Tsunami simulation at Psychiatric Hospital tomorrow

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has advised that the Psychiatric Hospital, at Black Rock, St. Michael, will conduct a planned tsunami simulation tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Residents and persons conducting business in the area of the hospital and those in the surrounding community are asked to note that two alarms will sound off during the exercise. The first will alert staff and clients of an ‘earthquake’.

They will be instructed to stand by for evacuation. The second alarm will alert staff and clients to evacuate.

Additionally, there will be two assembly points for staff and clients with personnel in place to monitor and direct flow. The aim of the simulation is to test the following:

• Responsiveness of staff and clients to a tsunami warning.
• The response time from the time the warning is issued to the time taken to reach the assembly points.
• The ability of staff and clients to follow instructions.
• The flow and effectiveness of the evacuation routes.

The hospital’s Disaster Preparedness Committee members have ensured that all security measures will be in place and provisions have been made to ensure the safety of clients and staff. (BGIS)