Development of City’s Assessment of Mass Casualty Emergency Response and Action Tool (CAMERA)

The accelerating pace of urbanisation worldwide has highlighted the improvement of disaster response in cities as a global priority. Yet, there remains a poor understanding of the emergency response to mass casualty incidents (MCI) in these environments. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework for cities' responses and potential policy levers.

A scoping review was conducted, followed by in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and a modified Delphi process, to develop the framework for Cities' Assessment of Mass Casualty Emergency Response and Action (CAMERA).

The CAMERA framework consists of six essential components of urban emergency response systems: communication; safety and security; human resources; policy and plans; command, control and coordination; and care delivery. The interviews and focus groups also provided insight on assessment methodologies for evaluating response capacity. Using these components, a framework was developed consisting of a diagnostic and management approach that city leadership can undertake in MCI management, to ensure effective functioning at various levels of incident response.

The CAMERA framework offers novel and simplified guidance to policymakers and other stakeholders in their attempt to improve MCI response systems across cities globally.