Mass shootings in America have become a public health emergency due to their frequency and severity. In response, the group has created a disaster management plan that takes a public health approach to mass shootings. The plan is based on the case of the Cielo Vista Walmart shooting in El Paso, Texas, outlining procedures aiming to ensure “that the El Paso Health Department is part of a uniform and unified response to the tragedy of mass shooting events”.
The authors urge an approach to firearm injury as a public health epidemic rather than a debate about gun rights. The plan provides guidelines for the El Paso Department of Public Health to reduce the risk of gun violence. It stresses the need for communication across inter-agencies and adequate response measures to limit personal loss from a mass shooting event. The strategy breaks down the steps of treatment and transport of the injured, care for survivors at reunification centers, identification of the deceased, and long-term care through community and faith-based institutions.