Module 5 – HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS FOR EMERGENCY- HOSPITAL INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (HEICS)

This module will provide emergency management personnel and all hospital workers with an overview of hospital evacuation considerations when there are only minutes to hours to prepare. The life cycle of an evacuation event will be presented including the Pre-Evacuation, Evacuation, and Post-Evacuation stages, with a focus on the preparedness and response actions in each stage. 

Upon completion of this lesson, participants will be able to :

  1. Discuss the primary goals and legal basis of the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System in the Philippines;
  2. Briefly discuss the basic structure of HEICS in healthcare facilities;
  3. Discuss the major functions of the if Incident Commander and its Command Staff, the four sections ( Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance / Admin) in the event of a hospital evacuation;
  4. Discuss the composition of the Fire Brigade Team and the different Emergency Response Teams in the event of Fire and Earthquake Emergencies.
  5. Discuss the emergency roles of each department and/or individuals under the HEICS; and
  6. Discuss the specific roles of HEICS during an Immediate Evacuation, Intermediate Evacuation, and Extended Evacuation.

Each section contains learning materials such as videos and reading materials for self-interactive learning for better understanding. At the end of this module, there is a 15-item quiz that would serve as a review question in preparation for the FINAL POST TEST that would be administered after completing the Module 1-6. Please make sure that you have gone over the learning materials first before answering the self-check questions. 

References: 

1. Office of Civil Defense (OCD) NDRRMC ICS Manual 

2.  Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) Guidebook 5th Edition

3.  https://www.ravemobilesafety.com/blog/what-is-hospital-incident-command-system/

4. https://emsa.ca.gov/disaster-medical-services-division-hospital-incident-command-system-resources/

5. FEMA. (2021). National Incident Management System.

6. Spectrum Health. (2018). Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). U. S. Department of Homeland Security. (2008). 7.  National Incident Management System.

8.  Hospital Preparedness for Emergency (HOPE) Handbook- USAID Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER)