I enjoyed "Fires in Hospitals and Nursing Homes: Be Prepared for the Unexpected" by Dan Sheridan (Fire Engineering, February 2014). I would like to add some comments on a situation we had a number of years ago. Our area caught seven-plus inches of rain in about a four-hour period, causing massive flooding. Our local hospital had flood waters in the tunnels; all mechanical rooms were under water. The entire lower level of the hospital was under water, as were all standby power units. We had approximately 12 engine companies drafting water from the facility. We were within 30 minutes of closing the facility. Plans were initiated for evacuation of all patients and staff.
That was when we learned about all of the ramifications of closing a hospital. They included contacting all area hospitals for room availability and amassing a fleet of ambulances for transport. There were several ongoing surgeries that were about three to five hours from completion. The surgeons refused to leave, and the surgeries were completed using hand lights. There was also the problem of notification of next of kin and tracing the destination of each patient. Patients on life support were on the verge of being disconnected.
When it hit the news media, we were swamped with people who wanted to help and take patients to their homes and so on. Also, the next of kin began arriving, and not everyone spoke English. The pre-evacuation took a lot longer than anyone at that time ever thought it would.
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