March 16, 2007

RSERT to the rescue

Consider this scenario: In the single-digit temperatures of a January morning, a call comes into the MGH Emergency Department (ED). An industrial accident in South Boston involving radioactive materials has overwhelmed local emergency rooms, and victims are en route to the MGH for decontamination and treatment. Can MGH responders handle it?

Thankfully, this scene was only a drill, and the MGH Radiation Safety Emergency Response Team (RSERT) was up to the challenge. The excruciatingly cold temperatures meant that extra effort was required to accommodate the first responders working outdoors and their "patients" inside
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Suzanne Hickman, the drill's team leader, encountered several challenges during the drill. "We make sure that responders working outside in extreme weather are rotated in and out of their positions, but the weather really took us by surprise," she says. "We also had to deal with traffic issues, which meant there were only a handful of experienced team members ready to go when the first 'patient' arrived."

The drill served as the first hands-on experience for several new RSERT members, such as Rachel Klein, for whom the drill comprised the final part of her RSERT training. Says Klein, "It was impressive to see the different departments working so well together. Everyone was under pressure, but we were able to make rational and informed decisions."

Other factors contributed to making the Jan. 27 RSERT drill one of the most challenging drills executed at the MGH. Mock disaster victims waiting in the Vincent Burnham corridor for decontamination were plagued by frigid winds creeping in through the double doors, which had to be kept open for long periods to accommodate the heavy influx of "patients." To solve this problem, RSERT collaborated with MGH Police and Security, the Environmental Services Department and ED staff to set up an alternate waiting area for the "victims" in a warmer area of the Clinics Building.

Ultimately, out of concern for the wellbeing of the drill volunteers and responders, the exercise ended early. Despite this, RSERT co-founders Tara Meditch and Rex Woodleigh were satisfied. "This is what we train and plan for," says Woodleigh. "Conditions will never be ideal during a real disaster. Thinking on our feet and dealing with the situation at hand is the best preparation there is. RSERT was designed to bend but not break, and the tremendous effort put forth from all the team members proves that point."

At no point were regular MGH operations interrupted, and all cooperating departments were notified of the drill ahead of time.