South Region – Situation Manual
Affected Facilities – All Facilities – Support Facilities
Overall Allotted TimelinesScenario / Inject / Affected Facilities / All Facilities / Support Facilities
Exercise Start / 10
1 / 10
2 / 20
3 / 15
4 / 15
5 / 15
6 / 20 (Notification) / 20
7 / Stop Point
8 / 15 / 15
9 / 0 / 15
10 / 10 / 10
11 / 20 (Notification) / 0
12 / Stop Point
13 / 15 / 15
14 / 15 / 15
15 / 20
16 / 15
17 / 15 (Notification) / 0
18 / Stop Point
19 / 10 / 10
20 / 15 (Notification) / 15
21 / Stop Point
22 / 0 / 10
23 / 0 / 15
24 / 20 / 0
25 / 10
26 / 10 / 0
27 / 15
Inter-Hospital Communications Evaluation / 30
Totals
CHECS – ALL – Exercise Play / No Image
Important Exercise Information
Thoroughly Review
During the CHECS Functional Exercise it will be important to remember and comply with the following statements:
- This exercise is designed to assist hospitals in assessing their inter-hospital communications during an event affecting one or multiple hospitals and possibly requiring assistance from other hospitals within the region.
- Throughout the exercise participants will experience a number of Stop Points. Stop Points have been placed in this exercise to give hospitals the necessary time to contact one another. Once all contacts have been made participants will be released from the Stop Points and the exercise will continue.
- Do not jump ahead in the exercise scenario.
- Do not perform an action or communication until specifically told to do so. Some injects will require discussion and some will require action. The inject will direct actions when required.
- Thoroughly review all scenarios and injects as they are presented during the exercise.
- Identify one individual to be responsible for inputting responses to the exercise injects.
- After 5:00PM MST today each team member will need to log into the ONX System with their User Name and Password to complete their individual Hotwash to receive their Certificate of Participation.
- Remember if you need assistance please call the Help Desk at:
Access Number – 269-942-170
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Scenario – # 001 / Image of Tornado Watch
It is late April and severe weather associated with a line of thunderstorms moving through the area prompts the local forecast office of the National Weather Service to issue a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the counties of the South All-Hazard Region at 1:10PM MST.
The Pueblo area is expected to experience the first of the thunderstorms.
The National Weather Service has predicted that the thunderstorms will remain strong as they move southward across the region.
The region is under a Tornado Watch that will remain in effect until 6:00PM MST.
Do not send any messages unless specifically told to do so as an action step in the exercise.
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Inject – # 002 / Image of Severe Weather
Identify and describe the hospital’s initial concerns and actions if severe weather is forecast for your area.
Concern / Action # 1:
Concern / Action # 2:
Concern / Action # 3:
Time Allotted / 20 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Inject – # 003 / Image of EOP
According to the hospital’s Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) would internal notification be made to hospital administration and / or staff for a severe weather event? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – Explain how internal hospital notification would be accomplished.
Identify, by titles, the administrators and department heads that would be included in the hospital’s internal notification.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Inject – # 004 / Image of HICS
Would the hospital’s Hospital Command Center (HCC) be activated for severe weather in the area? / Yes / No
Explain the decision making process for activating the HCC.
Identify the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) positions that would be staffed.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Inject – # 005 / Image of External Partner
If your hospital sustained minor damage, such as a few broken windows or downed tree branches, due to a severe weather event.
Briefly describe the various notifications that would be made to external partners.
List the point of contact and their phone numbers for three external partners that would be notified based on the hospital’s EOP.
External Partner – Point of Contact / Phone Numbers # 1:
External Partner – Point of Contact / Phone Numbers # 2:
External Partner – Point of Contact / Phone Numbers # 3:
Identify any additional external partners that are not currently identified in the hospital’s EOP that should be contacted.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – AF –Inject – # 006
(St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image of Computer
The hospital is experiencing the full force of the storm.
Strong winds up to 50 MPH, quarter-size hail and heavy rain pound the hospital.
As a precaution patients are moved to interior hallways.
The facility sustains a few broken windows, some downed tree branches along with damage to several cars in the parking lot.
The storm is expected to maintain its strength as it moves southward.
According to the CHECS plan would the hospital be responsible for notifying other hospitals within the region? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – Describe how this will be accomplished.
Prepare text for the message that will be communicated via EMResource and phone to hospitals within the region.
Be sure to include that MAC 9 will be used for additional updates.
When ready to launch the EMResource event call Natalie Riggins at 303-917-7794.
DO NOT PROCEED UNTIL NATALIE IS CONTACTED.
Create an event in EMResource to notify the region’s other hospitals of the current situation.
For hospitals not found in the EMResource listing follow-up the EMResoure notification with a phone call.
Once the EMResource notifications have been made continue to move forward in the exercise.
Time Allotted / 20 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 006
(Include Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Computer
If your hospital sustained minor damage, such as a few broken windows or downed tree branches, due to a severe weather event.
According to the CHECS plan would the hospital be responsible for notifying other hospitals within the region? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – Describe how this will be accomplished.
If the above answer is no. – Explain why.
Time Allotted / 20 Minutes
CHECS – # 007 – Stop Point / No Image
CHECS – AF – Inject – # 008
(St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image of Roll Call
Conduct a radio roll call on MAC 9.
Was the hospital able to establish communications with all hospitals in the region? / Yes / No
If the above answer is no. – Provide a list of the hospitals that did not respond during the radio roll call.
Was the hospital able to launch the event in EMResource? / Yes / No
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 008
(Include Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Roll Call
Did the hospital participate in the radio roll call on MAC 9? / Yes / No
Did the hospital receive a phone call for the affected hospital? / Yes / No
Did the hospital receive an event notification via EMResource? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – Briefly describe how the EMResource event notice was received.
Are appropriate staff members receiving EMResource notifications? / Yes / No
If the above answer is no. – List the changes / additions to the list that need to be made.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – AF – SM – Inject – # 009
(St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / No Image
NONE
Time Allotted / 0 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 009
(Include Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Information
When notified by the affected hospital via EMResource or phone call, did the message contain an appropriate amount of information? / Yes / No
If the above answer is no. – Identify any additional details regarding the event that would have been useful.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – AF – Scenario – # 010
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Ambulance
As the line of thunderstorms moves south, the local forecast office of the National Weather Service identifies what could be a tornado on its Doppler radar and immediately issues a Tornado Warning for Huerfano County for the next 30 minutes. Walsenburg is directly in the path of the tornado.
Weather spotters have confirmed a tornado has touched down on the western side of Walsenburg causing major damage to homes and businesses. The hospital has not sustained any damage, however electrical service has been interrupted and the hospital is now functioning on generator power.
EMS has begun to transport tornado victims with injuries to the hospital.
Patients received at the hospital so far:
- 5 critical patients.
- 12 patients with serious but not life threatening injuries.
- 20 walking wounded with minor injuries.
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 010
(Include St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image Thunderstorms
As the line of thunderstorms moves south, the local forecast office of the National Weather Service identifies what could be a tornado on its Doppler radar and immediately issues a Tornado Warning for Huerfano County.
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – AF – Inject – # 011
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Computer
Prepare text for the message that will be communicated via EMResource and phone to hospitals within the region.
Be sure to include that MAC 9 will be used for additional updates.
When ready to launch the EMResource event call Natalie Riggins at 303-917-7794.
DO NOT PROCEED UNTIL NATALIE IS CONTACTED.
Create an event in EMResource to notify the region’s other hospitals of the current situation.
For hospitals not found in the EMResource listing follow-up the EMResoure notification with a phone call.
Once the EMResource notifications have been made continue to move forward in the exercise.
Time Allotted / 20 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 012
(Include St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / No Image
NONE
Time Allotted / 0 Minutes
CHECS – # 012 – Stop Point / No Image
CHECS – AF – Inject – # 013
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Radio
Conduct a radio roll call on the established radio channel.
Was the hospital able to establish communications will all the region’s hospitals? / Yes / No
If the above answer is no. – Provide a list of the hospitals that did not respond during the radio roll call.
Was the hospital able to launch the event in EMResource? / Yes / No
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 013
(St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image of Radio
Wait until the radio roll call has been completed before moving forward in the exercise.
Did the hospital participate in the radio roll call on the radio channel listed on EMResource? / Yes / No
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – AF – Inject – # 014
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Hospital Command Center
The hospital has activated its Hospital Command Center (HCC) due to the patient surge.
List the positions that would be activated in this event.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 014
(St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image of Notification
Did the hospital receive an event notification via EMResource? / Yes / No
Did the message contain enough useful information? / Yes / No
Were there additional details that should have been included in the event notification? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – List and briefly describe the additional details that could have been included in the event notification.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Inject – # 015 / Image of Decision Making
Describe the hospital’s decision making and assessment process for requesting resources in an emergency situation.
Identify the various approvals that are required internally before requesting resources.
Does the hospital’s EOP outline financial or other criteria thresholds for approvals? / Yes / No
Time Allotted / 20 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Inject – # 016 / Image of Requesting Supplies
Based on the CHECS plan, briefly describe how the hospital would request supplies from other hospitals within the region.
Does this process make sense for the region? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes or no. – Briefly explain the reasoning.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – AF – Inject – # 017
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Blood
The hospital is in need of 25 units of O negative blood.
According to the CHECS plan, a hospital requesting resources will communicate the request via the phone calls to the region’s hospitals followed by an up-date posted to EMResource.
Prepare text for the message that will be communicated via phone and posted to EMResource.
Be sure to include “This is an exercise message” when calling the region’s other hospitals.
Call each of the region’s hospitals and post and up-date to EMResource.
Once the phone calls have been made continue to move forward in the exercise.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 017
(Include St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / No Image
NONE
Time Allotted / 0 Minutes
CHECS – # 018 – Stop Point / No Image
CHECS – AF– Inject – # 019
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Phone
Was the hospital able to make phone contact with all hospitals in the region? / Yes / No
If the above answer is no. – Briefly explain why.
