RMH and emergency services practise CBRNE readiness

On Wednesday, May 20th, the Ross Memorial Hospital will conduct a mock emergency to test its preparedness to respond to a Code Orange (external disaster).

This mock emergency will involve the participation of community partners including the CKL paramedics, police and fire departments, the OPP and the Lindsay airport.

The emergency being tested is a CBRNE scenario. CBRNE stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives. This type of mock emergency gives the hospital an opportunity to practice procedures involving a decontamination tent and special personal protective equipment (PPE) such as respirator masks.

In a Code Orange situation, an external disaster creates a sudden influx of patients to the hospital’s emergency department. The Code Orange policy details each department’s responsibilities to help handle the situation quickly and with minimal confusion.

Every department plays a role. The Code Orange plan outlines which employees begin calling in extra staff, where the disaster patients’ families will be brought upon arrival to the hospital, and how the nutrition services team will provide support with meals.

While the scenario being practiced involves “locking down” parts of the hospital, this will be a virtual lock down; patients and their visitors will still have access to the Emergency Department and to other areas of the hospital. However, the Dialysis Unit parking lot will be closed for most of the day to make room for the decontamination tent.

Hospitals are required to test their emergency code policies on a regular basis. This Code Orange practice is a requirement of the Ross Memorial’s accreditation process, which takes place in September. (Accreditation tests an organization’s compliance to industry standards of excellence.)

The Ross Memorial team is grateful for the support and participation of the local police, paramedics, fire department and airport staff to conduct this mock emergency. Ensuring all teams understand their roles in an emergency is key to a safe and successful response. 

RMH appreciates the cooperation of the local media, which also plays an important role in emergency preparedness. We’re especially grateful for the public’s patience.