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Emergency Scenario Tests NNMC, JTF Response

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090522-25
Release Date: 5/22/2009 2:13:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Timothy Wilson, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- The National Naval Medical Center hosted a table top exercise May 13 to assess the command's operational readiness and response in the event of a disaster at Bethesda.

NNMC staff members conducted the training scenario in partnership with senior executive staff from the Joint Task Force National Capital Region – Medical, NNMC's emergency operations center leadership team and members from Suburban Hospital.

Chris Gillette, the command emergency manager at NNMC, said he works to ensure that plans and procedures are in place so that the installation is ready to respond to all types of hazardous incidents, such as chemical and biological events, influenza outbreaks or natural disasters.

"You always have a redundant plan of action in place, we never can totally rely on technology so we plan the old fashioned way [with] the utilization of people and planning efforts," Gillette said. "Any major installation in the national capital area is always of high vulnerability."

NNMC is the hospital for the president and other high ranking government officials. It's also on a military installation, which creates both a tactical and psychological target, said Edward Cowan, a senior consultant who participated in the exercise.

"We know that terrorists focus on medical infrastructures as a potential target," Cowan said. "NNMC's internal planning is good, absolutely the best security at the hospital level that I have ever seen."

When an accident occurs, safety is the foremost concern, said Capt. Michael Hendee, director of administration and incident commander at NNMC.

"The safety of the staff, the patients, visitors and making sure that we are protecting the base and preparing the base for whatever issues might be hitting us," he said.

Managing the event in an organized manner is important because a lot of people will be scared and will have questions, Hendee said.

Protecting people from further injury, stabilizing the vicinity from further attacks and then securing the area are also priorities during a crisis, Gillette said.

"The perception before 9/11 was that every [agency] was focused on those three objectives and that has never changed," Gillette said. "What we have learned is a constant need to collaborate among other agencies that we need to standardize systems and integrate with our surrounding community."

For years, NNMC has been working in partnership with Suburban Hospital and the National Institutes of Health to coordinate in the event of an emergency, Hendee said.

"We can communicate with them in a rapid manner," Hendee said. "We have very good communication through our base police and fire [departments] and with all the Montgomery County emergency and first responding personnel."

NNMC would be able to rapidly respond to a crisis and ensure that the response is well executed and well coordinated, Gillette said.

"Today was a great opportunity for the members of the Emergency Operations Committee to get orientated methodically and to systematically walk through a potential scenario so we can identify areas that we need to improve on, whether it's communication, logistics or strategies. Anytime you can get agencies to participate together to learn how to improve processes, it's always a success," Hendee said.

For more news from National Naval Medical Center, visit www.navy.mil/local/nnmc/.