Book excerpt: This text is used in the Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) course. BDLS is an 8 hour course which presents clinical and public health implications of natural and human-caused events, explosions and traumatic events, nuclear and radiologic events, biologic events, and chemical events. Also included is information on the health professional's role in the public health and incident management systems, mental and behavioral health, and special considerations for people with access and functional needs.