Triaging the climate crisis
| dc.contributor.author | Sherk, Shannon | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-04-28T19:02:30Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-04-28T19:02:30Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The goal of the Triaging the Climate Crisis project is to investigate the lived experience of ambulance employees in BC with regards to climate impacts, focusing on how environmental hazards impact their response and the health of the communities they respond to. Previous research has recognized the significant impact of climate change on clinical medical personnel. Despite pre-hospital employees having a different scope of care that often involves working outdoors, they have been neglected in these studies. This project operated with mixed-methods, utilizing quantitative survey analysis (via REDCap and R) and semi-structured interviews with BCEHS employees. Key findings indicate that paramedics are concerned about environmental hazards, regardless of beliefs about climate change. Hot and cold emergencies have the largest impact on mortality, while flooding, fires, and landslides impact BCEHS' ability to respond. The worsening impacts of environmental hazards are made worse by compounding issues such as the opiod crisis, healthcare instability and overwhelm, economic turmoil, and current methods of managing homelessness. Overall, a proactive approach is needed to have plans in place before disasters hit. | |
| dc.description.reviewstatus | Reviewed | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Undergraduate | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA) | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22033 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University Of Victoria | |
| dc.subject | climate change | |
| dc.subject | paramedic | |
| dc.subject | healthcare | |
| dc.subject | disaster | |
| dc.subject | emergency | |
| dc.subject | environmental hazard | |
| dc.title | Triaging the climate crisis | |
| dc.type | Poster |