It seems that once in a lifetime events are happening every decade or even more frequently these days as climate change continues to drive disasters in our world. We all watched the fires in Los Angeles with horror, and not too long after, catastrophic fires tore through the Carolinas. I recall Hurricane Katrina during medical school, but recovery from that was incomplete when Hurricane Ivan hit. Here in Oregon fires have destroyed entire towns, and people work to rebuild but each hit takes lives, treasure and time to recuperate, if we ever can.
Where I live, wildfires are a significant threat, and these threats often intersect with others. Wildfires can actually affect biology, whether the biology of the soil where pathogens can grow as well as the biology of us, the people who may be breathing the air in which those pathogens are suspended following a fire.
It can be scary to think about all of these things, so I wanted to have someone whose job it is to think only of the worst case scenarios and how we can navigate them. Emergency medicine doctors have to face emergencies and disasters every day- meeting people on often the worst day of their lives when something has gone terribly wrong. They always have to be prepared for that, and my guest today has not only cared for individuals in the ER but also has worked in emergency management for entire hospitals and systems.
For this post and episode, I spoke with Mary C. Meyer, MD MPH who has been an emergency medicine physician with The Permanente Medical Group for twenty years. She has a Master of Public Health and Certificate in Global Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and a Certificate in Climate Medicine from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
From 2018 to 2024, Mary served as the director of disaster preparedness for Kaiser Permanente Northern California and responded to many disasters, including wildfires, power outages, evacuations, poor air quality, highly infectious pathogens, and staffing shortages. Her global health and disaster deployments include Haiti, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia. She is a contributing writer to MedPage Today, where her column, “Calamities, Codes, and Crises,” explores the intersection of healthcare and disasters. She is a founding member of an inter-regional Kaiser Permanente and Permanente Medicine Climate Change and Health Interest Group.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss not only how to prepare for disasters, but also what we are learning about the biological implications of wildfires and how they may contribute to the spread of pathogens, such as the fungus that causes Valley Fever.
Sometimes it is hard to think about the climate disasters that seem to keep coming more and more frequently. It can be exhausting. However, being aware of these risks and planning for them can help diminish their impact.
When discussing life-threatening situations with patients, I always have to remind them and us that it is helpful to name our fears and talk about the worst-case scenarios, because it’s only then that we can even try to plan for them. Planning can actually make us feel better, and feeling better is generally not a bad thing.
TLDR= Don't Light Things on Fire and Breathe them into your Lungs
To Do-
- Harden your home- learn how to keep your home safe(r) from wildfires
- Learn about controlled burns and more wildfire safety from the “Fighting Fire with Fire” episode with Native American Wildland Firefighter Bodie Shaw.
- Learn more about health impacts of wildfires and what you can do in the “Our Health in Wildfire Season” episode
- Sign up for emergency alerts in your community
- Find out if where you work has a Disaster Plan or has done a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment
- Have Go Bags ready during times of high wildfire risk or in general
- Make plans with your family and loved ones for emergencies, including meeting points, shelter areas, evacuation routes and more
- Do something small once per week to tackle climate change and help decrease the impact of climate-fueled disasters. None of us have to do everything, but we can all do something. Listen to the “Clean AIr and Climate Action for Busy People” episode to get started
References-
Mary Meyer and Laura Myers. “Where There’s Wildfire Smoke, there’s Respiratory Infection.” MedPage Today. November 2024.
Hazard Vulnerability Analysis Tool: Analysis Tool: Hazard Vulnerability – California Hospital Association
Joint Commission HVA requirements (for hospitals and licensed space in the US): Emergency Management – Hazard Vulnerability Analysis | Critical Access Hospital | Emergency Management EM | The Joint Commission
Cocci and firefighters: Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever), Notes From the Field: Coccidioidomycosis Outbreak Among Wildland Firefighters — California, 2021 | MMWR
Personal preparedness: Make A Plan | Ready.gov, Disaster Preparedness Plan | Make a Plan | Red Cross, Plan Ahead for Disasters | Ready.gov
Example of emergency alert system (different for each location): Nixle – Everbridge
Protection from wildfire smoke: Smoke Ready California | California Air Resources Board, Safety Guidelines: Wildfires and Wildfire Smoke | Wildfires | CDC
Where There’s Fire, There’s Smoke | MedPage Today,
Are You Ready for Wildfire Season? | MedPage Today
