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Volunteer Radio Communications in Hospital Emergencies: A Proven Resource

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As seen at the 2011 CHA Disaster Planning conference poster session (presented by Dave West, BS, CLS, CHC, KI6EPI)

Volunteer Radio Communications in Hospital Emergencies: A Proven Resource (College Hospital Costa Mesa).

Amateur Radio is a backup communication resource that can help hospitals in large and small disasters. Keeping hospitals connected in earthquakes, firestorms, flooding, terrorist events, power failures, local telephone system outages, switchgear failures, etc.

        

Communication Resources for Hospitals

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California Health Alert Network (CAHAN)

Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) & Wireless Priority Serive (WPS)

Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP)

General Communications

        

FCC Adopts Rule to Allow Hospital Use of Amateur Radios during Disaster Drills

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Consistent with the blanket waiver request submitted by the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Federal Communication Commission has adopted an order which permits the use of HAM radios during hospital disaster drills. The Commission determined that amateur radio operators play a critical role during disasters and that amateur radio operators should be permitted to participate in disaster drills regardless of whether they are employed by the entity conducting the drill.

The blanket waiver request was filed by AHA in response to The Joint Commission’s requirement that hospitals prepare an emergency operations plan specifying alternative forms of communication to use during emergencies and establishing back-up communications links, including amateur radio stations, if primary communications systems fail.

Due to the adoption of the FCC order, the Commission dismissed AHA’s blanket waiver as moot.

    

Hospital in Trouble for Too-Real Drill

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LAS VEGAS, July 3, 2010  -- A Nevada hospital is likely to be fined for an emergency drill in the intensive care unit that featured an armed man who took employees hostage, officials say.

Nurses and other employees at the Siena Campus of St. Rose Dominican Hospital did not realize the gunman was an off-duty police officer with an unloaded weapon, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

The state Health Division said Friday the hospital may be ordered to pay an $800 fine because some patients were left without care for as long as 15 minutes during the May 24 drill.

The hospital has already had one brush with a real gunman. Last year, police killed a man who threatened staff in the emergency room with a gun.

A report on the over-the-top training incident said eight employees, including doctors, nurses, a respiratory therapist and the ICU director, were lined up against the wall in a staff room. The gunman revealed his true identity after about 5 minutes but kept the employees in the room for another 10 before allowing them to return to work.

Teressa Conley, the chief operating officer, said the three employees who designed the drill had the "best intentions" but did not think things through. At least two are no longer working there.

View Article on UPI.com

  

FCC Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Use of Amateur Radio in Drills

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Experience has shown that amateur radio has played an important role in preparation for, during, and in the aftermath of, natural and man-made emergencies and disasters. Current rules provide for amateur radio use during emergencies, however these rules prohibit communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer (such as hospitals).

However, the FCC has recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) addressing the question of whether hams should be able to communicate on behalf of their employers in certain limited circumstances. The NPRM proposes adding a narrow exception to the general prohibition on communications on behalf of an employer for amateurs involved in government-sponsored emergency drills. It also seeks comments on whether certain other drills that are not sponsored by government agencies - such as those conducted by hospitals - should be included in the proposed exemption as well.

Comments Sought on Waiver for Hospitals to Use Amateur Radio in Drills

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In response to a request by the American Hospital Association (AHA) working in conjunction with state hospital associations, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau are seeking comments on a blanket waiver that would permit hospitals to use amateur radios during emergency preparedness drills.

AHA filed the request in response to The Joint Commission’s requirement that hospitals prepare an emergency operations plan specifying alternative forms of communication to use during emergencies and establishing back-up communications links, including amateur radio stations, if primary communications systems fail.

Comments on the request are due April 2. Reply comments are due April 19.

For more information, visit the Federal Communications Commission website at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-10-365A1.txt

Dial 2-1-1 For Public Access and Human Services

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The FCC designated 2-1-1 to provide public access to information about and referral to health and human services. 2-1-1 achieves its greatest potential when it brings together the existing comprehensive information and referral services in communities and expands those services into previously unserved areas.

   

Redundant Communications

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During community catastrophies, regular and cell phone service may be disrupted. Without availability of these services, alternate forms of communication must be relied upon. 

It is critical to develop communication strategies which include redundant forms of communication in advance of these events.

Redundant communications can include:

  • Basic telephone systems 
  • In-building wireless phone systems 
  • Overhead announcement and paging systems 
  • Nurse call system 
  • Voice over Internet Protocol systems 
  • Cell phones 
  • Beepers and pocket pagers 
  • Enterprise systems 
  • Smart Phones
  • Text messaging 
  • Text-to-voice translation 
  • Communication systems for the deaf and hearing impaired 
  • Telephonic translation lines and services 
  • Access control systems 
  • Fax machines 
  • Hospital television network systems 
  • E-mail 
  • Mass notification systems 
  • Hospital electronic bulletin boards 
  • Intranet message posting 
  • Bed-tracking and facility status reporting systems 
  • Electronic health record systems 
  • Enterprise systems for networked hospitals 
  • Resource and grant-asset tracking systems 
  • Evacuee and disaster patient tracking systems 
  • Emergency medical services communication systems 
  • Emergency desktop and mobile handheld programmed radios 
  • Communication with emergency operations centers 
  • Public health monitoring and notification systems (syndromic surveillance systems, threat notification systems, outbreak management systems) 
  • Satellite radio and communication systems
  • Ham radio systems 
  • Human runners (can be used as a low-tech option if all else fails)

 

California Amateur Radio Emergency Service

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Contacts by County:


 

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