Unforeseen Threats for the Facility
The hospital building has four floors that have a flow of 1,200 people at any time of the day. The large population creates possibility of confined space risk or traffic accidents. People may break their legs when using stairs. Individuals and explosions could cause the fire. The wall if not properly built could collapse. The large population, loading dock area that is open to the general public, entry and exit points increases chances of robbery incidences since they create ease of access to the facility (Doherty, 2016).
Man-made and Natural Threats
According to Doherty (2016) “disasters can be divided into those that originate from forces of nature or effects of humans” (4). Natural threats include weather phenomena like floods and landslides. Man-made threats are comprised of terrorists and burglaries.
Security Measures
Training staffs would help in minimizing the effects of threats. The hospital should train its employees on evacuation procedures for fire, explosion and actual shootings. Every person, either employee or patient should be checked at the entrance and exits points. The evacuation points should be marked clearly in the facility. The load dock area should be free from the access of the public to minimize chances of intruders accessing the hospital compound. The hospital should prevent smoking within the compound. It should introduce the reporting procedure of any suspicious object or person in the facility (Doherty, 2016).
Training of Staffs
The session should be through the use of drills. The method will help workers to understand the risks that are associated with the incidence and take the training session seriously. Using videos to demonstrate the real occurrence of the active shooter will help employees understand the importance of awareness. During training sessions, the trainer should explain the possible risks and clarify on the importance of active shooter awareness. Using the videos to indicate the need to react quickly for survival will also play a significant role during the training sessions (Doss, & Shepherd, 2015).
Evacuation Measures
The evacuation measures that can be used to help people escape from the facility would include of the escape routes and plan that will be in mind. The individual should assist other groups that will be willing to evacuate the building immediately. To help people escape, they should be advised to leave their belongings behind and comply with the guidance of any police officer. During evacuation process, wounded people will not be moved, and hands should always be visible to indicate that they are not armed to the law enforcements. The individual should avoid the use of elevators that are in the facility (Doss, & Shepherd, 2015).
Any employee who suspects an actual risky situation should call 911 or delegate to another staff member like the security personnel. Workers should take appropriate action based on locations of the active shooters. They should hence apply the concepts of run, hide and fight depending on the situations. Staff members that are close to the shooter should run and seek an appropriate place to hide. They should also fight for their survival and that of others (Doss, & Shepherd, 2015).
Incident Command Structure
Conclusion
In my opinion, hospitals are not doing enough to prevent patients and staffs against active shooters. The majority of hospitals do not train their employees on the emergency preparedness measures. Hospitals have not implemented contingency plans that are to be used in case of an active threat.
References
Doherty, M. (2016). From protective intelligence to threat assessment: Strategies critical to preventing targeted violence and the active shooter. Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 10(1), 9-17.
Doss, K. T., & Shepherd, C. D. (2015). Active shooter: Preparing for and responding to a growing threat. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann.