COMMUNICATIONS
The mainstays of our communication plan were personal cell phones and the Southern Linc XP8 phones with push-to-talk capability and loaded with the direct links and phone info for our medical volunteer command center and for the other medical aid stations . A list of all relevant numbers and the published communication plan for The World Games medical team were placed in every aid station at every venue . Prior to the event , equipment utilization and just-in-time training was conducted , to ensure that frontline staff were familiar with how to use the provided equipment . If a need or questions arose during the activities of the day , the frontline medical staff on site would utilize either personal cellular devices or the provided Southern Link XP8 phones to communicate with the command center or directly with the medical branch director / medical aid leads .
Another layer of redundancy to add to the cellular and push-to-talk communication was added with the AT & T First Net-capable Wi-Fi hotspots and cradles , given that poor cellular service is often noted during large-scale events and many spectators overloading the local cellular towers . The purpose of the AT & T First Net cellular Wi-Fi communication array is to give its users – usually first responders and frontline staff – priority access to the cellular network , even in the event of an overloaded local cellular network . In the event that the personal and provided cellular devices were having difficulty accessing the local cellular tower network in times of high utilization , the AT & T First Net Wi-Fi devices could be connected to allow for Wi-Fi calling , texting , and emailing , to maintain a steady line of communication .
The next line of communication that was available was the push-to-talk VHF / UHF radios that were being utilized by our fire / EMS partners on site at each aid station at each venue . If our usual lines of communication listed above failed , there were fire / EMS personnel located in the immediate vicinity of each aid station at each venue . These radios had the ability to talk to local venue incident command and had a direct line to both the medical branch at the Unified Command Center and the Birmingham Fire dispatch and command .
The email and Nixle text groups were heavily utilized leading up to and during The World Games events , to ensure that all medical staff were updated on the expected weather for the day , any pertinent announcements from Unified or Medical Command , any real-time threats or concerns related to any venues , and any other relevant information that command needed to disseminate to the medical volunteer group en masse . These email and Nixle text groups had voluntary participation , given that personal and professional emails and phone numbers were utilized . However , participation was near universal among the medical staff volunteers , which numbered well over 1,000 individuals , with a large number of those listing multiple numbers and emails .
Finally , with consideration of an event such as The World Games – which hosted athletes and spectators from over 100 countries and who spoke countless different languages – video language interpretation software was utilized with great effect , both on the fields of play and in each medical aid station at each venue . The software utilized was Language Lines Solution , and it was installed on iPads and laptops for use . The iPads had inherent 5G capability to allow for video interpretation , but if the service speed dropped from 5G or adequate 4G cellular service , then an audio interpreter ( without video ) could be utilized . If a laptop computer was needed , then the abovementioned AT & T First Net hotspots would be used . Training on the software and iPads was conducted prior to the start of The World Games , and a detailed instruction sheet was placed at each medical aid station for quick reference .
Overall , communication among the medical aid staff during The World Games was a success , but as with any event , it was not without its challenges . The things that worked the best were the email and Nixle text groups for large-scale , real-time communication , and the utilization of personal cellular devices for communication between the medical volunteer command center and medical branch commanders / leads .
As for communications challenges , the published list of numbers for venue directors was incorrect in some cases . Also , the Southern Linc devices were underutilized ; they could have provided more efficient communication among command and on-site shift leads at the medical aid stations / fields of play . At times , extra phone calls were required to reach on-site individuals for questions or updates . If the Southern Linc radios had been utilized more uniformly , this would have allowed quicker and more efficient communication , although no adverse events occurred from not utilizing the radios as much as they should have been .
28 The World Games Playbook : Event and Medical Overview