Emergency Preparedness

To ensure that all areas of our hospital are prepared to respond to potential emergency situations, Adventist Health and Rideout has established a plan to guide hospital-wide emergency preparedness and management.

Emergency preparedness in the hospital

Staff at Adventist Health and Rideout Regional Medical Center are regularly trained in emergency response planning. While at the hospital, families may hear color codes being announced over the speaker system. This indicates that our staff members are responding to an in-hospital emergency. If an emergency situation has the potential to affect families and visitors, hospital staff will provide detailed information and any related instructions. Please ask a staff member if you have questions about preparedness in the hospital.

Safety at your home

We want to ensure that our patients and families are safe at home. Please review the following information to help you develop emergency-response plans and to learn how to respond to or prevent safety hazards:

Important information brought to you by FEMA's “Ready Campaign” and “America’s PrepareAthon”:

Don’t wait communicate: Make your emergency plan today

You may not be together during an emergency. Talk with friends and family about how to get in touch in case of an emergency and fill out an emergency plan today, visit the following link to learn more and to download and print emergency plans for: Infants & Young Children; Seniors; Campuses; Caring for Animals; Military Family Preparedness; Workplace; School Emergency Plans and more:

https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan

Volunteer

Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 caused many Americans to wonder how they can help prepare their communities. Learn about opportunities to get involved and help build capacity for first responders. With proper training and education, volunteers expand the resources available to states and local communities. Visit the following link to learn more about volunteering including: Citizen Corps; Youth Preparedness; Preparing Your Community; Being a Preparedness Leader, Volunteer Opportunities and more:

https://www.ready.gov/get-involved

Be prepared for emergencies

Always call 9-1-1 in the case of any emergency.

Pandemic

You can prepare for an influenza pandemic now. This checklist will help you gather the information and resources you may need in case of a flu pandemic: https://www.ready.gov/pandemic

Active shooter

Recent national tragedies remind us that the risk is real: an active shooter incident can happen in any place at any time. The best way to make sure you and your loved ones stay safe is to prepare ahead of time. Learn more

Winter storm

Winter storms can occur anywhere and bring freezing rain, ice, snow, high winds or a combination of althea conditions. For information on how to prepare for winter storms, download the How to Prepare for a Winter Storm Guide now by visiting: https://community.fema.gov/ProtectiveActions/s/article/Winter-Storm

Home fires

Each year more than 2,500 people die and 12,600 are injured in home fires in the U.S., with direct property loss due to home fires estimated at $7.3 billion annually. Home fires can be prevented! Learn more about home fire prevention at this link: https://www.ready.gov/home-fires

Floods

Visit the following link to learn what actions to take when you receive a flood watch or warning alert from the National Weather Service for your local area and what to do before, during and after a flood: https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfires

To learn basic safety tips, preparing your home for fire and how to make a “Wildfire Plan”, please visit: https://www.ready.gov/wildfires

Extreme heat

Heat kills by pushing the human body beyond its limits. In extreme heat and high humidity, evaporation is slowed and the body must work extra hard to maintain a normal temperature. Learn the actions you can take when the weather is extremely hot and how to understand heat alerts from the National Weather Service that you could receive in your local area: https://www.ready.gov/heat

Hazardous materials incidents

Hazardous materials in various forms can cause death, serious injury, long-lasting health effects and damage to buildings, homes and other property. Hazards can occur during production storage, transportation, use or disposal. Learn more, here: https://www.ready.gov/hazardous-materials-incidents

Household chemical emergencies

Nearly every household uses products containing hazardous materials or chemicals. Although the risk of a chemical accident is slight, knowing how to handle these products and how to react during wan emergency can reduce the risk of injury. Learn more here: https://www.ready.gov/household-chemical-emergencies

Power outages

Learn basic safety tips and what to do before, during and after a power outage. Visit, https://www.ready.gov/power-outages