Emergency Preparedness

Appendix H.13 – RADIOACTIVE

Kern Medical Emergency Preparedness

external decontamination shower built next to the ED ambulance entrance and/or set up two decontamination areas if the incident warrants. The hospital’s designated decontamination room has a separate ventilation system and a contained water runoff collection system. KERN MEDICAL has personnel trained in the response to radiation or hazardous material contamination. These personnel include medical, nursing and ancillary staff. KERN MEDICAL currently has two designated decontamination areas. The first is external to the west side of the ED ambulance bay entrance and second is on the west side of the ED interior ambulance door entrance • Radiological emergencies are responded to in concert with the Radiation Safety Officer. Upon identification of a radiological hazmat events, Kern Medical will establish an external hazmat decon triage setting per the radiological plan. The Kern Medical Radiation Safety Officer will act with the Kern Medical Liaison Officer and coordinate activities with external hazmat/ NRC entities • Chemical decontamination situations are responded to in concert with the Safety Officer. Hazmat events including radioactive, chemical & biological events are handled based on Kern Medical’s Hazmat / Decontamination procedures for emergency departments and support departments. Pursuant to exposure conditions, KERN MEDICAL may establish a chemical hazmat decontamination triage setting external to Emergency department when appropriate and in unknown exposures may defer to the local fire departments Hazmat team. Bakersfield City and Kern County fire departments have mobile HAZMART response teams. Kern Medical has limited number of isolation rooms and is not equipped to deal with mass isolation, which may be required under emergency conditions. Once it is determined that isolation of an area is required, security personnel will be posted at all point of entry and exits from the area to ensure that the area remains confined as directed by the incident commander. The Engineering Department will respond to isolate recirculation of ventilation systems from the isolated area wherever possible or may initiate a fan shutdown in the area. Patients may need to be cohort in areas that will be determined by the IC.

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