Award-winner and EMS innovator Shaughn Maxwell took audiences through two unique historic disasters in 2014. When a major landslide occurred in Oso, Wash., there was no pre-established playbook. In addition to rescue operations; an EMS response system was needed to care for hundreds of rescuers in this remote and dangerous environment.
No one could expect that within six months, on the opposite side of the Cascade Mountain Range, the largest wildfire in state history would cut off a rural valley from the rest of the world.
Some additional key points Shaughn made were:
- How being creative was the new currency in these austere situations.
- How lessons learned from one disaster were immediately applied to the next.