Parastar Takes Leading Role at China-U.S. Conference on Disaster Management

Parastar, Inc., a leading EMS management and consulting company with an innovative edge in high-tech patient distribution in disaster response management, has attracted the interest of the world’s predominant emerging economic powerhouse – China.

Greg Beauchemin, president and chief executive officer of Parastar, Inc., headquartered in a Detroit suburb, was asked to speak on September 16 at the second China-U.S. Conference on Emergency Medical Services in Disaster Management in Beijing.

Beauchemin discussed the present challenges in managing disaster events and how current and future wireless technology can help track patients and assets, standardize clinical and emergency operations plans, and enhance interoperability between multiple agencies.

He has extensive knowledge and experience in this area, as Parastar has been among the first boots on the ground in major U.S. disasters since Sept. 11, 2001, subcontracting as a response team for FEMA.

“There is a worldwide need for better communication and data exchange among Emergency Operation Centers, field crews, medical facilities and support services, which become critical when managing disaster events,” Beauchemin said. “Evolving wireless technology is an enhanced tool we have used successfully to manage complex disasters.”

As part of its overall portfolio of services, in disaster situations Parastar brings a unique combination of state-of-the-art wireless technologies that allow a global communication gateway into disaster areas. Most importantly, this facilitates transmission of data and voice back and forth from the remote disaster site regarding injuries and getting documentation to emergency centers.

Parastar uses electronic bar coding that tracks patient movement and identification; handheld devices with wireless air cards; Geographic Information System electronic mapping and asset tracking; internal and external vehicle drive cams and more. Less than 25 percent of responding disaster agencies in the world use this technology and China is interested in upgrading their systems and learning more about how Parastar operates in large-scale disasters.

Currently, China uses walkie-talkies and paper patient-care records during disaster situations. Paper records are easily destroyed so that there is no patient history, and walkie-talkies can often prove unreliable in areas where the communication infrastructure is shut down. Under this scenario, when EMS vehicles are deployed they cannot communicate back to the emergency center about the number of injured, the location patients are taken to, what their level of injuries are, or what the vehicle’s re-supply needs are. Parastar uses technology that overcomes these issues saving time and lives.

After impressing delegates at the conference, Beauchemin was asked to present to the executive staff of the National Earthquake Center in Beijing about how Parastar and the United States manage massive disasters.

At the U.S-China Conference Beauchemin learned more about EMS challenges faced during the earthquake in Wenchaun in 2008 that killed 67,000 people with 17,000 missing, presumed dead, and 90,000 casualties. “We saw how the Chinese handle their people in disasters, with dignity and respect for those individuals, expressing compassion and care,” said Beauchemin. “That is a commonality between the two countries. The goal we both have during disaster response is to deal with the human suffering and to help mitigate the pain and suffering.”

Beauchemin will be back in China in two years; lecturing in universities and working with his Chinese counterparts in on-going collaboration and sharing of educational resources.

His next trip is to the Middle East, where he will visit five countries that are interested in talking about disaster system design for their EMS systems, which are old and in need of upgrading. Beauchemin’s expertise in this area brought him to the attention of these Middle East leaders. Parastar is also assisting India in developing an EMS system from basic 911 calling that is not now available, to western pre-hospital care and response in their ambulances.