Emergency Preparedness Tiered Response
Protocol — Code Yellow: Level Four
Effective Date: 2/12/02
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to provide direction for implementing the highest level of campus security while appropriately allocating resources to accommodate critical needs, in the face of an overwhelming catastrophic event. Criteria for this level of response may include, but are not limited to the following:
- The magnitude of the event is such that the implementation of Code Yellow: Level Three Emergency Management Plan requires the highest level of support.
- Northwest Community Hospital must be solely reliant upon its own immediate resources to continue critical operations in the event that community agencies are overwhelmed and unavailable.
- Emergency response to the event threatens the well-being of patients and employees in the hospital, unless specific measures are taken.
- It is recognized that the hospital may be able to provide some, but not all critical services.
- State and federal resources may be forthcoming, but are not immediately available.
POLICY
In the face of overwhelming disaster in our community, the policy of Northwest Community Healthcare will be to do the most good for the most people. Northwest Community Healthcare is committed to preserving the lives of its employees and patients, and to continuing critical services to the community if possible.
OBJECTIVES
A. The hospital is committed to the protection of its employees.B. The hospital is committed to protect its current patient population.
C. The hospital must remain functional.
D. The hospital must continue to provide emergency service to those who come for medical screening and treatment.
E. The hospital will intervene and use all available resources to mitigate the effect of overwhelming disaster.
PROCEDURE
The following described actions may occur simultaneously:
1. Authorize overhead page "Code Yellow: Level Four" X3
2. Set up Incident Command with key employees in the following role:
A. Public information officer.B. A Liaison with outside agencies: Mutual aid hospitals, fire, health departments at all appropriate levels, and law enforcement, as applicable.
C. Safety and security officer: concerned with campus security as well as employee well-being.
D. Define other key decision makers according to current phase of Hospital Emergency Incident Command Protocol (HEICS).
3. Secure the Campus:
A. Security will maintain pre-planned, mapped routing of traffic and parking, on and off campus. Security vehicles will be deployed to block determined routes of entry/exit.B. Initiate complete lock down until further information is available.
(1) Auxiliary security personnel deployed to man major entry and exit points.
(2) As with Code Yellow one, two, and three, no employees may leave without permission of management. (Administrative Policies #45, 45a)
(3) In the event of a chemical terrorist attack, determine that the outside environment is safe. The hazardous materials experts in the fire department will have this information.
(4) In collaboration with Security, determine entry/exit points that can be highly secure, yet allow for emergency routing of patients, physicians, employees, and supplies during lockdown.
(5) Incident command will determine which populations of employees, visitors, and patients should be restricted entry and/or exit.
(6) Communicate to those restricted populations via overhead page that they should remain in the building or where safe exit information is available.
(7) Staff are responsible to be informed about emergency management practice.
4. Create alternate sites for services:
A. If appropriate, route victims of event away from the emergency department.
B. Create outside triage with a medical team.
(1) Consider weather conditions.
(2) If needed, mass decontamination of victims will be done per procedure.
(3) After decontamination, consider day surgery center, or the 901 Building, as a treatment site.
C. If appropriate, convert current emergency department annex and/or pediatric emergency department to accommodate acute patients along with the main emergency department room. Alternate sites for acute care may include surgical preparation area, endoscopy, or recovery room.
D. The following facilities have agreed to absorb skilled level patients during an emergency, according to their ability to do so:
(1) Lutheran Home at 800 W. Oakton St., Arlington Heights.
(2) Marriott-Church Creek at 1200 W. Central Road, Arlington Heights.
(3) Manor Care at 715 W. Central Road, Arlington Heights.
5. Determine whether critical services must be shut down or restricted in use.
- Communication systems: Determine whether alternate messaging system can be employed, whether calls can be managed by a team of responders, or whether in the judgment of the director of the department, more extreme shutdown should be considered.
- Determine utility status, including information management systems.
- Outpatient services, including endoscopy and day surgery center.
- Surgical services
- Inpatient services
- Wellness center
- 901 Building
- Nutrition and food services
- Supply delivery/mail
- Business center
- Treatment centers
6. Procure additional medical staff as needed.
7. Use pre-scripted communication with media until accurate information is available.
8. Open the employee relief center if needed.
9. Direct recovery.
A. Incident command center will direct recovery, perhaps with changing decision makers until recovery is complete.
B. All directors must assess functionality of their department and report to incident command center.
C. Chaplaincy services will continue critical incident stress debriefing as needed.
D. Incident command center will direct all communication with the public in collaboration with community resources.
E. Incident command center will direct all communication with the public in collaboration with community resources.
Source: Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights, IL.
The purpose of this policy from Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, IL, is to provide direction for implementing the highest level of campus security while appropriately allocating resources to accommodate critical needs in the face of an overwhelming catastrophic event.
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