If Disaster Strikes, We're Ready

Learn the role you might play

A plane is down in center city Allentown! Hundreds are injured! They’re counting on us to help!

Would we be ready if this fictional scenario became reality? “Yes,” says emergency management committee chairman John McCarthy, D.O. “We already have an emergency system in place to handle small and large events. We’re ahead of most hospitals nationwide in true disaster preparedness.”

Data from real disasters shows most hospitals encounter common problems when responding: personnel are not prepared, communication breaks down, too many people respond and resources are used inefficiently. “Our plan addresses all these issues,” McCarthy says.

Here's how it will work and what you should you know:

Keep on Communicating
When there’s an emergency on your unit or when a disaster is called, contact the hospital’s administrator-on-call through the page operator (610-402-1199) or the 555 emergency line. If necessary, the administrator will contact members of the Emergency Command Center. “This group will direct all communication and resource needs,” McCarthy says. Command center colleagues will use four new satellite phones to communicate with teams elsewhere in the hospital. These phones will continue to work should the disaster affect landlines or cell towers.

Color-coded Care
During a disaster, the administrator will identify the number of colleagues needed to handle it. “If you haven’t been chosen,” McCarthy says, “resist the temptation to help. By continuing your regular duties, you’re ensuring our ability to efficiently care for all our patients.” At the hospital entrance, patients will be triaged and transported to one of four color-coded areas based on their condition—red (critical), yellow (emergent), green (minimally injured) and black (deceased). At these areas, caregivers will receive colored vests corresponding to the treatment area. “To prevent efforts from being hampered by too many personnel responding, vests will only be given to the amount of caregivers the administrator deems necessary,” McCarthy says.

Practice Makes Perfect
Although it’s impossible to plan for every disaster scenario, drills are critical to the success of any response. In June, drills will be held hospital-wide at all three campuses. “We’ll walk through a specific scenario to see where the plan works and where improvement is needed,” McCarthy says. In the future, drills may be unannounced. “No single hospital can handle a disaster that results in thousands of injuries,” he says, “but if our plan runs smoothly, we’ll be able to care for 350 patients at our three campuses."

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