About the programme
GAPSM 72H prepares a municipality to activate a temporary medical stabilisation point when normal access to emergency medical services, outpatient care or hospital treatment is limited, delayed or insufficient.
The point may be activated during an evacuation, flood, disaster, prolonged power outage, mass-casualty incident, temporary isolation of a community or operation of a collective accommodation facility.
GAPSM 72H is not an outpatient clinic or a field hospital. It is a local emergency capability designed to provide triage, stabilisation, repeated patient assessment and safe care for people awaiting transport or transfer to the healthcare system.
The term “72H” refers to the organisational capability of the point to operate during the first 72 hours of a crisis. It does not mean keeping every critically ill patient outside a hospital for three days.
Modern clinical foundations
GAPSM 72H combines selected approaches used in modern crisis medicine:
- Austere Forward Care – medical care delivered with limited access to staff, equipment, diagnostics and transport;
- STOP THE BLEED® – rapid recognition and control of life-threatening bleeding;
- SALT Mass Casualty Triage – structured triage during incidents involving large numbers of casualties;
- Prolonged Casualty Care – PCC – repeated assessment, monitoring and continued care when evacuation is delayed;
- disaster medicine;
- mass-casualty management;
- civil protection;
- medical care under resource-limited conditions;
- emergency communications and medical logistics.
These approaches are adapted to the civilian environment, the professional qualifications of participants and the local capabilities of the municipality and healthcare system.
The programme does not grant new professional qualifications or replace certified medical training.
People are the primary resource
The programme focuses on team competence, clear responsibilities and decision-making under conditions of limited personnel, medicines, oxygen, medical supplies, transport and hospital capacity.
The system may involve:
- doctors, nurses and paramedics;
- personnel of local outpatient clinics and hospitals;
- volunteer fire brigades;
- municipal administration and crisis-management personnel;
- social welfare institutions;
- managers of evacuation facilities;
- communication operators;
- local volunteers and community partners.
Each group performs tasks within its qualifications.
Medical personnel are responsible for clinical triage, stabilisation, monitoring and patient-related decisions.
Volunteer fire brigades provide site support, internal transport, logistics and communications.
Municipal authorities activate the procedure, coordinate resources, maintain operational documentation and organise support for affected residents.
What capabilities does GAPSM 72H develop?
Participants learn how to:
- activate the point and appoint key functional personnel;
- organise registration, triage and patient flow;
- conduct a rapid and structured patient assessment;
- identify immediate life threats;
- control severe bleeding;
- stabilise injured and ill patients;
- prevent hypothermia;
- conduct regular patient reassessment;
- monitor patients awaiting transport;
- maintain documentation during prolonged care;
- organise care when evacuation is delayed;
- identify patients requiring urgent transport;
- support older people, children, persons with disabilities and chronically ill patients;
- manage limited medicines, oxygen and medical supplies;
- organise shift work and safe clinical handovers;
- communicate with clinics, hospitals, municipal authorities and emergency services;
- recognise when the capabilities of the point have been exceeded.
Austere Forward Care
The Austere Forward Care component prepares the team to provide safe care under conditions involving:
- limited staffing;
- shortages of oxygen, medicines and medical supplies;
- lack of full diagnostic capabilities;
- an overloaded emergency medical system;
- delayed hospital transport;
- loss of power or primary communication systems;
- decision-making based on incomplete information.
Participants learn how to establish priorities, manage limited resources, organise team responsibilities and recognise the operational limits of the point.
Severe bleeding control
The programme incorporates STOP THE BLEED® principles related to:
- rapid recognition of life-threatening bleeding;
- direct pressure;
- wound packing;
- correct use of tourniquets;
- prevention of hypothermia;
- documentation of interventions;
- preparation of the patient for further transport.
A complete certified STOP THE BLEED® course may be delivered as a separate module by authorised instructors.
SALT Mass Casualty Triage
The SALT system prepares the team for structured action during the sudden arrival of a large number of affected people.
It includes:
- global assessment of the incident;
- initial sorting of casualties;
- individual patient assessment;
- immediate life-saving interventions;
- assignment of treatment and transport priorities;
- repeated reassessment and retriage;
- documentation of patient categories and changes in condition;
- adjustment of patient intake to the actual capacity of the point.
Clinical triage is performed by appropriately prepared personnel within their professional scope and according to adopted procedures.
Prolonged Casualty Care – PCC
The PCC component prepares medical personnel to manage patients when transfer to hospital cannot take place immediately.
It includes:
- planned and repeated patient reassessment;
- monitoring changes in the patient’s condition;
- documentation of all care provided;
- prevention of hypothermia, dehydration and complications of immobility;
- management of oxygen, medicines and medical supplies;
- organisation of shift-based care;
- safe clinical handovers;
- prioritisation of evacuation;
- recognition of deterioration;
- identification of the operational limits of the point.
Cooperation with a local healthcare provider
GAPSM 72H should be implemented in cooperation with an outpatient clinic, hospital or another authorised healthcare provider.
The medical partner may be responsible for:
- appointing a medical coordinator;
- providing appropriately qualified medical personnel;
- defining a minimum list of medicines and medical supplies;
- establishing procedures for storage, dispensing and stock rotation;
- organising oxygen-related procedures;
- supervising medical documentation;
- defining criteria for urgent hospital transport.
Emergency drone logistics
GAPSM 72H includes the future option of using drones to deliver urgent lightweight medical supplies, communication equipment and essential materials when road transport is delayed, restricted or temporarily unavailable.
The programme prepares a procedure for:
- determining shipment priority;
- submitting a formal supply request;
- defining the type, weight and transport requirements of the cargo;
- designating a safe delivery and reception area;
- identifying the authorised recipient;
- inspecting and documenting the delivery;
- cooperating with an external authorised UAS operator;
- activating an alternative procedure if the delivery cannot be completed.
The municipality is not required to own a transport drone. The unmanned logistics component may be activated in the future after an agreement is concluded with an appropriate operator and the required medical, logistical and aviation procedures are implemented.
How is the programme implemented?
The implementation process may include:
- an audit of local risks, resources and potential locations;
- an assessment of local healthcare, fire-brigade and municipal capabilities;
- selection of the team and key functional personnel;
- development of the GAPSM 72H activation procedure;
- preparation of a cooperation model with a healthcare provider;
- training in Austere Forward Care, severe bleeding control, SALT and selected PCC elements;
- training in documentation, communications, shift work and resource management;
- development of checklists, patient records and reporting templates;
- preparation of the emergency drone-logistics procedure;
- a medical and decision-making exercise involving the municipality, volunteer fire brigades and medical personnel;
- a final report and improvement plan.
Outcome
After implementation, the municipality has:
- a primary and alternative location;
- an activation and operational procedure;
- a trained interdisciplinary team;
- a point coordinator and medical coordinator;
- a clear division of responsibilities;
- a cooperation model with a clinic or hospital;
- triage, stabilisation and prolonged-care procedures;
- a plan for medicines, oxygen and medical supplies;
- patient documentation and reporting templates;
- a shift-work plan;
- an emergency communication plan;
- a procedure for future drone-supported logistics;
- a tested local emergency-response capability.
GAPSM 72H is a modern system combining Austere Forward Care, STOP THE BLEED®, SALT Mass Casualty Triage, selected PCC principles, disaster medicine, municipal resources and emergency medical logistics.
When help cannot arrive immediately, a prepared team can triage, stabilise, monitor and safely care for patients until they are transferred to the healthcare system.
