SHAKEOUT 2009 DRILL SUMMARY

At 10:15 a.m. the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) employees that were informed via the recorded ShakeOut message via radio, email, P.A. announcement, radio communication and/or emergency notification systems. They were followed the instructions to drop, cover, and hold on. Those employees in elevators immediately exited and took the stairs, when safe to do so.

The DHS' Emergency Medical Services Agency's Medical Alert Center (MAC) coordinates patient distribution and transportation on a daily basis among the hospitals within the County and, in some cases, neighboring counties. The County's seven comprehensive medical centers and four hospitals,one Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center, the 79 private hospitals and other partner agencies, as well as the Health Services Administration (HSA) building and other facilities participated in the drill with radio communication drills, tabletop, functional, and full scale exercises to meet their exercise requirements.

Hospitals in L.A. County are: (Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Foundation, LAC Harbor - UCLA Medical Center, Antelope Valley Medical Center, Alhambra Hospital Medical Center, BHC Alhambra Hospital, South Bay Community Hospital, Kaiser Foundation - Panorama City, Garfield Medical Center, Kaiser Foundation - Harbor City, Kaiser Foundation - Woodland Hills, Huntington Hospital, Little Company of Mary Medical Center, Lancaster Community Hospital, Kaiser Foundation -Los Angeles Med. Center, Memorial Hospital of Gardena, LAC Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, Kaiser Foundation - West Los Angeles Med. Center, Little Company of Mary San Pedro, Mission Community Hospital, Methodist Hospital of Southern California, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Northridge Hospital Medical Center - Roscoe, Monterey Park, Hospital, Del Amo Hospital, Pacifica Hospital of the Valley, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical, Valley Presbyterian Hospital, San Gabriel Valley Medical Center, West Hills Hospital & Medical Center, LAC+USC Medical Center, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital, East LA Doctors Hospital, Casa Colina Hospital for Rehabilitation Medicine, Beverly Hospital, Promises Hospital, Citrus Valley Medical Center - Intercommunity, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles Community Hospital, Citrus Valley Medical Center - Queen of the Valley, Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital, Pacific Alliance Hospital, Doctors Hospital of West Covina, College Hospital, USC Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital, East Valley Hospital, Downey Regional Medical Center, USC University Hospital, Foothill Presbyterian Hospital, Greater El Monte Community Hospital, White Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Foundation - Baldwin Park, Kindred Hospital - La Mirada, San Dimas Community Hospital, Los Angeles Community Hospital - Norwalk, Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, St. Francis Medical Center, Whittier Hospital, Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Saint Mary & Long Beach Memorial Medical Cntr, UCLA & Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Barlow Respiratory Hosptial, Avalon Municipal Hospital, Brotman Medical Center, Encino Tarzana Regional Medical Center - Encino, Bellflower Medical Center, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Encino Tarzana Regional Medical Center - Tarzana, Community Hospital of Long Beach, Centinela Hospital, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Kaiser Foundation - Bellflower, Century City Doctors Hospital, Glendale Memorial Hospital, Lakewood Regional Medical Center, Centinela Marina Hospital, Hollywood Community Hospital, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Olympia Medical Center, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, Pacific Hospital of Long Beach, Miracle Mile, Sherman Oaks Community Hospital, Suburban Medical Center, Santa Monica - UCLA Medical Center, Temple Community Hospital, Tri- City Regional Medical Center, St. Johns Health Center, Verdugo Hills Hospital, Veterans Administration Hospital - Long Beach, Veterans Administration Hospital - West LA, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, California Hospital Medical Center,
Cedar Sinai - Peds, Community & Mission Hospital of HP (Florence),
Glendale Memorial - Peds, Community & Mission Hospital of HP (Slauson), Henry Mayo Newhall - Peds, City of Angels Medical Center,
Huntington Memorial - Peds, Kindred Hospital, LAC-Harbor - UCLA - Peds, Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center, LAC-USC - Peds, Good Samaritan Hospital, Miller Children's Hospital, Saint Vincent Medical Center, Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital - Peds, Pomona Valley Hospital - Peds, Northridge Hospital - Peds, Shriners Hospital for Children - Los Angeles, UCLA - Peds.

During the State Shakeout drill, HSA, the County hospitals, comprehensive centers, the Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center, and the Central Dispatch Office participated in a Countywide Integrated Radio Communications (CWIRS) drill where they requested resources as a result of the damage to their facility or loss of personnel.

ARES asked the MAC to assist them in conducting a drill as most of the hospitals they support were doing table top exercises this year.

A set of injects built on a scale for 25 facilities (which can be expanded as needed based on the number of volunteers) which mimic the type of radio traffic that is usually transmitted to and from the Medical Alert Center. These scenario injects were designed to escalate the scenario or de-escalate based on the time frame allotted for the response.

Between 18-19 Teams checked in and transmitted the injects which allowed them do drill with a certain sense or realism they hadn’t experienced in the past. This added for a more accurate simulation of radio traffic transmitted. This was evidenced by the stress level noted in some of the transmissions, though it should be noted the volunteers from ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) handled quite well with an enviable level of professionalism. Since the Amateur Radio drill was significantly longer than the shakeout, (4 hours, rather than 1) their scenario begun at 8:00am and ended at 11:00. at which time most of the volunteers were invited by their facilities to participate in the table top.

The Following teams participated; our thanks go out to them.

K6FGV, N6HD & N6AJG for the Medical Alert Center/ Simulated DOC
KD8CGG for Cedars Sinai Medical Center
KG6TRT for Encino Hospital Medical Center
NY2B for Hollywood Presbyterian
KI6UNC for Huntington Memorial
K6MMP for Harbor UCLA Medical Center
K6CBC from Avalon, Catalina Island
N5DQ for Providence Little Co of Mary Torrance
KF6GKR for Providence Little Co of Mary San Pedro
W6SD for Northridge Hospital
KG6DNY for Pacifica Hospital of the Valley
W6EKZ for Pomona Valley Hospital
AE6GR for Providence St Joseph Medical Center
N6IC for Sherman Oaks Hospital & Health Center
WA6P UCLA Medical Center
N6EZS for Valley Presbyterian Hospital
KI6KFS for Santa Monica
WA6TOJ for Tarzana
Not included in the summary is that Centinela Hospital, St Francis Medical Center & Marina Hospital were conducting Shakeout drills. The Medical Alert Center was assisting by sending out ReddiNet drill messages and simulated pt transfers.