Welcome to ZZ Cape Fear Valley Health System

Evacuation

The health system evacuates patients as a last resort to keep them from harm's way in an emergency incident. Floor managers direct evacuation and have a great amount of discretion in calling for a partial or complete floor evacuation. The health system uses a graduated evacuation response as the situation dictates:

Defend-in-place. Floor managers evaluate the situation and determine if moving the patient would cause greater harm than remaining in place.

Horizontal Evacuation. Floor managers' first option is to move patients to a protective smoke or fire compartment on the same floor. Personnel, staff and patients, move through a set of fire/smoke doors away from the fire.

Vertical Evacuation.  Floor managers' second option is to move patients downstairs to a lower level (never up) or to an outside exit.  Once on a lower level, transporters may use elevators away from the fire to more rapidly evacuate the floor.

Staff will evacuate ambulatory patients first.  Hospital employees accompany ambulatory patients and stay with them as long as they are away from their rooms.

Hospital employees accompany wheelchair patients next.  Upon reaching the area of refuge, patients are removed from the wheelchair, if possible, so that it may return to evacuate others.

Patients who need to be transported in their beds are transported by hospital employees knowledgeable of catheters, IV lines, traction and life support.

In a vertical evacuation, wheelchair and non-ambulatory patients may require physical help down stairs.  Staff will assist patients by any means available.

During total evacuations, patients and staff will move to the following areas:

North Tower - Physicians parking lot on Melrose Road side of hospital
South Tower - Front lawn
Cancer Center - Front lawn
Rehab Center - Visitors parking lot outside of Rehab main entrance
Patient Service Tower (PST) - Village Drive Physicians parking lot
Valley Pavilion - ED parking lot

Depending on the time of day or night, there are several pools of staff available to assist with patient evacuation.  The Patient Care Manager or Charge Nurse coordinates requests for additional manpower through the HCC:

Patient Transporters;

Security;

Maintenance;

Environmental Services;

Laboratory Staff;

Physical Therapy Staff;

Nursing Staff from unaffected areas;

Radiology.

US Patent Numbers 7,720,998 B2, 7,836,207