Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
8. Has the organization communicated its essen-
tial role in emergency response to the commu-
nity and its political representatives alike, so
that the survival of the facility will be a priority
consideration that the community and govern-
ment will take into account after the disaster?
9. Has the organization communicated to donors
and other supporters of the organization the
essential role that is played by the facility in
community emergency response?
5. How and to whom will any orders to evac-
uate any portion of the facility, or to terminate
services, be communicated?
6. Are all means of communication tested on
a periodic basis to ensure readiness for use
during an emergency event?
7. Has the organization established, and is
the Command Center capable of issuing,
multiple alternative means of communication,
including telephone calls, overhead announce-
ments, e-mail, intranet and Internet Web post-
ings, meetings, correspondence, handwritten
postings, and “runners” assigned to courier
handwritten messages?
8. Does the Command Center include contact
information for key internal personnel,
including individuals who may be away from
the facility when an emergency is declared?
F. Communications Officer
The Communications Officer ensures effective
communications between the Command Center
and the rest of the organization. Emergency events
require rapid and accurate communications. Many
audiences are involved in communication before,
during, and after an event, including: (i) the
Command Center and internal response personnel;
(ii) staff of the organization; (iii) patients and
their families; (iv) other agencies and organiza-
tions that are part of the event response; (v) police,
fire, military, and other governmental agencies;
(vi) the general public; and (vii) donors and other
supporters of the organization.
G. Safety/Security Officer
Safety and security are essential to incident-
response activities. Panic and “mob action” easily
can over-whelm an organization unless order is
maintained; further, unsafe conditions may put
additional lives in jeopardy.
1. Who is responsible for maintaining order
during an emergency?
2. What supplies or equipment are needed to
maintain order, and are they readily available?
3. Does the organization have the ability to obtain
additional security personnel on short notice in
the event of an emergency?
4. Is a designated safety officer on call at all
times?
5. How will the Incident Commander ensure the
safety of individuals participating in emer-
gency response activities (including, without
limitation, those engaged in decontamina-
tion, crowd control, search and rescue within
damaged buildings, or isolation and quaran-
tine)?
6. To ensure the safety of all personnel, does
the emergency-response plan call for regular
changes of shift (if personnel are available)
1. How will the organization determine what
information should be conveyed to others?
Will every-one receive the same information,
or will some receive less information than
others?
2. How will the organization accommodate
staff's desire and need to know about an emer-
gency event from the standpoint of the safety
of family members, while ensuring continued
staff availability for patients?
3. In the event that external authorities issue
orders or assume direction of the organiza-
tion's response, how will those developments
be communicated?
4. Has the organization prepared “template”
messages, and made them available in the
Command Center, for use in the event of
an emergency, to reduce the time needed to
distribute messages to staff?
