mergency Quick Reference

CALL UAMS POLICE AT (501) 686-7777 AND 911

UAMS activates the ACTIVE SHOOTER alert when it receives a credible report of an active shooter who threatens the campus community. Credible reports are:

• Witnesses describing a person with a weapon and intent to use it.
• Information gathered by authorities about a direct and targeted threat toward the campus.

All students, employees and staff must help patients, families and visitors seek shelter and defend themselves in place until law enforcement officers give them other directions.

• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• Know your exits and have an exit plan before an event occurs.
• Move away from the source of the threat as quickly as possible.
• The more distance and barriers between you and the threat, the better.

• Keep distance between you and the threat.
• Hide in a room that can be locked or barricade the door if it doesn’t lock.
• Turn lights off and silence your phone.

• If you cannot AVOID or DENY, be prepared to DEFEND yourself.
• Be aggressive and committed to your actions.
• Do not fight fairly. THIS IS ABOUT SURVIVAL.
• Remember that What You Do Matters.

• Remain calm and follow the officer's instruction.
• Put down any items in your hands (bags, phones and so forth).
• Immediately raise your hands and spread your fingers.
• Keep your hands visible at all times.
• Avoid making any quick movements toward officers, such as holding on to them for safety.
• Avoid pointing, shouting and yelling.
• Do not stop to ask officers for help or directions when evacuating. Proceed in the direction that the officers came from.

• Location of the threat.
• Number of shooters, if more than one (if known).
• Physical description of the suspect/s.
• Account for all people to determine if anyone is missing or injured.

If you are outside when ACTIVE SHOOTER is called, DO NOT RETURN TO THE CAMPUS.

Go to emergency types

If you hear BOMB THREAT overhead in your building, listen for specific instructions to follow. You may need to assist in a search or evacuate, depending on the situation.

If you receive a bomb threat call, signal a co-worker to call the UAMS Police at (501) 686-7777. Attempt to keep the caller on the line. Use the list below to record information.

• Time and date reported
• How reported
• Exact words of caller

Questions to ask:

• When is the bomb going to explode?
• Where is the bomb right now?
• What kind of bomb is it?
• What does the bomb look like?
• Why did you place the bomb?
• Where are you calling from?

Description of caller's voice:

• Male
• Female
• Young
• Middle Age
• Old
• Accent

Tone of voice and background noise:

• Is voice familiar?
• Who did it sound like?

Other voice characteristics:

• Slow
• Rapid
• Normal
• Excited
• Loud
• Disguised
• Broken
• Sincere
• Time caller hung up

Additional remarks:

• Recipient's name, location, telephone number

Go to emergency types

Note: TIME IS CRITICAL!

State your name, unit/location and INFANT/CHILD ABDUCTION.

• Age: if known or state infant or child
• Gender: male or female
• Race: Black, White, Hispanic, Asian
• Page ADON at (501) 686-6358 or Vocera (may delegate)

• Stop traffic in and out of your unit/area until an all clear is given
• Monitor exits, stairwells and hallways
• Report suspicious activity to UAMS Police (501) 686-7777
• Check empty rooms, waiting areas, bathrooms, linen carts, trash cans, luggage, items which could carry infant/child

• Infant/Child Abduction – Policy EM 1.10
• Patient Safety Evaluation System - Policy A.4.05

Go to emergency types

MISSING PERSON is activated by staff when there is concern that a high-risk, missing adult patient with the following criteria has eloped and is unable to make fully-informed and rational decisions:

• Danger to self or others
• Homicidal or suicidal
• Dementia
• Alzheimer's
• Page ADON at (501) 686-6358 or Vocera (may delegate).

MISSING PERSON is activated only after consultation with medical/nursing and administrative staff and UAMS Police when time is of the essence to locate the patient. This code is not announced overhead, but there is an exception for the Psychiatric Research Institute.

MISSING PERSON follows in line with UAMS Medical Center Policy PS.2.05 - Patient Elopement or Leaving Against Medical Advice.

Go to emergency types

For failures of any of the following utilities, call the Campus Operations Call Center at (501) 526-0000

• Electrical
• Elevators
• Fire Alarms
• Natural Gas
• Heating/Cooling
• Water
• Sewer
• Medical Gases
• Medical Vacuum/Steam
• IT/Telecommunications

Electrical Failure:

• Ensure all essential equipment, such as ventilators, is plugged into red emergency power outlets
• If emergency power is not available, contact Campus Operations Call Center immediately at (501) 526-0000
• Utilize flashlights for emergency lighting

Elevators:

• If elevators are out of service, review fire and emergency evacuation plans
• Contact the Campus Operations Call Center at (501) 526-0000

Medical gases and vacuum:

• If gases and/or vacuum are not available or alarms are activated, follow established guidelines for your area

All employees and staff should report to their assigned areas if and when safe to do so.

Take note of processes and/or systems that are out of order or inoperable.

Advise supervisors or contact the Campus Operations Call Center at (501) 526-0000 if any of these systems do not resume normal operation, within a reasonable timeframe, after services resume.

