July 9, 2004

MGH ready for emergencies related to the DNC

As the largest hospital in the Boston area and a level 1 trauma center, the MGH is always prepared to respond to any type of local, regional or national emergency or disaster. With the Democratic National Convention (DNC) approaching – July 26 to 29 – the MGH and other Boston-area hospitals have been stepping up their emergency response plans in case an incident happens during the DNC that would cause an influx of patients.

In the event of an emergency, the MGH would implement its emergency management plan, mobilizing staff from the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System (HEICS) to ensure an effective response.

According to Julia Gabaldon, emergency management coordinator for the MGH, the emergency management plan designates an on-site incident commander to direct disaster operations, assign responsibilities to departments and staff, and coordinate activities with community public health agencies, emergency management agencies and other hospitals.

During the last few months, employees and staff also have been participating in training sessions, table-top exercises, citywide drills and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) training drills to help evaluate the effectiveness of the emergency plan and assess the MGH's level of preparedness both departmentally and hospitalwide.

The next HAZMAT response drill is planned for July 15, from 7 to 9:30 pm, to test the hospital's overall response to a HAZMAT emergency. Complete with mock victims, the drill will include participation from the Boston Fire Department, the hospital's HAZMAT Decontamination Team, departments that normally respond to disasters as well as some departments that have not been tested recently.

"The priorities for MGH emergency response are to ensure our capability to support an immediate influx of patients during a community disaster and, above all, to assure the safety of patients, visitors, staff and the hospital facilities," says Gabaldon. "We truly hope that we won't ever need to implement this plan, particularly during such a high-profile event as the DNC, but we are confident that the MGH is well prepared if an emergency were to take place."

During the DNC, all MGH employees must wear their ID badge at all times while on campus and must take them home so they can gain access to the MGH in the event that an emergency takes place during off-hours. Managers and supervisors are encouraged to review their departmental emergency response plans with their staff before the convention takes place. If a "code disaster" is declared, employees should report to their supervisors for instructions and remain on-site until otherwise notified.

For more information about the hospital's emergency response plans, call Gabaldon at (617) 726-0312.