exercise developed by students and faculty of Boston University School of Medicine’s Healthcare Emergency Management master’s program. The tabletop exercise led to discussion on current protocols for canines working in the field, what occurs if a canine encounters a toxin in the field, and what to do in situations of national security that require working with civilian agencies. This discussion led to the creation of a set of recommendations around providing prehospital veterinary care to government working dogs. The recommendations include a government-run veterinary toxicology hotline for the sole use of the government, issuing handlers deployment kits and preprogrammed smartphones that contain information on the care practices for dogs, and an increased effort for civilian integration, through local emergency medical services, in the emergency care of government canines. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:15–20)

Keywords

government working dogsprehospital veterinary careveterinary toxicologyemergency carepoison control hotline
Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 11 , Issue 1 , February 2017 , pp. 15 - 20
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2016 

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