Aim
The WMDA International Emergency Task Force (WMDA-IETF) will provide to the best of its ability assistance to WMDA member registries that request support in responding to incidents, that are not routine, that impact their operations, and are not easily resolved on their own.
The goal is:
1. To provide knowledge and expertise to WMDA member registries to ensure the continued delivery of stem cell
products.
2. To assess impact to operations.
3. To determine options to assist in averting the issue, that is impacting operations.
4. To optimize the use of resources in response to large-scale incidents that impact many registries (i.e. chartering
one plane for multiple couriers versus chartering one plane for each courier).
Introduction
WMDA member registry can submit a request for assistance from the WMDA International Emergency Task Force in case the request meets the following criteria:
1. Organization has exhausted all other possible means of assistance.
2. The crisis you need assistance with involves:
- the collection, transportation or delivery of hematopoietic stem cell products or,
- a catastrophic impact to your organization’s facilities, staff or equipment.
3. No personally identifying information about patients or donors are visible.
Understand that the WMDA nor any of the International Emergency Task Force members have funding to assist; these staff are volunteers from registries around the world and are only able to assist with coordination and outreach to the appropriate organizations, agencies or authorities.
The task force has members from all over the world so that your request will be handled in the shortest possible time. The members of the task force are: Monica Rocheford (NMDP, United States), Anthonty Montague (Australia), Gabi Rall (Germany) and Lydia Foeken (the Netherlands). However, it may still take hours until you receive a response. Meanwhile, please ensure that your point of contact is available for questions.
Relevant links:
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
Before submitting a request for assistance from the WMDA International Emergency Task Force please ensure that your request meets the following criteria:
1. Your organization has exhausted all other possible means of assistance.
2. The crisis you need assistance with involves:
a. The collection, transportation or delivery of hematopoietic stem cell products and/or
b. A catastrophic impact to your organization’s facilities, staff or equipment
Do not include any personally identifying information about patients or donors in this request!
Understand that the WMDA nor any of the International Emergency Task Force members have funding to assist; these members are volunteers from registries around the world and are able to assist only with coordination and outreach to the appropriate organizations, agencies or authorities.
The task force has members from all over the world to support the handling of your request in the shortest possible time. However it may still take hours until you receive a response. Meanwhile, please ensure that your point of contact is available for questions.
EXAMPLES:
Yes, submit a request for assistance in case:
- A courier cannot get through customs.
- A fire destroyed most of our offices.
- Weather has grounded all transportation and the donor cannot travel to collection.
- A virus corrupted the registry and we do not have a backup of the data.
- My internet/fax/telephone connections are down for an unknown amount of time.
Please reconsider in case:
- A staff member quit.
- I can't remember the password to our registry.
- A virus corrupted the registry and we need to install the backup database.