Local hospitals are prepared for all kinds of emergencies

Published 4:21 pm Thursday, October 30, 2014

Following the shootings at Marysville-Pilchuck High School (MPHS) on Oct. 24, questions have been raised about how prepared local agencies are for such an event.

As previously reported, the Redmond Police Department (RPD) collaborated with the Redmond Fire Department (RFD) and Redmond Office of Emergency Management (OEM), as well as Redmond High School (RHS) and Lake Washington School District (LWSD) on an active-shooter exercise earlier this month.

“First and foremost our thoughts are with the families impacted by the tragic events that occurred at Marysville-Pilchuck High School,” said Redmond Police Chief Ron Gibson following last week’s events. “Unfortunately, with these types of events occurring more frequently, we must continue to prepare and improve our response protocols in order to minimize the loss of life.”

In a letter on its website following last week’s shootings, LWSD Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce said, “All of our schools in Lake Washington have crisis response plans in place that address a full range of emergency situations. We do regular lockdown drills in all of our schools to prepare for all kinds of emergencies, including active shooter situations.”

Gibson went on to say events such as the MPHS shooting reinforce the importance of working in partnership with the school district, fire department and emergency medical services personnel.

“We also need all of our community partners, employers, school administrators and community members to remain vigilant in reporting warning signs or any indications that these type events are being discussed or contemplated by others so that we may be able to prevent another tragedy,” Gibson said. “I have no information concerning this most recent event, but studies have shown that many times others know someone is planning or considering taking the next step in an act of violence. The key is to report suspicious behavior in an effort to prevent the next incident.”

Pierce added in her letter, “We are also aware of the role mental health services for students can play in working with students who may be a danger to themselves and to others. This year we are increasing resources to support social/emotional and mental health support for students in need.”

HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS

In addition to agencies preparing to respond to an active shooter onsite, local hospitals also prepare for such events as the injured patients are likely to be treated there initially.

Swedish Medical Center spokesperson Clay Holtzman said they are always prepared to respond to an emergency such as a mass shooting as long as they have the capacity to meet the demand.

He said while the Swedish location in Redmond is an ambulatory care center with an emergency room and board-certified physicians qualified to treat such injuries, the location does not have the surgery capabilities required to treat trauma patients with injuries such as gunshot wounds.

If someone arrives at Swedish Redmond with a gunshot wound or wounds, Holtzman said they are obligated to redirect the patient to a trauma center such as Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He said physicians would assess and stabilize the patient first to figure out where to transport them, communicate with that hospital and then handle the transport.

Holtzman said the training Swedish employees go through includes how to stabilize patients from gunshot wounds and other injuries. This hazard vulnerability assessment training, which they do annually, also includes how to respond to other emergencies such as onsite bomb threats and hostage situations as well as natural disasters and electrical power outages.

“We are prepared for what we’re expected to do,” Holtzman said.

EvergreenHealth, which has emergency rooms in Redmond and Kirkland, is also prepared to respond to these types of emergencies.

Brad Younggren, medical director of emergency preparedness and associated medical director of trauma for Evergreen, said their Kirkland location is a level-three trauma center (Harborview is a level one), meaning they have general surgeons, emergency physicians, orthopedic surgeons and other specialists on call and ready to respond. He said their Redmond location does not have any operating suites, but the Kirkland location does.

Younggren said Evergreen physicians rotate between the two locations and participate in at least two emergency preparedness drills per year. These drills range from table-top drills to dry runs and Younggren said the scenarios are different each time at each campus. He said Evergreen is also prepared to respond to other emergency situations. For example, the Kirkland campus has a decontaminating shower room that could be used in a chemical spill.

EMPATHIZING EXPERIENCES

While the hospitals and other agencies prepare to respond to events like what happened in Marysville, others are trying to prevent them from happening.

Nicole Hockley, who lost her 6-year-old son Dylan, and Mark Barden, who lost his 7-year-old son Daniel in the Sandy Hook school shooting two years ago, were in Seattle Monday and Tuesday to support of Initiative 594, which concerns background checks for firearm sales and transfers.

Hockley and Barden are both part of Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a national nonprofit organization led by community members, parents and spouses who lost loved ones in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14, 2012 that claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators. The organization’s mission is to prevent the causes of gun violence and help communities through such tragedies.

Barden said one of the things they focus on is access to firearms and responsible gun ownership.

“That’s why we’re here,” he told the Reporter Tuesday, “to support I-594.”

Hockley said their trip to the Pacific Northwest was scheduled about a month ago and the fact that it occurred just after the events at Marysville were a “terrible coincidence.”

“Our hearts go out to all the families,” she said.

Barden said school shootings can happen anywhere and any time and when he learns about one, it takes him back to December 2012.

“Of course it does,” he said. “We can empathize with these families.”

He added that there is nothing that can be said or done to make it better and they just live with the pain.

Hockley said they would like to offer the families of Marysville their sincerest condolences as they understand the grief and shock the families are experiencing. She said everyone deals with things differently, but she hopes the families are open to asking and receiving help, adding that if there is any way she and Barden can help, they will.