Sofia Athanasopoulou

Pediatric patients represent 5–10% of EMS encounters but remain among the highest-risk populations for adverse outcomes due to limited provider exposure, equipment challenges, and variability in pediatric readiness across systems. This session, hosted by the Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN) and Connecticut EMS for Children (CT EMSC), will provide EMS clinicians with practical, accessible resources to enhance everyday pediatric readiness. The presentation will highlight three core areas: simulation-based training (SimBox), everyday pediatric readiness success stories, and disaster preparedness strategies involving children. Attendees will be introduced to SimBox, a scalable tool that supports hands-on, low-cost, low-barrier pediatric simulation training that can be utilized by EMS agencies, hospitals, and even office-based environments. Participants will also learn evidence-based strategies, resources, and local implementation success stories that support pediatric readiness in daily EMS operations. Finally, presenters will address pediatric considerations during disasters and mass-casualty incidents, emphasizing planning tools and just-in-time resources available to EMS clinicians to improve preparedness and response for children during both everyday and extraordinary events.