UGA IDM and partners strengthen hospital readiness ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup
Chaos to Care
When a mass casualty incident occurs, the first few minutes at a receiving healthcare facility set the tone for the entire response. They are also the most chaotic.
These events can cause a ‘surge’ – a sudden influx of patients that exceeds a facility’s normal operating capacity and capability, forcing care teams to rapidly scale up staffing, supplies, and space. This requires staff to instantly pivot from routine operations to this new need, oftentimes with limited information.
If a disaster, like a building collapse or crowd crush, triggers this scenario, hospital leadership face the challenge of maintaining communication, situational awareness, and personnel organization in a high-stress environment. Navigating a surge successfully means rapidly addressing several critical operational realities.
Do staff members know when and how to activate their surge plan, if one even exists? Do they know where specific mass casualty caches are stored, or how many staffed beds are available? Will they know how to mobilize staffing pools when numbers run slim, and will they have up-to-date contact information?
“Hospitals need a framework that turns chaos into organized care,” said Abbey Reber, program coordinator at the University of Georgia’s Institute for Disaster Management.
Expanding the Framework
That’s where the 15 ‘til Surge Training Program comes in.
Developed by a cross-institutional team of experts from the Institute for Disaster Management, the Southern Regional Disaster Response System (SRDRS), and the National Disaster Life Support Foundation (NDLSF), this one-day training is designed to enhance facility surge preparedness.
This initiative builds upon 15 ‘til 50, an established response framework created by California emergency manager Chris Riccardi. The original framework provides healthcare facilities with standardized protocols to prepare to receive 50 patients within a 15-minute window.
Under the direction of SRDRS, the joint team adapted this concept to focus on comprehensive, regional surge readiness.
“While the original framework touched on areas outside the emergency department, 15 ’til Surge places a more deliberate focus there,” said Reber. “We integrate ancillary services like the blood bank, respiratory therapy, and pharmacy into the core planning alongside healthcare coalitions and other partners to truly address regional surge preparedness.”
Everyone becomes a connected network, making it easier to share staff and shift resources where they are needed most.
Maximizing Local Readiness
The 15 ‘til Surge Training Program brings this updated model directly into regional hospitals, tailoring protocols to fit each unique facility. The team has completed three training sessions across Atlanta and Miami so far.
Why Atlanta and Miami? This summer’s upcoming FIFA World Cup matches will bring massive international crowds to both metropolitan areas. With that comes unique logistical and safety challenges, making now the perfect time to help these regional facilities maximize their surge readiness, said Reber.
“In a surge, everyone’s day-to-day job responsibilities look a little different,” Reber explained. “That role shift makes a difficult situation more difficult. That’s exactly what this training addresses.”
The program combines didactic instruction, a facility walkthrough, and guided discussion to support practical application of surge concepts. At the end of the training, facilities receive actionable feedback that leadership and operational stakeholders can use to improve their surge preparedness.
“The training was incredibly eye-opening for the staff,” said Reber. “We had people who have worked in these facilities for years discovering resources they didn’t even know they had access to.”
Strengthening Community Confidence
Moving forward, the team plans to continue offering this training program across the region to ensure lasting sustainability.
“It’s important for facilities to continuously update their surge plans and train their staff on them,” said Reber. “Being prepared means they can save more lives if a crisis ever forces them to activate these plans.”
To Reber, regularly testing these plans is an essential responsibility for any healthcare facility. Ultimately, hospital surge preparedness is a vital asset that directly benefits the local community.
“Stronger surge planning gives the community confidence that it will be supported and cared for in a mass casualty incident,” said Reber. “If you or a loved one gets hurt, you want the peace of mind that you can show up to a hospital and get the care you need.”
