BIDMC Division of Disaster Medicine opens European Center for Disaster Management in Toulouse, France

The BIDMC Division of Disaster Medicine has opened the European Center for Disaster Management (CERC) in Toulouse, France, in conjunction with The Université Paul Sabatier – Toulouse, The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse (CHU), The Service Départemental d’Incendie et de Secours de Haute-Garonne (SDIS), The Préfecture de Haute Garonne, and The Agence Régionale de Santé Occitanie. The CERC is a partnership and a multi-agency approach that focuses on research, academic publications, training and simulation, and integration of member expertise, including expertise from BIDMC Division of Disaster Medicine, the CHU, the SDIS, the Prefecture, the universities, research program centers, and the Toulouse Institute of Health Simulation. Its areas of concentration based on historical events in the region include natural disasters (floods, heat waves), terrorist attacks (Mohamed Merah’s attack, attack in Trèbes), industrial disasters (AZF chemical plant explosion), and mass gathering events (Euro 2016).