Hamilton County Disaster Radio Net

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DISASTER RADIO NETWORK
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INTRODUCTION

• The Disaster Radio Network
• A system of radios with a dedicated frequency
  issued to Greater Cincinnati area hospitals,
  emergency management organizations, and field
  providers
• Primarily designed to facilitate the distribution
  and flow of patients of mass-casualty incidents
  across area hospitals without overwhelming any of
  them
• Centralized dispatch alerts hospitals that
  incident has occurred, provides hospitals
  receiving capability to scene personnel, and
  provides incoming patient information to
  hospitals
• May also be activated for other types of
  emergencies, e.g., Haz-Mat, NDMS, etc.

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SIGNIFICANT LOCAL EVENTS IN WHICH DISASTER NET
WAS NEEDED
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DISASTER NET ACTIVATION

• Command Personnel At Scene Request Hamilton
  County Communication Center To Activate The
  Disaster Net
• Non-Hamilton County Departments Contact
  Hamilton County Comm. Center Via Local Comm.
  Center, Cell Phone, Etc.
• Command Personnel At Scene Can Request All Area
  Hospitals Be Activated Or Only Hospitals in
  Certain Geographic Sectors of the Region

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DISASTER NET ACTIVATION
Hamilton Co. Communication Center activates the
Net and conducts a roll call of the hospitals
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DISASTER NET ACTIVATION
Following initial activation and roll call, Net
Control is transferred to dispatchers at either
University or St. Luke Hospital East.
Net Control dispatchers collect receiving
capability by field triage level from each
activated hospital.
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Hamilton County Communications Center
Hospitals
Scene-to-Hospital Coordinator
Hospitals
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Bethesda North Beth. Warren Co. Childrens Christ
Deaconess Dearborn County Ft. Hamilton
Hughes Good Samaritan Jewish McCullough-Hyde Mercy
Anderson Mercy Clermont Mercy Fairfield Mercy F.
Harrison Mercy F. Mt. Airy Mercy F. West. Hills
Middletown St. E.s N. S. St. Luke E.
W. University VA
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Geographic Sectors

• CENTRAL
• Christ
• Deaconess
• Good Samaritan
• St. Elizabeth North
• VA
• Childrens
• University

• SOUTH
• Mercy Anderson
• St. Elizabeth North
• St. Elizabeth South
• St. Luke East
• St. Luke West
• Childrens
• University

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Geographic Sectors

• NORTHWEST
• Mercy Fairfield
• Ft. Hamilton
• McCullough-Hyde
• Middletown Regional
• Childrens
• University

• WEST
• Dearborn
• Mercy Franciscan Harrison MediCenter
• Mercy Franciscan Mt. Airy
• Mercy Franciscan Western Hills
• St. Luke West
• Childrens
• University

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Geographic Sectors

• NORTHEAST
• Bethesda North
• Bethesda Warren County
• Jewish
• Mercy Fairfield
• Middletown Regional
• Childrens
• University

• EAST
• Bethesda North
• Clinton Memorial
• Jewish
• Mercy Anderson
• Mercy Clermont
• St. Luke East
• Childrens
• University

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DISASTER NET POSITIONS
In-Hospital Disaster Radio Operators
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• Notification by scene officer to Hamilton Co.
  requesting activation of the Net.
• Hospital Net radios activated roll call
  conducted.
• Transfer of Net Control to University/St. Luke.
• Initial and ongoing receiving capability reported
  by hospitals
• Relay of hospital capability and ongoing updates
  to the scene.
• Scene-to-Hospital Coordinator determines squad
  destination and reports number and triage level
  of outgoing patients.
• Relay of incoming squad and patient information
  to receiving facilities.

Hamilton Co. Comm. Center
1
2
3
Scene
Hospitals
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4
University or St. Luke
Hospital Operator
Scene-to-Hospital Coordinator
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7
Net Control
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DISASTER NET POSITIONS
In-Hospital Disaster Radio Operators
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SCENE-TO-HOSPITAL COORDINATORJob Action Sheet
Review

• Works within Transportation Group
• Communicates with NET CONTROL
• Identifies information that should be shared with
  the hospitals (e.g., HazMat, decon, number of
  victims triage level, etc.)
• Selects exit checkpoint where transport units
  will report patient information and receive
  hospital destination (may be in loading zone or
  at separate location)

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SCENE-TO-HOSPITAL COORDINATORJob Action Sheet
Review (cont.)

• Record pertinent transport information including
• Transport unit name
• Number of victims on board
• Triage tag color and special patient needs
• Triage tag number

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SCENE-TO-HOSPITAL COORDINATORJob Action Sheet
Review (cont.)

