When disaster strikes ...
Daniel Bachmann, MD, is either on or behind the scenes
By Sandra Gurvis
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 27, 2022
With a background as a medical officer for US Navy dive teams and submarine forces, emergency preparedness seems to be in Daniel Bachmann, MD’s, DNA. Along with being trained in search and rescue, prior to coming to Wexner Medical Center’s Emergency Department, “I did international humanitarian work, such as providing resources to communities dealing with civil unrest and upheaval,” he says. This furnished him with the skill set that enables him to deal with situations that would cause most others to flee in the opposite direction.
So it was a natural outgrowth, or more likely, a marriage made in heaven, that Bachmann joined the Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1). Consisting of the Miami Valley Fire/EMS Alliance, a consortium of 20+ local fire departments, as well as other qualified personnel throughout Ohio and contiguous states, the Dayton-based urban search and rescue team not only assists with statewide crises, but is also one of 28 search-and-rescue teams affiliated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
OH-TF1 also provides extensive training to its personnel. “The field of disaster response is definitely a paradox,” points out Bachmann. “You never want bad things to happen but you do want to be able to offer your skills.” And when tragedy strikes, “no one is immune. So in addition to providing support, we learn how to support and take care of each other so we can carry on the necessary work.”
This plays into his role as the medical team manager for OH-TF1. “Along with supervising the medical component of a disaster event, we have two primary objectives. The first is to take care of those who have been rescued and the second is take care of the team. The work is dangerous, with a lot of risk. You don’t want to become victim yourself or end up as a patient.”
Lately that training has been put to good use. “It's been a very busy year for our team,” notes Bachmann. In the last 15 months, they have been deployed 5 times. Although he does not always accompany the team, such as during the recent Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, he was a part of rescue effort for the devastating floods in Kentucky last July and the June 2021 condo building collapse in Surfside, Florida. The latter was especially difficult. Unlike weather disasters, which deal with infrastructure issues and rescue efforts, “Surfside was concentrated in small space with many fatalities,” underlining some of the unique differences between rescue and recovery.
Bachmann also serves as the Wexner Medical Center liaison for the Central Ohio Trauma System (COTS), which prior to 2020, was “a pretty anonymous position.” Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bachmann and liaisons from the other 29 trauma and acute care hospitals were kept extremely busy communicating and sharing information, assisting with resource allocation and coordinating response activities. “The peaks of the pandemic were one of the busiest aspects of my career.”
When not saving lives or teaching disaster medicine to fourth-year medical students, Bachmann enjoys spending time with his family, especially when it comes to outdoor activities. He has ridden in Pelotonia since its 2009 inception, serving as a peloton captain for several years.
Regardless of what happens next, Bachmann has a “go” bag packed and ready. “Actually, multiple go-bags, because we want to be as self-sufficient, safe and prevention-oriented as possible.” And while incredibly challenging, the rewards of this work are many. Among them: “The ability to truly rescue someone in imminent danger, to intervene and get them in a safe place. Even in recovery situations, you are providing closure, which is very important to family members and friends who don’t know what happened.”