By Ken Bukowski/ Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

The damage caused by severe weather, combined with warnings about disease outbreaks and the continued heightened awareness of potential terrorist attacks creates continual concern for hospitals. Healthcare leaders need to evaluate their ability to effectively respond to a surge of patients when an emergency occurs.

During any emergency situation, hospital staff and security must act quickly, and as a team, to meet increased demands for care. According to The Joint Commission Standard 02.02.05, as part of its emergency operations plan, a hospital must prepare for how it will manage security and safety during an emergency.

According to TJC, hospitals should determine the type of access and movement to be allowed by staff, patients, visitors, emergency volunteers, vendors, and other individuals when emergency measures are initiated. It is also important to tie security’s role into the emergency operations plan. Having security involved in all emergency planning can help increase the chances of a better overall response by the hospital.

Security can be involved in many ways. For example, security can handle vehicle and pedestrian movements during an emergency. Vehicles can include those of patients, visitors and staff as well as emergency responders. Security can also help with guiding individuals to the proper places within the facility. Element of Performance 7 of TJC standard 02.02.05 describes how the hospital will control entrance into and out of the healthcare facility during an emergency. EP 8 continues with asking how the hospital will control the movement of individuals within the healthcare facility. Lastly, EP 9 describes the hospital's arrangements for controlling vehicles that access the facility. It is important to review these EPs with your security and safety team.

Your facility can address the TJC’s EPs by discussing the four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Remember to make sure you can implement what you put in your plan, including the proper resources, communications and equipment.  

Bukowski is the vice president of healthcare, AlliedBarton Security Services