Go to emergency types

In the event of FIRE or SMOKE in your work area, remember the acronym RACE.

• Help anyone in immediate danger from the fire.

• Activate the nearest fire alarm pull station
• Call the Campus Operations Call Center at (501) 526-0000

Report:

• FIRE
• Name and title
• Building, floor and room
• What is burning, if known

• Close all doors
• Return all patients to their rooms
• Close patient room doors
• Send visitors to the first floor via the stairs
• Clear corridors of all equipment

• P - Pull the metal pin
• A - Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
• S - Squeeze the handle
• S - Sweep the fire from a distance of 5 to 15 feet

If evacuation becomes necessary, you will be given instructions by the Fire Department or a UAMS representative. The first route of evacuation will be moving horizontally to the next smoke compartment.

Go to emergency types

When any situation appears to be immediately dangerous to the lives or health of anyone at UAMS, immediately call:

• (501) 588-6358 to page the hospital administrator on duty or ADON.
• (501) 686-7777 to notify the UAMS Police.

If those in authority determine that evacuation is needed, EVACUATION will be heard overhead. Report to your department to receive instructions from your supervisor.

Go to emergency types

MASS CASUALTY is announced when the number of patients who need emergency treatment exceeds the hospital's capacity.

On-duty staff are to:

• Report to their assigned units unless they are designated to go to a specific disaster work area.
• Remain at home if they are not currently scheduled. However, they should be prepared to report to their normal works if a recall to UAMS is announced via text, phone or announcements on TV or radio.

When MASS CASUALTY is announced overhead, all hospital personnel are to report to their departments and await instructions from their supervisors. They are NOT to leave their assigned areas until they are officially released from duty.

Staff are NOT to leave their assigned areas until they are officially released from duty.

NOTE: MASS CASUALTY STANDBY alerts all personnel of an impending disaster alert within the next 48 hours.

Go to emergency types

When UAMS receives victims who are contaminated with chemical or biological agents that require decontamination, CHEMICAL DECONTAMINATION may be activated. When chemical contamination occurs, call the Campus Operations Call Center at (501) 526-0000.

Depending on the nature of the contaminating agent, the number of victims and patient acuity, other disaster codes, such as PATHOGEN, MASS CASUALTY or EVACUATION may be called simultaneously.

CHEMICAL DECONTAMINATION is not announced overhead. If you become aware of a CHEMICAL DECONTAMINATION in progress, do not report to the Emergency Department. Report to your department and await specific instructions.

Go to emergency types

When UAMS receives victims who are contaminated with chemical or biological agents that require decontamination, BIOLOGICAL DECONTAMINATION may be activated. If a biological contamination occurs, call Campus Operations Call Center at (501) 526-0000.

Depending on the nature of the contaminating agent, the number of victims and patient acuity, other disaster codes, such as MASS CASUALTY or EVACUATION may be called simultaneously.

BIOLOGICAL DECONTAMINATION is not announced overhead. If you become aware of a BIOLOGICAL DECONTAMINATION in progress, do not report to the Emergency Department. Report to your department and await specific instructions.

Go to emergency types

When a suspected radiological accident occurs or UAMS receives contaminated victims that require decontamination, RADIATION CONTAMINATION may be activated. Contact the hospital operator at (501) 686-7333 to activate a RADIATION CONTAMINATION.

When additional personnel are needed to execute UAMS's radiation contamination plan, medical and nursing staff are recalled. If the number of victims in the preliminary report indicates a hospital-wide response, MASS CASUALTY is also activated.

Go to emergency types

When SEVERE WEATHER is called:

• Employees shall report to their departments.
• Close windows, doors and drapes in patient care and visitor areas.
• Direct visitors and patients away from windows to protected internal hallways.
• Patients who cannot be moved to safe areas should be:
• Moved as far away from windows as possible.
• Covered with blankets and pillows.

Go to emergency types

An earthquake affecting the UAMS main campus or surrounding area will be self-evident if it causes damage and warrants a response. If so, EARTHQUAKE is called.

If inside:

• Remain calm. Reassure and assist patients and visitors.
• Employees should not run through or out of buildings.
• Avoid windows, doors, loose shelving, or anything that could fall and cause harm.
• Within a building, take cover under a desk, table, bench, doorways, hallways, or against interior structural walls.
• Keep visitors, patients, and other employees out of stairwells and elevators.
• Unplug noncritical utilities and electrical equipment.

If outside:

• Avoid buildings, walls, utility poles, downed wires, trees, or anything that could fall on you.
• Avoid buildings and walls, which create a false sense of security, because building materials, antennae, lights, etc. can shake loose and fall.
• Get to flat, open ground and lie flat until shaking subsides, protecting your head as much as possible.

Depending on damage or casualties, other disaster codes such as EVACUTION, MASS CASUALTY, UTILITY and FIRE may be called.

Employees must remain in their locations to receive further guidance or receive the ALL CLEAR message before resuming normal activities.

Go to emergency types