ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the impact of extreme weather events, including extreme heat and heatwaves, bushfires and wildfires, storms, extreme precipitation and flooding, and extreme cold on emergency medical services. Extreme weather events have wide-ranging negative physical and mental health impacts, thereby resulting in increases in ambulance call-outs and emergency department presentations. In addition to the increased demand for emergency medical services, such events also negatively impact access to and operation of these services due to road closures, infrastructure damage, power and telecommunication network disruptions, and workforce shortages. Extreme weather events are projected to increase in frequency, intensity, and duration as a result of climate change, underscoring the necessity for emergency medical services to plan and prepare for changes in patient presentation patterns and service demand.
