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Basic Disaster Life Support™ (BDLS)

Locations | Continuing Education Credit | Description

BDLS LogoCourse Description

BDLS is delivered through in-person didactic and interactive lectures with standardized slide sets and an accompanying text. Information can be delivered over 1 day or over multiple days.

The BDLS course is a review of the all-hazards topics including natural and accidental man made events; traumatic and explosive events; nuclear and radiological events; biological events; and chemical events (Box 1). Also included, is information on such critical areas as the health care professional’s role in the public health and incident management systems, community mental health, and special needs of underserved and vulnerable populations.

Box 1. BDLS Course Topics
  • DISASTER Paradigm
  • Natural Disasters
  • Traumatic and Explosive Events
  • Nuclear and Radiologic Events
  • Biological Events
  • Chemical Events
  • Psychosocial Aspects
  • Public Health Implications of Disasters
  • Evaluation and Testing

The recognition and management of the disaster scene and victims is reinforced through a unique approach, introduced in the Core Disaster Life Support™ Course, called the D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R paradigm. The D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R paradigm organizes the students’ preparation and response to disaster management. It emphasizes an all-hazards approach to mass casualty incident management and facilitates ongoing qualitative and quantitative assessment of an incident.

The triage system for BDLS is the M.A.S.S. Triage model (Box 2). Id-me! Is a simple mnemonic for sorting patients during triage of mass casualties, which is used effectively in the M.A.S.S. Triage model (Box 3). A detailed discussion and application of these assessment tools is discussed and reinforced throughout the BDLS and ADLS courses.

Box 2. M.A.S.S. Triage

Box 3. “Id-me”!

M – Move

A – Assess

S – Sort

S – Send

M.A.S.S. Triage is a disaster triage system that utilizes US military triage categories with a proven means of handling large numbers of casualties in a mass casualty incident (MCI).

I – Immediate

D – Delayed

M- Minimal

E - Expectant

Id-me! “Id me” is an easy to remember phrase that incorporates a mnemonic for sorting patients during MCI triage. It is utilized effectively in the M.A.S.S. Triage model.

Course Duration

7.5 hours of didactic teaching (excludes breaks and lunch)

Training Schedule

BDLS can be delivered in 1 day or separated into modules and delivered over multiple days

Class Size

BDLS can be provided to large audiences (e.g., more than 100 participants) and is limited only by the size of the classroom

Validation of Training

All students who successfully complete BDLS (as measured by minimal scoring on a course competency examination) receive a “Certificate of Training” and course completion card. Certificates and course completion cards are valid for 3 years from the course completion date

For NDLS and AHA Course information, contact:
Dan Kirkpatrick, R.N., M.S.N.
Assistant Director, Workforce Development
(937) 775-1320
Fax: (937) 775-1329
daniel.kirkpatrick@wright.edu

Last updated 7/29/08 (rjs). For more information, contact the HELP Center.