Hospital planning and training for conventional mass casualty incidents rely on qualified personnel.

Although spending money on the latest gadgets is tempting, Yuri Millo, MD, director of the Simulation and Training Environment Lab at the ER One Institute, cautions against getting carried away.

"So far we have invested significantly in gadgets, as this is the easiest way to spend our money, however during disasters what will make the difference is qualified manpower. This is our best natural resource, and we need to invest in it by education and training to deal with predictable and unpredictable events."

James Ryan, MD, of the Leonard Cheshire Centre of Conflict Recovery, University College London, agreed on the need for better planning and training, rather than investing in specific gadgets.

On July 7, 2005, the day of the London subway and bus bombings, Ryan learned that well-trained personnel make the difference, and he suggested that a simple, but efficient management plan is most effective in both training and reality.