• Determine hospital destination and notify Net
  Control
• Net Control will concur or recommend alternate
  destination
• Keep appropriate sections of triage tag
• Periodically obtain estimated number of victims
  still needing transport and notify Net Control

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ASST. SCENE-TO-HOSPITAL COORDINATORJob Action
Sheet Review

• Primarily assists by performing record keeping
  and communications functions

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DISASTER NET POSITIONS
In-Hospital Disaster Radio Operators
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NET CONTROL MISSION

• Facilitate communications
• From hospitals to scene about their capacity to
  receive victims
• From scene to hospitals about incoming transport
  units and victims

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NET CONTROL LOCATION

• University Hospital (primary)
• Level One Trauma Center
• Level One Burn Center
• St. Luke Hospital East ( 1st back-up)
• Northern Kentucky
• Hamilton Co. Comm. Center (2nd back-up)
• Special remote/mobile unit (3rd back-up)

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NET CONTROLJob Action Sheet Review

• Obtain information about the scene and notify all
  hospitals of the disaster
• Estimate number of victims
• Any Haz Mat issues
• Victim signs and symptoms, if unusual
• Collect receiving capability by field triage
  level from hospitals in those geographic sectors
  activated and relay to scene

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NET CONTROLJob Action Sheet Review (cont.)

• Receive notification from the scene on each
  transport unit leaving the scene (ambulance, bus,
  etc.)
• Transport unit name
• Hospital destination
• Number of victims
• Triage status of each victim (R, Y, G)
• Concur with scene on hospital destination or, if
  designated hospitals receiving capability has
  changed, suggest alternate hospital destination

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NET CONTROLJob Action Sheet Review (cont.)

• Notify/verify the destination hospital of the
  incoming transport unit and patient(s)
• Log the transport and number of patients
• Periodically get an update on scene status and
  communicate that to the hospitals
• Number of victims remaining
• Estimated duration of event

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NET CONTROLJob Action Sheet Review (cont.)

• Remind hospitals to notify Net Control whenever
  they have a change in capabilities, e.g.
• too many patients (walk-ins and/or squads)
• additional staff arrive
• operating rooms full
• space now available

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NET CONTROL ASSISTANT(S) Job Action Sheet Review

• Help with radio communications
• Receive updates from the hospitals
• Call the hospitals by phone, if necessary, for
  updates
• Log transports and number of patients
• Perform other duties as assigned by Net Control

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DISASTER NET POSITIONS
In-Hospital Disaster Radio Operators
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INITIAL HOSPITAL NOTIFICATION

• Hamilton County Communication Center (HCCC) opens
  the Net, initially notifies all hospitals of the
  disaster, and conducts roll call.
• Tone activation of each hospitals disaster radio
• Each hospital acknowledges its name in the roll
  call and stands by for more information
• HCCC relays Scenes request that all hospitals or
  certain geographic sectors of hospitals prepare
  to report receiving capability

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IN-HOSPITAL RADIO OPERATORJob Action Sheet Review

• Assess emergency departments receiving
  capability by field triage level
• Red Patients
• Yellow Patients
• Green Patients
• Assess immediate Operating Room (OR) capabilities
• Can OR be available within 30 minutes?

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IN-HOSPITAL RADIO OPERATORJob Action Sheet
Review (cont.)

• Enter receiving and OR capabilities into the
  Local Mass-Casualty Incident Web Page
• Or as a backup, complete the Local Side Side
  1 of the Green Form and report information via
  radio or fax to Net Control

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GREEN FORM SIDE 1 FOR LOCAL INCIDENTS
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IN-HOSPITAL RADIO OPERATORJob Action Sheet
Review (cont.)

• Acknowledge notification from Net Control that a
  transport unit is en-route to the hospital
• Enter information on the hospital log
• Transport unit
• Number of patients
• Patients status
• Notify Net Control of changes in receiving
  capabilities

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DISASTER NET DEACTIVATION PROCEDURES

• Scene notifies Net Control that all victims have
  been transported from the scene
• Net Control notifies hospitals that all victims
  have been transported from the scene

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DEACTIVATION PROCEDURES (cont.)

• In-Hospital Operator
• Reports total number of patients received to Net
  Control
• Secures documentation
• When notified by HCCC or the Net Control that the
  Disaster Net is deactivated, resets the radio
  receiver to mute. DOES NOT TURN OFF THE RADIO

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DEACTIVATION PROCEDURES (cont.)

• Net Control
• Confirms the number of victims received by each
  hospital (via radio, fax or phone)
• Reconciles victim counts/destinations with
  Scene-to-Hospital Coordinator
• Secures all records
• Confirms with scene that Disaster Net should be
  deactivated
• Requests HCCC to close the Disaster Net