NFPA Journal - January/February 2013 - (Page 54)

PREPPING FOR THE WORST tors. The patients were then transported to 14 facilities in the Greater New York area. (Langone supplied these figures, but declined an interview with NFPA Journal for this story.) According to the Greater New York Hospital Association, which helped coordinate the evacuations, about 6,000 people were evacuated from various health care facilities in New York City—nursing homes and adult day facilities among them—including five city hospitals. general counsel. “Communication, cooperation, and collaboration are critical elements to the success of any emergency preparedness plan.” Since evacuation is considered a worst-case scenario in health care settings, Superstorm Sandy has initiated discussions on shortfalls in emergency planning procedures at these facilities, similar to what occurred after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005. (See “Lessons Following Hurricane Katrina, the NFPA 99 committee mAde A PoiNt to exteNsively uPdAte the code’s ProvisioNs oN emergeNcy mANAgemeNt. “The fact that not one patient died or was seriously injured as a result is a testament to the incredible work done by teams of dedicated people who communicate regularly throughout the year on how to prepare for a host of potential emergency situations,” says Susan C. Waltman, the association’s executive vice president and From Katrina,” facing page.) Emergency management officials in cities impacted by Sandy and elsewhere are currently investigating the emergency power failures that occurred during the storm and how to avoid repeat occurrences. Health care experts interviewed by NFPA Journal note the importance of this issue, but also highlight an effective push for operational preparedness following Katrina that could explain why the New York evacuations went so smoothly. For instance, the 2012 edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities, has reinforced provisions that help identify hazard vulnerabilities and organize an emergency operations plan. The Joint Commission, which certifies and accredits more than 19,000 health care organizations in the U.S., has also bolstered similar provisions mirroring elements of NFPA 99. Long-term care facilities have developed more stringent mutual aid plans that include mandatory, emergency evacuation exercises. “Some of the encouraging things I’ve seen [in hospitals affected by Sandy] is that in some situations where a facility lost power, they didn’t have to evacuate because they had plans in place for that event,” says Chad Beebe, director of codes and standards for the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) and a member of the NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Committee. “I think that’s a testament to their planning and the care for their patients. For those facilities that had to evacuate, that’s also a huge success story.” Setting the standard Medical workers assist a patient during the evacuation of NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City during Superstorm Sandy. Following Hurricane Katrina, the NFPA 99 committee made a point to extensively update the code’s provisions on emergency management. Dedicating Chapter 12 to this subject, the 2012 edition of NFPA 99 includes a section on developing a hazard vulnerability analysis (HVA), which identifies threats—natural, manmade, or technological—to a facility and the impacts on patients and staff. The code also includes a list of mitigation strategies to eliminate the identified hazards. Once an HVA is established, NFPA 99 recommends that health care facilities develop an emergency operations plan (EOP) to address critical functions within a facility during an emergency. 54 NFPA JOURNAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 Photograph: Corbis

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - January/February 2013

NFPA Journal - January/february 2013
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Rebuilding a Hospital
Prepping for the Worst
Chicago View: A Preview of the 2013 NFPA Conference & Expo
Long Time Coming
Section Spotlight
What’s Hot
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - January/February 2013

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