5 Tips for Running an Effective Tabletop Exercise

Emergency response planning and preparedness is essential! A simple fact, every emergency response plan will fail, not necessarily entirely but you will experience failure, the amount depends solely on how much effort you have put into preparing for an emergency, so, taking some time to practice, will have a possible future pay off. Join CCSA in this video to take a look at 5 tips that can help you run effective tabletop exercises at your facility to help you be better prepared for an emergency.

The Scenario we promised:

Code Red Exercise – Laundry Cart
Purpose
To ensure your Continuing Care site can respond to a Code Red incident effectively.
Scope
Site dependent – can include one or more departments/ units within a site.
This exercise may be an orientation, drill, tabletop, functional or full scale but is limited to one facility.
.Objectives
• To evaluate existing site Emergency Response Code Plans related to Code Red
• To establish a Command Post to manage the response
• To evaluate the ability to communicate the emergency within the facility
• To demonstrate the ability to maintain safety for staff, clients/ patients and visitors during the incident
• TO effectively adapt to possible changing circumstances
Site conditions:
It is mid-January, the outside temperature is below freezing with a slight wind. The ground is covered by a light layer of fresh fallen snow.
Narrative
An act of arson has occurred at your facility. A completely stocked laundry cart is on fire. Smoke detectors have activated, and the fire alarm bells/ horns have sounded. A Code “Red” is announced on the overhead paging system which also provides the location. Smoke begins to migrate through the hallway.
The hotel across the street (or your current alternate shelter station) that has permitted the use of their ballrooms as an alternate shelter station had a minor flood two weeks before. As a result, the ballrooms and part of the lobby is closed off to the public allowing for repairs.

More scenarios are available here:

https://continuingcaresafety.ca/resou...

Feel free to modify as your situation requires.

CCSA Instructor Led Course information - https://continuingcaresafety.ca/instr...

CCSA OnDemand (Learner Management System) Courses https://continuingcaresafety.ca/onlin...


Video Content Creator: Kevin Barrett, CRSP CRM