Emergency Preparedness
South Carolina's hospitals care for people under the most disastrous conditions. For instance, located on the coast, our state and its people face the real threat of hurricanes each year. From the devastation of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, to the thousand-year flood that ravaged the Midlands in 2015, communities rely on hospitals even greater in times of emergency.
Alongside natural disasters, terrorist events and other manmade mass casualties continue to be a major focus of SCHA’s emergency preparedness support. We work to connect our member hospitals with state and federal partners to develop the infrastructure needed to respond to mass casualties when needed.
To ensure that hospitals have the information and support they need to prepare and weather natural and manmade disasters, SCHA serves as a 24-hour operation center during times of emergency. We help support Hospital Emergency Managers as they provide for the safety of patients, staff and visitors during emergency incidents. The South Carolina Society for Healthcare Emergency Managers is a personal membership group organized under the umbrella of the South Carolina Hospital Association. It provides networking, training, education and state-wide planning so hospitals will be prepared to address emergencies.
Hurricane Season/Natural Disasters
Preparing
SCDHEC Disaster Preparedness for Healthcare Facilities
South Carolina Hurricane Guide
SCDHEC Medical Surge Guidelines
Evacuation and Sheltering in Place
SCDHEC Emergency Evacuation Plan Statement
SCDHEC Emergency Evacuation Plan Submission Requirements
Utilities
CDC Emergency Water Supply Planning Guide for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
CDC Healthcare Water System Repair
Public Health Emergency Planning for Power Outages
Recovery
SCDHEC Post-Disaster Hospital Reopening Procedures
Harvard School of Public Health Essential Functions and Considerations for Hospital Recovery
Planning Resources
Infectious Disease
2016-2017 SCDHEC Influenza Surveillance
Active Shooter
FBI Active Shooter Planning and Response in a Healthcare Setting
DHS Active Shooter Preparedness
Mass Fatality
OSHA Best Practices for Mass Casualty Incidents
AHA Hospital Preparedness for Mass Casualties
Chemical
CDC Preparation and Planning for Chemical Emergencies
CDC Radiation Emergency Preparedness
Terrorism
CDC Bioterrorism Readiness Plan: A Template for Healthcare Facilities
CDC Blast Injury Mobile Application for iPhone and iPad
DHS National Terrorism Advisory System
Additional Resources
American Hospital Association (AHA) Emergency Readiness
South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)