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 019
(Include St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image of Phone
Did the hospital receive a phone call from the affected hospital? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – Briefly describe what was discussed during the phone call.
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – AF– Inject – # 020
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of Paperwork
The Resource Request form should be used as the written request to follow-up a verbal request for supplies according to Colorado’s hospital Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The hospital is in need of 25 units of O negative blood.
Utilizing the Excel version of this form complete Section 1 then e-mail it to all hospitals within the region.
Did the e-mail addresses found in the CHECS plan for the region’s hospitals work? / Yes / No
Does e-mailing this form during an emergency make sense? / Yes / No
Would faxing the form during an emergency be a better option than e-mailing the form? / Yes / No
Once the e-mail has been sent continue to move forward in the exercise.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 020
(Include St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image of Tracking
Summarize the process of lending resources according to the hospital’s EOP. Topics to be reviewed should include: approvals, forms, equipment tracking, communication, etc.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – # 021 – Stop Point / No Image
CHECS – AF – Inject – # 022
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / No Image
NONE
Time Allotted / 0 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 022
(Include St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image of Paperwork
Was a written Resource Request form received from the affected hospital via e-mail? / Yes / No
If a Resource Request form was not received via e-mail, check the point of contact e-mail listed in the CHECS Plan and make a note of the gap.
If no e-mail was received, continue to move forward in the exercise at this time.
If the above answer is yes. – Did the form provide all of the information that was needed? / Yes / No
If the above answer is no. – Briefly describe what additional information was needed.
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – AF – Inject – # 023
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / No Image
NONE
Time Allotted / 0 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 023
(Include St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / Image of Equipment / Supplies
Once the Resource Request form has been received via e-mail obtain all approvals that would be required by the hospital prior to lending supplies and / or equipment then complete Section 2 of the form.
If no e-mail Resource Request form was received, continue to move forward in the exercise.
Use real data if possible, meaning if asked right now would the supplies / equipment be available.
Please note, for this exercise, if you are unable to get signature of approval from the necessary party on the form, you may return the form without the signature.
Return the completed Resource Request form via e-mail to the hospital making the resource request.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – AF– Inject – # 024
(Spanish Peaks Regional Medical Center) / Image of E-Mail Window
Allow 15 minutes for the region’s hospitals to receive and respond to your e-mail request.
Were the other hospitals in the region able to respond back via e-mail with a completed Resource Request form? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – Were the forms completed with the appropriate information? / Yes / No
List the hospitals that did not return a Resource Request form.
Time Allotted / 20 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 024
(Include St Mary Corwin Medical Center) / No Image
NONE
Time Allotted / 0 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Inject – # 025 / Image of Last Step
The final step to completing the Resource Request form is for the requesting facility to complete Section 3 and send back to the selected assisting facility.
For time purposes, this step has been skipped during today’s exercise.
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – AF– Scenario – # 026
(Both) / Image of Computer
To end the exercise post an end to the event created on EMResource and communicate End of Exercise via the 800 MHz radio.
Time Allotted / 10 Minutes
CHECS – SF – Inject – # 026 / No Image
NONE
Time Allotted / 0 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Inject – # 027 / Image of Staff
List by name and position title all of the individuals that participated in the exercise, whether they played through the entire exercise or were just involved in one piece of the discussion.
Time Allotted / 15 Minutes
CHECS – ALL – Exercise Evaluation / Image of Measurement
Summary of Learning Opportunities
During the exercise there were a number of valuable learning opportunities. Please thoroughly review the following questions within and respond appropriately.
The process of requesting assets worked well.
Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neither Agree Nor Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
Identify and describe any improvements / enhancements that can be made to the resource request processes and / or systems.
Identify and describe any gaps that were discovered in the hospital’s EOP regarding equipment / asset lending and receiving processes.
Describe how the hospital can overcome these gaps.
Overall the CHECS plan as written worked well.
Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neither Agree Nor Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
Does it meet the needs of the region? / Yes / No
Are there improvements that can be made to enhance or streamline information flow? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – Identify and describe improvements that can be made.
Did the communication methods (EMResource, phone, 800 MHz and e-mail) work? / Yes / No
If the above answer is no. – Identify and describe improvements that can be made.
The Resource Request form was easy to utilize.
Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neither Agree Nor Disagree / Agree / Strongly Agree
Do changes need to be made to the Resource Request form to make it more user friendly for your region? / Yes / No
If the above answer is yes. – Identify and describe and changes, additions or deletions that need to be made to the form.
Did e-mailing the Resource Request form work as a communication method? / Yes / No
If an electronic version of the Resource Request form could be easily created in EMResource with just a phone call to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE), would that be a better method for requesting supplies availability? / Yes / No
Identify and describe recommendations for future development / enhancement of the CHECS and / or other inter-hospital communications systems.
Time Allotted / 30 Minutes
Situation Manual – Functional Exercise 1 Disaster Resistant Communities Group –