Hospital Disaster Preparedness

Health Care System Emergency Response and Recovery Competencies

Developed by the Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management at George Washington University, these comprehensive guidelines are specific to health care emergency management and detail the roles and responsibilities of all personnel — including health care leaders, emergency management program managers, and patient care providers — during emergency response and recovery.

This resource can help hospitals prepare their staff to effectively respond to emergencies by outlining role-specific competencies, standardized procedures such as the Incident Command System, and transition protocols from daily operations to emergency mode. The tool ensures hospitals can manage increased demand during crises, maintain critical services, and smoothly recover to normal operations, thereby enhancing overall resilience and preparedness.