The Eastern Regional Burn Disaster Consortium (ERBDC) brings together twenty-six burn centers from Maine through Maryland, including the District of Columbia who have joined together to assist one another in event of a burn mass casualty incident.
A first of its kind in the nation, the ERBDC was established to facilitate collaborative, multi-agency disaster response at local, regional and national levels.
This New Jersey-based Consortium coordinates patient triage and transport statewide, and for burn center members throughout the northeast region via a Burn Medical Coordination Center (BMCC). The Burn MCC functions in compliance with accepted clinical care practices as set forth by the American Burn Association, the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons, and individual state health departments.
The mission of the ERBDC is to ensure all burn patients continually receive quality care despite a disaster by focusing on four common goals:
- Effective communication
- Patient tracking and transport
- Resource-sharing
- Standardized education and training
A burn bed census of immediate open beds for all participating members is conducted monthly, or at the direct request of an ERBDC member, the current President of the American Burn Association or the Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response or designee.