Emergency Preparedness

Kern Medical Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)

radioactive, chemical & biological events are handled based on Kern Medical’s Hazmat / Decontamination procedures for emergency departments and support departments. Pursuant to exposure conditions, Kern Medical may establish a chemical hazmat decontamination triage setting external to Emergency department when appropriate and in unknown exposures may defer to the local fire departments Hazmat team. Bakersfield City and Kern County fire departments have mobile HAZMART response teams. Upon identification of a radiological hazmat events, Kern Medical will establish an external hazmat decontamination triage setting per the radiological plan. The Kern Medical Radiation Safety Officer will act with the Kern Medical Liaison Officer and coordinate activities with external hazmat/ NRC entities. Upon identification of a biological event as confirmed by the Kern Medical Infectious Disease Physician/epidemiologist & Public health, Kern Medical will follow of the Biological Response Plan as warranted. Kern Medical has limited number of isolation rooms and is not equipped to deal with mass isolation, which may be required under emergency conditions. Once it is determined that isolation of an area is required, security personnel will be posted at all point of entry and exits from the area to ensure that the area remains confined as directed by the incident commander. The Engineering Department will respond to isolate recirculation of ventilation systems from the isolated area wherever possible or may initiate a fan shutdown in the area. Patients may need to be cohort in areas that will be determined by the IC. The hospital may be evacuated due to a fire or other occurrence, threat, or order of the hospital Executive Director or designee. Refer to Kern Medical Facility Evacuation Plan for complete information. See Appendix H.24 – Hospital Evacuation Plan Template. 3.14.4.1 Kern Medical will ensure the following instructions are communicated to staff: a. All available staff members and other able-bodied persons should do everything possible to assist personnel at the location of the fire or emergency in the removal of patients. b. Close all doors and windows. c. Turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment, but leave the lights on. d. Evacuate the area/building and congregate at the predetermined site. Evacuation routes are posted throughout the hospital. e. Patients, staff, and visitors should not be readmitted to the hospital until cleared to do so by fire, police, other emergency responders, or upon permission of the Incident Commander. f. The initial preferred evacuation method will be horizontal evacuation to an area of safe refuge (an adjoining smoke compartment). 3.14.4.2 Procedures for evacuation of patients a. Patients will be evacuated according to the following priority order: • Persons in imminent danger. • Wheelchair patients. • Walking patients. b. Staff should escort ambulatory patients to the nearest exit and direct them to the congregation point. Wheelchairs will be utilized to relocate wheelchair- bound patients to a safe place. c. During an evacuation, a responsible person will be placed with evacuees for reassurance and to prevent patients from re-entering the dangerous area.

3.14.6 Evacuation Procedures

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