Wilson Memorial Hospital will stage a disaster drill in conjunction with Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) on Friday, November 9, from 8 a.m.to Noon.
Numerous hospitals throughout the West Central Ohio region are participating in the full-scale exercise. Wilson Memorial will serve as a “disaster drill triage site” and each will receive “victims” with various conditions simultaneously.
“Emergencies of large and small scales can occur anywhere, at anytime, so the importance of emergency planning cannot be underestimated,” said Tony Linkmeyer, safety officer at Wilson Memorial in charge of emergency preparedness efforts. “These exercises are designed to put emergency and medical providers to the test so that we can learn what we do right, what we can do better, and ultimately be better prepared in the case of a real emergency.”
This drill gives officials, observers, media personnel, and players from participating organizations information they need to observe or participate in a mass causality exercise that focuses on participants’ emergency response plans, policies, and procedures as they pertain to an mass causality incident in the West Central Ohio (WCO) region.
“The exercises will enable hospitals to evaluate their ability to mobilize staff to respond to potential incidents, and offer an opportunity for everyone to train on key elements from coordination to communication and the ability to respond,” said Linkmeyer.
Patients and visitors may notice an influx of “mock” patients for this exercise and should not be alarmed. This drill will not interfere with regularly scheduled appointments and/or patient care at the hospital.