Emergency Preparedness

Kern Medical Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and adjust staffing patterns so as not to exceed the individual capability of the staff utilized during an emergency event. 3.9.4 Ongoing communication and dissemination of information to staff is of vital importance during an emergency; it enables better utilization of assets and resources. During an emergency all information and communications will be funneled through the section leaders to the incident commander then disseminated back to the section leaders for communicating to the individual Branch Directors and Unit Leaders. 3.9.5 When all normal communication channels (telephone, cell phones and emails) are operative, the normal means of voice / electronic communications is the first to be sought. When normal communication channels are not operative (due to internal or external infrastructure damage, loss of power or loss of communications links; wiring, satellite, microwave transmissions), the hospital will use all available means to communicate with external authorities including employment of UHF radios, ham radios, runners, satellite telephone, etc. Several local agencies may play a role in managing an emergency, which will be coordinated by Kern County EMS. Some of the key contacts include police, fire, EMS, local emergency management offices, department of Health, CDC and the Red Cross. Agencies are notified by the incident Commander or a designee as soon as possible after an emergency response is initiated. 3.9.6 Kern Medical’s alternative communication systems include runners, hand-held disaster radios, satellite phone, “walkie talkies”, cellular phones, amateur radios, email, etc. It is the responsibility of the EOC to ensure as many means of communication are utilized appropriately and when needed. During an incident response, all public information activities must be coordinated with the County PIO. Kern Medical may perform the following public information / crisis communications tasks coordinated by the organizations Public Information Officer ( PIO ). See Appendix F.6 – F.29 EOC Job Action Sheets: • Conducting interviews with print and broadcast news media. • Coordinating the dissemination of information to hospital staff, community members, patients and other stakeholders. • Managing visits by VIPs. • Providing information to the Hospital Coordination System (HCS) and, where appropriate, coordinating media relations with the HCS. In an emergency, the Public Information Officer is designated as the media contact and will receive approval from the Incident Commander or Chief Executive Officer prior to any interviews or media releases. Most media inquiries regarding a County-wide incident will be managed by the County. Media requests and responses regarding the incident should be coordinated through the County Public Information Officer in the Joint Information Center JIC . It is critical that information disseminated by a hospital/healthcare facility be consistent with information disseminated through the County PIO . See Appendix P.6 – Public Information for 3.9.4 PIO/Communication Tasks 3.9.5 Media Relations

3.9 Public Information / Crisis Communications 3.9.3 Coordination

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