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The History of MASCAP When you put two kindred spirits together who think that there is always a better way to do something, the question should be not "Why was MASCAP created" but rather "Why did it take so long"? A good part of the careers of Don McConnaughy and Paul Rega was devoted to learning as much as there was to know about Disaster Medicine. Courses were attended, books were read, and articles studied and during that time these two friends agreed that gaps existed in the educational and functional aspects of Disaster Management.
The first jewel in the corporate crown of MASCAP, Inc. was MASCAP itself. MASCAP is an acronym for Mass Casualty Planner and it was devised to teach disaster management in a more dynamic fashion using magnetic icons, triage cards, and patient care scenarios and charts. It wasn't long before the creators found that MASCAP was being used, not only as an educational tool, but also as an organizational/informational device during actual disasters (e.g. Hurricane Andrew).
The success of this product led to the development of MASCAP-SAT and MASCAP-HAT. MASCAP-SAT (Scene Access Tag) was the development of a methodology to identify personnel at an incident and limit their access within sensitive areas, while virtually preventing trespassers from obtaining access to the site. MASCAP-HAT (Hospital Access Tag) accomplished the same results, but within the hospital arena.
With the entry of MASCAP-HAT into the hospital environment, it was natural that Don and Paul perfected a system that permitted an emergency department, during a disaster, to provide information, triage patient care, and utilize the limited resources of the hospital in an efficacious manner. Hence, the MASCAP ED Command Boards were created.
Now, MASCAP is proud to introduce the latest Diamond in its crown-Bio-Terry ®.
Copyright 2000, 2001 The Biological Terrorism Response Manual.
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