Hospital Evacuations in the Wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton: The Importance of Med Sled Training
The aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton serves as a reminder of the critical need for hospitals to be prepared for evacuations during disasters. To evacuate patients quickly and safely, stairways are often the fastest and most reliable evacuation route. But to perform a stairway evacuation with the most vulnerable population – the hospitalized – requires planning, equipment, and training.
The Challenges of Hospital Evacuations
In high-pressure scenarios like hurricanes, time is of the essence. While elevators may still function in some cases, they can become bottlenecks due to limited capacity and slower movement. During disasters, stairway evacuations allow for the rapid and efficient transport of patients, even in high-rise hospital settings.
Past hurricanes, such as Katrina and Maria, revealed the challenges hospitals face when evacuating without sufficient planning or training. Hospitals that relied on elevators during emergencies encountered delays and risks, while those with practiced stairwell evacuation procedures managed more efficient patient movement.
Med Sleds: A Key Tool for Stairwell Evacuations
Med Sleds are designed specifically for moving patients down stairways in a safe and controlled manner. These sleds allow staff to quickly transport immobile, bedridden, or critical care patients gently, making the evacuation process more efficient while reducing physical strain on staff and patients alike. Med Sleds are crucial for high-volume evacuations, ensuring that hospitals can evacuate patients swiftly through stairwells.
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth’s Med Sled Training: Inspired by Joplin and Sandy
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) enhanced its disaster preparedness by learning from the 2011 Joplin tornado and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Both events underscored the need for rapid hospital evacuations: Joplin’s St. John’s Regional Medical Center was devastated by a tornado, forcing the immediate evacuation of hundreds of patients, while Hurricane Sandy left hospitals like NYU Langone struggling to evacuate patients without power or elevators.
Motivated by these challenges, NMCP implemented hands-on Med Sled training, focusing on stairwell evacuations as the fastest and most reliable method in emergency scenarios. Staff practiced moving patients quickly and efficiently down stairways, preparing for situations where elevators might fail. By learning from past disasters, NMCP ensures its staff are ready to evacuate patients safely in any emergency.
Why Hospitals Must Train Now
Even in scenarios where elevators are functioning, stairways offer a faster and more efficient evacuation route for moving large volumes of patients. Hospitals need to be ready to use tools like Med Sleds effectively, and that requires regular training. To maintain preparedness, hospitals should:
- Schedule Routine Drills: Regular Med Sled drills involving all hospital departments ensure that staff are ready for any emergency.
- Simulate Realistic Conditions: Drills should replicate real-life disaster scenarios, with a focus on rapid stairwell evacuations.
- Continuously Review and Improve: After each drill, hospitals should evaluate their performance and adjust evacuation plans as necessary.
By incorporating Med Sleds into their evacuation protocols, hospitals can ensure that they are prepared to move patients quickly and safely for tomorrow’s evacuation events. Now is the time for hospitals to ensure their staff are fully trained and ready to evacuate patients safely using stairways and tools like Med Sleds.
