Rhode Island disaster initiative

The Rhode Island Disaster Initiative (RIDI) is providing research in the areas of readiness, technology and training to address the significant gaps that remain in real-time medical response to events involving the use of weapons of mass destruction; terrorist use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive devices; mass casualty incidents and toxic industrial chemical and material accidents. Through a series of focused studies and full-scale exercises, RIDI is examining the underpinnings of common failures in disaster response, researching a number of potential best practice solutions to these failures and disseminating recommended solutions. Failed logistics, coordination, communication and inadequate decontamination practices are among the addressed areas.