Emergency Preparedness

Appendix H.10 –COMMUNICATION

Kern Medical Emergency Preparedness

COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE Kern Medical will maintain a current listing of backup communication systems or devices. The communication devices or systems should be tested on a regular basis and be included in exercises. These systems have been prepared for in advance to support communications during an emergency. When all normal communication channels (telephone, cell phones and emails) are operative, the normal means of voice / electronic communications is the first to be sought. When normal communication channels are not operative in isolated areas (due to internal or external infrastructure damage, loss of power or loss of communications links; wiring, satellite, microwave transmissions), the hospital will use all available means to communicate with external authorities including employment of UHF radios, ham radios, runners, satellite telephone, etc. Security Officers assigned in any capacity shall maintain contact with the Communication Center and assure that any security requirements are directed to the Incident Commander: PROCEDURE A listing of all communication of primary or secondary communication systems (Attachment I) or devices should be listed below: • Alpha-numeric or digital pagers may be considered as backup communications. • Email will only be as available as the infrastructure is working. • Ensure that the overhead address or paging system is not tied into the telephone or fire system only. These systems should work independently in case of infrastructure damage. • Inter-departmental radios or inter-hospital radio network may be used as backup communication. Ensure that training is achieved along with an instruction card attached for those that don’t use the equipment often. • Fax machines may be used as backup as long as some are on the emergency power. • Ham radio may be used either with operators from internal or external. Cellular telephones or Blackberries have proven to shut down quickly during a natural or large scale disaster. Ensure that the facility is under the G.E.T.S. program for their hospital issued cell phones or blackberries. This will give them priority of connection during a disaster. County OES will activate. • Runners will take some staffing requirements that may be otherwise short. This would be a last resort when all other communication fails. The runner(s) provide communications between hospital departments if there is a loss of internal telephone communications The HICS form, HICS 205 – INCIDENT COMMUNICATIONS LOG (INTERNAL AND

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