Basic Disaster Life Support™ (BDLS)®

In 2003, four major academic centers, the Medical College of Georgia, the University of Georgia, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA), established the National Disaster Life Support™ (NDLS™) training program to better prepare health care professionals and emergency response personnel for mass casualty events.

BDLS®, the first in a three-course series, 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. Also included is information on the health care professionals’ role in the public health and incident management systems, community mental health, and special needs of underserved and vulnerable populations. The recognition and management of the disaster scene and victims are reinforced through a unique approach, introduced in the Core Disaster Life Support Course called the D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R paradigm.

Target Audience

Physicians, Nurses, PAs, EMTs, Paramedics, Pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals, and Medical Students 

• Pre-requisites: None
• Course Length: 8 hours
• Recertification: Every three years

Course Agenda

• The Disaster Paradigm
• Natural Disasters
• Chemical Events
• Traumatic and Explosive Events
• Biological Events
• Nuclear and Radiological Events
• Psychological Aspects
• Public Health Implications of Disasters
• Evaluation and Testing

CE Credits:

CE Credit is available for all participants who successfully complete this BDLS course.

CME (7.5) - CNE (8.8) - CHES (7.5) - SW (7.0) - EMS (9.0) - RS (8.8) - CECBEMS (8)