Burn Surge for Los Angeles County, California

Objectives: Los Angeles County, CA is a participant in the Hospital Preparedness Program. One expectation of the program is that the county be prepared to surge for trauma and burn based on the population size. Los Angeles County has approximately 10 million residents and this translates to a required surge capacity of 150 burn beds. Materials: The Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency (LA EMSA) has taken the lead for this project. This article describes the steps taken to create a burn surge plan for the county. Results: The burn surge plan includes a series of policies and procedures with topics such as: activation, field triage, Emergency Department Assessment/Treatment, and Burn Resource Hospital Treatment Guidelines. Discussion: Education, equipment, and supply needs and transfer agreements are discussed. Costs associated with the project are outlined.