The frontline responders in health emergencies

When disaster strikes, countries rely on highly skilled teams to support their communities’ immediate needs. Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), composed of doctors, paramedics and logistical experts, are crucial responders in crises across Europe and beyond.

In France, EMTs collaborate closely with WHO/Europe and play an essential role in global health security. Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Chapeau, the National EMT Focal Point for France, discusses the vital role of EMTs, their operations and the future of emergency medical response in the country.

Why are EMTs so important?

French EMTs play a critical role in delivering rapid medical care during crises, both domestically and internationally. We have 8 highly trained teams; 2 of these are WHO-classified and the others are being evaluated. These teams are fully self-sufficient and operate according to WHO standards, which allows solid coordination with host nation authorities, other international EMTs and operational partners on the ground.

This is important when disasters hit, so we can efficiently integrate into the local response structure. For example, during the 2023 dam collapse in Libya, our teams were on the ground providing essential surgical and medical services. Capable of treating up to 100 patients per day, they worked in close collaboration with local authorities and other organizations, making sure lifesaving care was quickly delivered to those affected.

How has collaboration with WHO/Europe improved your emergency response?

Our partnership with WHO/Europe has really improved our preparedness efforts. They've guided us through realistic simulation exercises that have built up our coordination and technical abilities during crisis situations.

The Regional European Emergency Medical Team Capabilities Hub (REECH) in Istanbul has been invaluable in ensuring our EMTs are operating at a level that can respond to serious health crises. We've also been learning communication protocols thanks to their guidance. These have proven crucial in facilitating smooth operations during our international deployments.

Can you share some of the recent challenges EMTs have faced in the field?

One of the biggest challenges is working in different countries under very testing conditions. For example, during a mission to Türkiye following the 2023 earthquakes, we had to adapt our operations to match local resources while meeting international standards. This requires a high level of flexibility, strong logistics and cooperation with local authorities.

Another challenge is maintaining our equipment and readiness in all circumstances, which involves intense training and resource management. We don’t just wait for disasters to strike; we need to be prepared at all times for the worst-case scenarios.

What are the main achievements of the French EMTs in recent years?

Some of our biggest accomplishments include the successful deployment to Guadeloupe to assist the hurricane response. As I mentioned before, we also played a vital role in Libya following a devastating dam collapse, offering urgent medical support in a challenging environment.

Domestically, French EMTs have been on the frontline of managing severe forest fires in the country's southwest, putting their skills to work to save lives. But, for me, it’s the readiness – being on hand to immediately deploy, having the mental resilience to face an unknown situation and bring years of experience to play.

What are some key lessons the French EMTs have learned from recent deployments?

One important lesson is the need to work closely with local experts when we arrive in a country. It’s not just about sending help; we must explain what we can do and how we can fit into their response system. During the Guadeloupe deployment, for example, we had to coordinate with local teams to set up our medical tents next to a damaged hospital.

We’ve also learned the importance of staying flexible, as every crisis is different, and our teams need to adapt quickly. Additionally, we have realized that France can benefit immensely from the communication protocols we’ve learned. During the forest fires, support teams were sent from across Europe to assist us. The ability to speak the same emergency language made containment efforts much smoother and no doubt led to a more successful response.

What are the future plans for France’s EMTs?

Moving forward, we aim to continue holding annual national training exercises to ensure our teams stay up to date on the latest international response guidelines. These exercises are essential to developing our team members' skills and proficiency with new equipment.

We are also focused on maintaining the classification for our EMTs, which needs to be renewed every 5 years. Beyond that, the continued collaboration with WHO/Europe will allow us to improve communication and coordination efforts, building up new skills and competencies to react at a moment’s notice.