Fatigue: Sleep Management During Disasters and Sustained Operations

24th July 1997

Just picked this off the Wilderness Emerg. Medicine list (with
permission).  I think it may be of interest.

Tony Midmore
Reno, NV


I just finished reading a small book.  Thought that almost everyone 
on this list might find it of interest. The book is called "Fatigue: 
Sleep Management During Disasters and Sustained Operations." It is a 
55-page book in soft-cover format, by Robert Koester, who is a 
long-time friend and colleage. His academic background is in 
researching biological rhythms (e.g., circadian rhythms) at the 
University of Virginia.  However, I know him because we are both 
active with the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference - and as an 
IC (Incident Commander), Bob has probably run more large 
lost-person search operations than just about anyone in the world (no 
exaggeration). And, not too long ago, we lost on of our search 
managers to a single-vehicle accident due to fatigue - the major 
spur to Bob's writing this book.

The book serves as a student manual to a course on fatigue for SAR 
personnel. In the back of the book is ordering information for the 
teaching materials for the course. But, it stands well on its own as 
well.

Certainly, if you're involved in search and rescue or disaster 
management, this book is a must-read. Even if you just work shifts, 
it will be of great interest. As a rapid overview of the current 
state of knowledge about fatigue, it is enlightening. The writing is 
a lttile flat, and the diagrams sometimes a bit difficult to figure 
out, but these shortcomings seem minor compared to the fact that it 
contains in succinct format the relevant research findings.Though 
there are some references, they are mostly to textbook chapters 
rather than original research -- but then this is not a research 
text, it is designed to get the research findings, and the lessons 
they teach, to the people who need to know.  And at that goal, it 
succeeds well.

Again, diclaimer - the author is a friend, but I think my evaluation 
is as objective as I can make it.

The book is available for $9.95 + $4.75 shipping and handling per box 
shipped, from Search Equipment Company at (800) 473-4901 (major 
credit cards accepted).


"He who hesitates may know something the rest of you don't."
--Mark Evans
--Keith Conover, M.D., FACEP
  http://www.pitt.edu/~kconover

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