Ready or not …
Prep for storms and emergencies
If you’ve lived in Florida for a while, you’ve likely experienced tropical storms and hurricanes and the planning involved to protect your home or workplace. But did you know that UF Health Shands has safety and emergency planning experts who work year-round to prepare for many types of emergencies?
The team is tasked with creating a culture of emergency preparedness and response across the system. They develop and maintain an Emergency Preparedness Management Plan that outlines how we prepare for, respond to, recover from and maintain resiliency during crises.
Our emergency planning leaders and committee members continuously and actively assess emergency risks, and develop all-hazard strategies for prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.
“Preparedness helps us handle any emergency that comes our way,” said Ebbin Spellman, UF Health Shands Safety, Security and Transportation’s Emergency Preparedness manager. “A lot of times, people focus on just the response aspect of emergencies, but our team is constantly working on the four phases of emergency management.”
Those four phases include mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. All four help us build a strong foundation for keeping our system safe.
- Mitigation is a year-round process that helps prevent future emergencies or minimizes their effects.
- Preparedness helps us handle an emergency.
- Responding safely to an emergency is key and is usually happening ‘in the moment.’
- Recovery is taking action after an emergency situation occurs.
Spellman says it’s important to be vigilant.
“Pay close attention to what is going on, both internally and externally,” he said. “When it comes to hurricane season, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30, it is important to pay attention to all weather reports. Alternatively, in extreme cases like responding to an active shooter, always be conscious of your surroundings.”
It is also important to review the UF Health Shands system emergency preparedness guide and plans, which can be found in a red trifold binder that is wall-mounted in each patient care unit for easy access. Response plans can also be found on the Bridge by searching for a specific emergency response or “Emergency Operations” in the search function. Familiarizing yourself with the guide — as well as where it is — will play a big part in how you respond to future emergency situations.
It is critical to understand policies and procedures surrounding our emergency response guidelines and where those guidelines are located.
Also understand your department or unit’s emergency response role and plan. Talk with your leader if you are unsure what your team’s role and response would be in an emergency.
Spellman said if there’s one takeaway from emergency response, it can be boiled down to the phrase “Be prepared!”
Upcoming News+Notes, Shands News and other internal communications tools will provide more information about emergency preparedness, workplace safety and violence prevention. Stay tuned.
UF Health Shands has plans for the following emergency response scenarios:
Mass casualty — Circumstances that could occur inside or outside the hospital, resulting in the receipt of casualties through the E.R. and trauma center, that would significantly stress one or more departments within the hospital.
Hurricane/severe weather — Notification to the hospital concerning severe weather. May serve to forewarn the hospital of the potential receipt of casualties or the inability of staff to report to the hospital and would allow for the preparation of thehospital physical plant to withstand the consequences of severe weather.
Bomb threat — A threat to the hospital that an explosive device has been placed in the facility and is scheduled to detonate.
Active shooter — One or more individuals that are actively engaged in shooting/attacking people on site. May use weapons other than firearms.
Missing child/infant abduction — When an infant or child is missing or if an abduction is known and witnessed, staff work quickly to notify the Enterprise Building Operations Center to dispatch security officers and potentially activate a Code Pink.
Find the full list of plans and response guidelines on the Bridge. Search “Emergency Operations.”
