California Department of Public Health – FAQ Documents
The following two FAQ documents are provided from California Department of Public Health
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What are the six critical areas of emergency response according to The Joint Commission (TJC)?
Communication (EM.02.02.01) Resources and assets (EM.02.02.03) Safety and security (EM.02.02.05) Staff responsibilities (EM.02.02.07) Utilities management (EM.02.02.09) Patient clinical and support activities (EM.02.02.11)
What activities are required to evaluate a facility’s response to an event e.g., debriefings, evaluation and improvement plans?
The Joint Commission in EM.03.01.03 requires the deficiencies and opportunities for improvement, identified in the evaluation of all emergency response exercises be communicated to the improvement team responsible for monitoring environment of care issues. NFPA 1600 requires that procedures shall be established to take corrective action on any deficiency identified.
How should a hospital’s Emergency Management Program (EMP) relate to plans made by other entities in their community?
Effective emergency management requires planning, cooperation, training and exercising with the entire community. Collaboration should start at the planning phase and continue throughout the entire Emergency Management Program development and implementation.
What is all-hazard planning?
Many hospitals used to develop specific plans for a variety of disaster and emergency situations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now requires that hospitals use an emergency management system that is comprehensive, risk based, and all-hazard in nature.
What is “Redundant Communication”?
Redundant communication refers to having multiple back-up communication modalities and is imperative in emergency preparedness planning. Past experience demonstrates that hospitals cannot depend on just one or two means for communication.
What is the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), Wireless Priority Service (WPS) and Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) and why should hospitals be enrolled?
Hospitals may benefit substantially in achieving landline and cell communications and restoring communications after a disruption in service with and without a declared disaster.
What is the difference between a tabletop exercise, a drill, a functional exercise, and a full-scale exercise?
According to the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) there are seven types of exercises, each of which is either discussion-based or operations-based.
What are the steps in planning a drill or exercise?
The initial steps to planning an exercise include identifying:
How should hospitals decide what to include in their drills and exercises?
The hospital’s Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) assists exercise planners in identifying threats facing the facility. The facility’s HVA provides a list of top scenarios to base future drills and exercises on. Additionally, past after action reports and improvement plans provide previously identified areas for improvement that can be tested.