Disaster Planning and Response

Reaffirmed January 2021

Revised June 2015 

Originally approved June 2008

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) encourages emergency physicians to:

1. Assist their institutions and community to prepare for and respond to disasters.
2. Continue to serve their communities and nation during time of disasters.
3. Implement actions to protect themselves, their families, their co-workers, and their patients from risks.
4. Work with institutional and public leaders to effectively communicate public health and safety information to co-workers and the public.
5. Serve as subject-matter experts on the allocation of scarce health care resources, when necessary.

The American College of Emergency Physicians will, when possible and appropriate during disasters, use its resources to disseminate current, scientifically based information from national experts.