William Beach Gardens Emergency Procedures Exercise 15 th October 2013.

William Beach Gardens

Emergency Procedures Exercise

15th October 2013

Background – Purpose of Exercise

There have been events in IRT’s past that has required the initiation of emergency procedures

Events including:

Background – Purpose of Exercise

- Flooding (Illawarra Flooding @ several sites)

Background – Purpose of Exercise

- Fires

Background – Purpose of Exercise

South Coast Bushfires

Background – Purpose of Exercise

Fire represents the more serious emergency event due to the immediacy of such an event and requiring an immediate response.

Fire evacuation processes and management and training surrounding these processes are the responsibility of the Facilities Management – Mark Whalan (Fire & Security Manager)

Fire emergencies are documented via the facilities' Fire Emergency Procedures Manual

The exercise was not to review fire emergency procedures as……

Background – Purpose of Exercise

The purpose of the exercise was to review the processes of the facility's team in response to an emergency scenario.

The scenario was set against and review of the facility’s systems to maintain business continuity

To be able to identify any gaps in the facility’s processes

To develop action plans to close identified gaps

Background – Purpose of Exercise

To review what if there was no………………

Background – Purpose of Exercise

To review what if there was no………………

The Scenario

Welcome to William Beach Gardens

The Scenario – Pre Emergency

This was a relatively easy scenario undertaken in an almost perfect situation

It was an “announced” emergency with the team being aware a week plus in advance that an emergency exercise would be undertaken

It was held mid week and all managers were available and a full compliment of staff.

I was there as an observer only however acted as the contact for most external services / agencies

The Scenario – Structure

There was a pre exercise briefing

There were six stages to the emergency scenario

Each stage represented approximately one hour of the emergency

For the purposes of the exercise each hour if the scenario equated to15-20 minutes for the staff to undertake their actions

Therefore actual exercise lasted approximately 2 – 2.5hours

There was a short debrief after the exercise

Debbie Andrews represented the receiving RCF

The Scenario – Information Gathering

Action # Time Sector Action Taken Responsibility or Delegation

Contact Details /Phone Number

FirstSecondThirdFourthFifthSixthFirstSecondThirdFourthFifthSixth

The Scenario – Expectation

That staff would be work as a team

That good communication processes would be used

That the team would be honest in their assessment

That the basis of the response is following the guidelines within the Disaster Management Plan / Business Continuity Plan

The Scenario - Instructions1.Each operational section has a different coloured response sheet. Please use the appropriate coloured sheet for the purpose of documenting your actions. Please put your name and classification on each sheet. 2. Use a new sheet for each time segment of the exercise.

3. If you delegate a function to another staff member, you must highlight that action on your response sheet however the delegate needs to then complete their own response sheet.  4. Contacting Internal / External Managers / Resources For every situation where you require contacting a manager, service, family, NOK either internally or externally to WBG - you contact Frazer Crichton. He will be located in the Education Room / Area Manager’s office.

You need to provide the contact number or details of the intended person you would contact and the nature of the request. Then document that you have contacted the manager / service on your sheet. There will be an assumption that every call is answered but the response may not always be positive.

5. Actions that include a location e.g. moving a resident from Ward 1 to House 2 should identify the location in the response sheet.

6. Any gaps / recommendations should be noted either on the sheet.

7. The exercise will involve all houses within the facility. No residents will be involved and no physical evacuation will be occurring.

8. The exercise will last 2.5 hours.

9. A quick informal debrief will occur after the exercise however a formal debrief with any recommendations will be held at a future meeting

The Scenario – Stage 1

9.15 (10.00am) - First Situation

The power in all houses has gone out. There is neither lighting nor power. All the fire doors have closed and the only available lighting is that of the emergency and exit lighting. There are mobile phones / phone services however there is NO nurse call.

The Scenario – Stage 2

9.35 - (11.00am) - Second Situation

The power is still not on and there is no indication of when it will on. You find that you no longer have any emergency / exit lighting as their battery life is now gone.

There are mobile phones / phone services. You are advised that all of Dapto/ Kanahooka / Albion Park and Unanderra have been affected.

The Scenario – Stage 3

9.55 - (Midday) - Third Situation

You are informed that the reason of the power outage is that there has been a major fire at a local main substation. This indicates that there will be a long delay before the power outage will be rectified.

Current scene; No power, No lighting, Outside temperature is now 36C. There are mobile phones / phone services.

The Scenario – Stage 4

10.15 - (1.00pm) - Fourth Situation

You find out that there is no water pressure. The power outage has resulted in the water filtration pumps due to the fire and lack of power unable to operate and the water is considered not suitable for use.

Current Scene: No power, No lighting, No tap water - temperature is now 36C. There are mobile phones / phone services. 

The Scenario – Stage 5

10.35am - (2.00pm) - Fifth Situation

Origin Energy has said it cannot state when the power will be on. They hope but cannot guarantee to have it on later tonight.

The water is back on however it is at a very low pressure and all users have been advised that if possible they should boil all water.. 

The Scenario – Stage 6

11.00am – (3.00pm) – Sixth Situation

A decision has been made to conduct a limited evacuation of the site. Those considered able of being looked after at WBG need to be identified. The remaining residents need to be evacuated.

The following residents are sampled for evacuation processes.

The Scenario – Stage 6

11.00am – (3.00pm) – Sixth Situation

The following residents are sampled for evacuation processes.

Dorothy W – Akuna xxxNeville W – Akuna xxxLaura C – Grange xxxWilliam S – Grange xxxTom W – Huntley xxx

Janice B – Huntley xxxLaurel T – Kembla xxxSonja S – Kembla xxxTed C – Elouera xxx

David Mc – Elouera xxxMarie B – Nebo xxxNoel C – Nebo xxx

Gloria H – Flinders High xxxKevin B – Flinders High xxxBertha W – Flinders Low xxxArthur C – Flinders Low xxx

Debbie Andrews Care Manager – to review received documentation

The Results / Findings

The staff were positive in their approach to the exercise – actually appreciating the opportunity to understand the processes around and evacuation exercise.

Communication on the whole was good however there was some breakdown where “some staff” had a different interpretation of what had been asked to be done during the exercise. It was however minor in nature.

There were gaps that whilst not life threatening needed to be addressed

The Gaps

The managers had limited knowledge of the Disaster Management Plans

Evacuation boxes in all areas were untidy with out of date information

The Gaps

The Resident Information Forms within the evacuation boxes were not linked to the residents care plan review schedule

Fire safety audit states to check the evacuation box but the fire officer did not identify the information that was out of date – only the stock levels

Staff awareness of their roles and responsibilities in such an event and feeling of a lack of competent staff to delegate some of the required activities

Some managers were not always aware of what other managers were doing

Not being fully aware of the sites infra structure such as water tanks and the resources of Facilities Management

Action Plan

The DMP are to be an agenda items at hub meetings and discussed at staff meetings

Started from scratch with the evacuation boxes with larger boxes purchased. Resident information updated and now in individual plastic folders

Action Plan

Evacuation plans are now linked to the care plan schedule for staff to review resident profile and update information on evacuation ID Tags

Review of the fire audit process and educate fire officer on what information needs to be assessed

Discuss at the hub meetings new duties lists for each area outlining tasks in the event of an emergency

All the above forms part of CIP project

DMP / Business Continuity Plan

Remember COSOPS ????? Was / Is your BCP a Dust Collector ???

COSOP – The Past Process

Critical

Operations

Standard

Operating

Procedures

DMP/ Business Continuity Plan / COSOPS

WILLIAM BEACH CARE CENTRE AND LIFESTYLE COMMUNITY

DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN   

Incorporating

Emergency Evacuation Procedures  

and  

Business Continuity Plans (BCPs)  

<2013>  

Version Number: < 1.1 January 2013 >

DMP/Business Continuity Plans include……..

Disaster Management Flow Chart

Emergency Contact details including the Health Service Functional Area Coordinator

Roles and Responsibilities of Key staff

Processes to follow in the event of minor system failures

Emergency / Disaster checklists

Transport plan

Local Risk Register

Business Continuity Plan

Problem Impact Contingency Task Start date End date Actioned by

Air Conditioning Failure

Unable to regulate temperature and environment

1. To use natural ventilation.

1. Open windows and doors.

1. Upon failure. 1. Return of Service.

1. RN / Team leader.

1. Use fans. 1. Estimate of fans in facility. Ceiling fans in each resident’s room.

1. Upon failure 1. Return of service.

1. RN / Team leader.

Determine priority sites for use of fans.

Upon incident. 1. Return of service.

1. Manager.

1. Distribute fans to priority sites

1. Upon incident

1. Return of service.

1. Team leader/RN.

Business Continuity Plan (Local Risk Register) for William Beach Gardens  1. Air Conditioning Service – see BCP Minor FailuresSchedule BelowAir Conditioning Service Schedule

DMP / Business Continuity Plan – The Gap

It was identified that the managers had little if no knowledge of the Disaster Management Plan / Business Continuity Plan

This was evidenced by the fact that the document was rarely used during the exercise although it was made available

The reasons??

Lack of awareness of the document some due to the turn over of staff and not part of an induction process. No education as to its purpose

Lack of user friendliness??

DMP / Business Continuity Plan

Again the Question - A Dust Collector ???

DMP / Business Continuity Plan – What’s Needed?The DMP/BCP needs to represent the processes used at your facility

It requires reviewing annually – Accreditation???

Managers / Supervisors / Stakeholders need to be aware of their roles and responsibilities as soon as they are employed in that a key role as part of their induction in to that role

There needs to be education of the key stakeholders including those staff outside the 9am-5.00pm (Mon-Fri). The exercise was held under perfect conditions with most key stakeholders available – you might not get that luxury

Consideration of a review of the DMP / BCP. Made simpler, perhaps colour coded and more user friendly

Exercises need to regular, possibly outside normal hours and unannounced

The Exercise – Was it Worth it?

It takes time - probably 4 hours with key staff and affecting staff as required

It did identify gaps from which action plans have been formulated and in most cases the gaps closed quickly

The “Agency” would love it

The staff saw it as a positive exercise

The exercise was definitely worth it