BAPTIST HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA (BHSF)EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

(ERT)

Preface

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Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF) recognizes that at any time events may arise that necessitate an organized emergency response for any or all BHSF facilities. BHSF further recognizes that these events may be large or small in scope and can occur as a result of man made as well as natural events. BHSF’s goal is to protect our patients, employees, physicians, visitors and the community that we serve.

BHSF has determined the need to establish a system wide Emergency Response Team (ERT) to prepare, respond, and support the BHSF facilities with an all hazards approach.

The primary purpose of the BHSF ERT is to have a specialized, trained unit for an “all hazards” emergency response that will provide trained and qualified healthcare based emergency responders, when necessary. Additional purposes for establishing the BHSF ERT program are to maintain continuous compliance with applicable Federal, State, Local, and professional agency regulations for all emergencies and community outreach.

PurposeThe BHSF Emergency Response Team (ERT) is an integral part of an overall strategy to protect employees, patients, and visitors from different types of emergencies. The purpose is to:

Remain functional and able to maintain 24/7 response readiness.

Rapidly establish an interface between all BHSF entities, Local, State and Federal partners to promote interagency cooperation and coordination.

Adopt the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) to manage emergencies and events.

Assist as subject matter experts in the HICS process.

Assist the in the training of BHSF staff in educational classes deemed necessary for the protection of the BHSF family, physicians, visitors and patients.

Assist in the inventory and maintenance of all Emergency Preparedness and Security Department (EPSD) response equipment and their entity specific emergency response equipment.

Assist in specific emergency preparedness staff training at their respective entities, complying with all applicable regulatory requirements.

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OrganizationThe BHSF ERT will operate under the direction of the BSHF Emergency Preparedness and Security Department (EPSD).

In the event an EPSD member is not available the BHSF ERT will be under the supervision of their respective entity‘s Safety Manager or designee.

The BHSF ERT will consist of members throughout the BHSF organization that have been selected by their respective entities and the BHSF EPSD staff.

BHSF ERT members shall be from various departments and multiple shifts within each facility so as to provide 24 hour and seven days a week coverage.

BHSF ERT will also be members of their entities Hospital Emergency Response Team (HERT).

TrainingThe BHSF ERT will have monthly training meetings under the direction and supervision of BHSF EPSD. BHSF EPSD will also schedule the initial and refresher training sessions which shall be of sufficient content, frequency and duration to maintain each ERT members’ competencies and the knowledge necessary to assure an effective and safe response to emergencies. The BHSF leadership has authorized the use of competency based training programs presented and coordinated by EPSD to assure that members of the ERT are properly trained to perform their assigned tasks in a safe and effective manner.

Training shall be conducted by qualified instructors who meet or exceed the established minimum qualifications established by BHSF and that are based on existing federal, state and local regulatory guidelines as dictated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Administration, The Joint Commission, and Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA).

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Membership Requirements

BHSF ERT members shall be full or part-time employees of a BHSF entity or facility who have been appointed by the entity Safety Manager or designee as a member of the entity’s Hospital Emergency Response Team (HERT). After a three month HERT membership and with the approval of the respective entity Safety Manager and their immediate supervisor they may apply for membership to the BHSF ERT.. The BHSF ERT applicant must be an employee in good standing.

Approval to the BHSF ERT membership is incumbent on the final approval of the Emergency Preparedness and Security Department (EPSD) management.

BHSF ERT members must be physically able to perform the required duties and be medically cleared by BHSF Employee Health annually.

New members of the BHSF ERT must be medically cleared to wear respirators and PPE, before they perform any strenuous tasks. The medical qualifications shall be established in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134.34 standards..New members of the BHSF ERT must successfully complete the required training modules of the BHSF Hazardous Materials Training.

They must be in a job position that allows them to be released to the BHSF ERT during an emergency. BHSF ERT Quarterly Hour Guidelines

QuartersFor the BHSF ERT Team, quarters are identified as follows:

First: January – March Second: April – June Third: July – September Fourth: October - December

Corporate ERT Meeting Requirement On a monthly basis, a BHSF ERT Meeting will be scheduled for a three-hour period.

ERT members must attend each meeting, which totals nine hours per quarter.

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Corporate ERT / HERT Teaching Requirement ERT members must engage in four hours of Emergency Preparedness Teaching or

Equipment Rehab per quarter.

HERT Requirement (continued) On a quarterly basis, BHSF ERT members must attend meetings and/or engage in

exercises, which equal three hours at their individual entities.

Simple Math- 9+4+3= 16 Hours per quarter.

Emergency Preparedness training will count towards a BHSF ERT or HERT meeting, if the training falls on a meeting date.

A four-hour teaching or equipment rehab assignment could compensate for an excused meeting absence. The assignment must be scheduled during the same quarter as a missed meeting.

All BHSF ERT members Quarterly Hour Log Sheets must be completely filled out and signed by the respective ERT members leadership before submission. All BHSF ERT members must submit their Quarter Hour Log Sheet during the last BHSF ERT meeting at the end of the quarter. If you are not present at the meeting, the log may be submitted electronically.

Compensation for this time will come from: the team member’s home department/cost center as stipulated in the BHSF ERT member’s Manager Agreement. BHSF ERT members are responsible to ensure that:

They make any necessary scheduling arrangements in advance with their home department Manager when scheduling to participate in the roles of Skills Trainer, Associate Instructor or Senior Instructor.

BHSF ERT members will not confirm the scheduling of required teaching hours with the BHSF EPSD until those hours have been approved by their home department Manager.

BHSF ERT members will not schedule any teaching hours in a manner that will incur overtime pay unless specifically authorized to do so by their home department Manager

BHSF ERT members who do not comply for: Two consecutive quarters will receive a Warning Notice. Three consecutive quarters will be placed under Probationary Suspension.

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