Lessons Learned in Emergency Preparedness

Emergency preparedness and management has evolved exponentially from the inception of the Incident Command Structure in the 1970s to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. As a result, emergency management is essential for government agencies to private businesses, including hospitals. The events of 9-11 have drastically changed the way individuals think and operate in our health care environment. This report describes an emergency incident that occurred in the author’s medium-sized urban hospital because of loss of power from the power grid due to theft. The emergency that ensued lasted for more than 24 hours and confronted the hospital with unique challenges. This article describes the basic information about the general structure of hospital emergency preparedness and the specific aspect of preparedness that affect the intensive care unit. During the course of the emergency situation great insight into the function of the emergency preparedness plan was gained. In the end, many valuable lessons were learned that have led to improved function of emergency preparedness response and recovery.