Hospital Disaster Preparedness

Samples: Hospital Mutual Aid Memoranda of Understanding

The mutual aid support concept is well established and is considered “standard of care” in most emergency response disciplines. The purpose of this mutual aid support agreement is to aid hospitals in their emergency management by authorizing the Hospital Mutual Aid System (H-MAS). H-MAS addresses the loan of medical personnel, pharmaceuticals, supplies, and equipment, or assistance with emergent hospital evacuation, including accepting transferred patients.

What Are Memoranda of Understanding?

Hospitals should consider memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with organizations that can supplement their resources and services during emergencies and disasters. MOUs are established between hospitals, other health care providers, and/or emergency response agencies to collaborate, communicate, respond, and support one another during a disaster or other public health emergency. Understandings regarding the incident command structure, patient and resource management, processes and policies in place for requesting and sharing of staff, equipment and consumable resources, as well as payment, are generally addressed in a local mutual aid MOU.

Analysis Tool: Hazard Vulnerability

Kaiser Permanente has developed a Hazard Vulnerability Analysis tool and instruction sheet. This resource is available as a planning tool only; if sharing publicly, please credit Kaiser Permanente. This tool is not intended for commercial use.

Other Training Resources

The following resources are shared to support hospitals in enhancing their crisis preparedness and response capabilities. These tools focus on fostering effective collaboration between hospitals and emergency management agencies to support a coordinated responses during disasters. They also include training resources to help hospital staff gain specialized knowledge on protocols to ensure staff are equipped to handle various crisis scenarios.

FEMA Training

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides a range of training and preparedness resources that can significantly enhance hospitals’ emergency response capabilities. These include specialized courses for health care professionals to provide essential knowledge and skills for managing various emergency situations. Additionally, FEMA’s exercise and evaluation programs enable hospitals to develop and assess their emergency plans […]

Kaiser FEMA ICS 100, ICS 200 and ICS 700 Course

Mandated Training on the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System for Hospitals and Health Care Systems

ICS Web Training Course (ICS-100, ICS-200 & IS-700)

The Hospital Preparedness Program requires hospitals that receive grant funding to train their leadership in the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System. This training is required for hospital emergency program managers and for personnel who are likely to assume an incident command position as described in the hospital’s emergency management plan.

Active Shooter Event Response: Interactive Tabletop Exercise

Developed by UC San Diego Health System, this interactive tabletop exercise aims to enhance hospital preparedness for potential active shooter incidents. The exercise engages participants in a realistic scenario that promotes strategic discussions and decision-making regarding roles, communication strategies, and response protocols. Outcomes include building collaboration among various departments, highlighting the importance of coordinated responses […]