A Coordinated Emergency Response A Color Dust Explosion at a 2015 Concert in Taiwan

An explosion of color powder forced “color play” concert attendees to flee; 499 victims were transported to 34 hospitals within six hours (and cared for by 1235 first responders) in nearly 300 emergency vehicles from agencies across five cities and counties. The authors highlight cross-departmental coordination and mobilization, long-term case management, and lessons learned (e.g., how the unified command system and teams carried out a successful response, managing already crowded emergency departments and patient transfer, and the equitable distribution of scarce supplies in high demand).