THE WORLD GAMES 2022 : MEDICAL BRANCH ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE GAMES
• Begin planning efforts and convening meetings as early as possible . Coordination of venues and medical volunteers will require several planning sessions to ensure that protocols are established and that volunteers are informed on processes such as staffing , supply logistics , and venue operations . This is especially challenging with multiple provider groups covering various venues . It is critical that everyone is informed and working together .
• Develop process for access and communications with the International World Games Organization , local World Games operations , and all International Sports Governing Organizations early in the planning process . Communicate and plan for the necessary requirements for each sport ahead of each event .
• Train all volunteers on the established anti-doping process — what to do and where to send athletes if problems arise .
• Choose a communications and documentation platform early in planning and train all volunteers on how to use it .
• Identify The World Games venue managers and their operations team as early as possible . Meet and include teams in venue medical planning to determine venue layout and logistical needs . Make them part of the medical team and establish lines of communication and escalation protocols when logistical needs arise .
EMS AND MASS CASUALTY PLANNING
Operations : Unified Command and the UAB Medicine Incident Management Team & Command Center
THE WORLD GAMES UNIFIED COMMAND
Multidisciplinary working groups met regularly for over three years to identify needs and complete preliminary strategic planning . Relevant data was submitted to the Department of Homeland Security for risk assessment resulting in a Special Event Assessment Rating at the highest rating ( SEAR 1 ). SEAR 1 events have been determined to have national and / or international importance that require extensive federal interagency support to fill any gaps in local capability , thus helping to assure safety and security .
City and county officials formally established a unified command structure ( UC ) two years prior to the event , to establish overarching objectives and strategy through incident action planning . The primary attributes of this standardized structure include coordinated information flow , standardized resource ordering and tracking , integrated staffing , and ( ideally ) a reduction in duplicative efforts . The unified command process melds public and private organizations into an integrated response structure for an incident or event .
The meeting tempo increased as the opening date for the games approached . Unified Command activated continuous operations 48 hours prior to the opening ceremonies in the county emergency operations center ( EOC ). The EOC had to be significantly enhanced to accommodate a larger incident management team structure and meet the information and security requirements of a SEAR 1 event . Additional health and safety precautions were implemented due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . Real-time video conferencing , the Homeland Security Information Network ( HSIN ), and WebEOC were utilized for communication and coordination with Unified Command staff working remotely , the Hospital Command Center ( HCC ), other departmental operations centers ( DOC ), and state and federal coordinating entities . Operational period briefings were held twice a day both in person and by videoconferencing . Unified Command was demobilized the day after the closing ceremonies .
8 The World Games Playbook : Event and Medical Overview