By Douglas H. Stutz, Naval Hospital Bremerton Public Affairs
BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- There are two old adages shared in
the greater Puget Sound area regarding earthquakes. One is that it's not a
matter of 'if' as much as 'when.'
The other states that if there's a sizable earthquake in
your area, there are two structures that need to remain standing and a hospital
is one of them (the other is the jail).
Naval Hospital Bremerton preemptively prepares as much as
possible for the 'if' factor and has also proactively ensured the military
treatment facility is still functional after an earthquake with a seismic
retrofitting project.
In the wake of the Napa, California quake of 6.0 Aug. 25,
and another 4.3 rumbling along a well-known fault line centered approximately
six miles north of Mount St. Helens Aug. 26, the possibility of a quake
striking closer to home became a vivid reminder to emergency management
coordinators.
According to Terry Lerma, NHB Emergency Preparedness
coordinator, if such a quake happened to impact NHB instead of the Napa area on
Sunday, the immediate actions for staff after drop, cover, hold, would be
"not to run outside," he stressed.
"We would then have to immediately check all work
spaces for any damage and make any structural damage and/or injury to
staff/visitor/patients reports," said Lerma, also citing that the command
would then have to secure any leaking water, gas, air, suction, or oxygen
lines, and not use any elevators until NHB's Facilities Management department
ensures they are safe and operational.
"We would also have to check the outside grounds for
any buckled pavement, cracks, leaking water mains, or any smell of natural gas
and notify Security. We would report any fires, and be prepared for possible
aftershocks," added Lerma, also noting that a phone muster would be
started of all work center staff to ensure they are safe and accounted for.
"We would also need to prepare for a possible mass
casualty situation for non-military affiliated civilians possibly showing up at
the front gate requesting assistance and be prepared for the Navy Fleet and
Family Accountability Assessment Service (NFAAS) to be activated," Lerma
said.
Coincidently, NHB recently held a command-wide exercise Aug.
5 to respond to a earthquake as well as handle mass casualties as a result of
the natural disaster.
Those who think it can't or won't happen only have to look
to 2001, when the Nisqually earthquake, a measured 6.8 Richter scale earthquake
shook NHB with reverberations and gave staff members a forewarning of just what
it was like to experience a sizable seismic shaking, as the epicenter is just
50 miles south of Bremerton.
Dan Frederick, then officer in charge of Branch Health
Clinic, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, was attending a training class on the sixth
floor when the 45-second long quake hit.
"I remember it very well. Everything started to shake.
I was able to see outside and could notice how much the building was moving in
relation to the trees. And the movement kept going. It was scary the amount of
movement taking place. I was thinking that this structure can't take much more
because the force will cause it to break apart. Being on one of the top floors
and feeling and seeing the motion was quite the ride," said Frederick.
Because of the past experience and where the command is
situated, NHB completed a unique seismic retrofit project in 2007, which vastly
improved the structural ability of the facility to withstand a large
earthquake.
"We were the first Navy medical facility to undergo the
seismic retrofit project," said Russ Kent, NHB facility manager. "Our
hospital has to be operational immediately after an earthquake and we
retrofitted it to stringent criteria to be better able to withstand a sizable
quake in the future."
History shows that the entire area is prone to quakes, with
other such notable seismic events such as a magnitude 6.5 quake widely felt on
April 29, 1965 and a measured 7.1 quake April 13, 1949.
"We did experience damage and inconvenience when the
Nisqually quake hit. That event helped to accelerate the need for a much more
secure and stable structure. Our hospital building itself is quite strong and
flexible. We had no structural damage. But even with the tremor about 50 miles
away and deep below the earth's surface, the ground motions, and intensity of
the seismic shaking caused significant nonstructural damage, especially at the
upper floors. Rigid materials such as drywall, window panes and piping do not
perform well when suddenly required to bend," Kent said.
Lerma attests that NHB Facilities Management department has
done a great job to retrofit the core building with the Seismic Retrofit -
shock absorbing inertia dampeners - to prevent the upper floors of NHB from
transitioning from the initial shaking to the rolling circular motion
experienced in the 2001 Nisqually Quake.
"We were the first Naval Hospital to be wired with
sensors throughout the building and have our own seismograph that will tell us
immediately after a quake if the hospital building is safe to stay in, or if we
should evacuate," said Lerma.
Part of NHB's overall command readiness and emergency
response is effectively and rapidly respond to a natural disaster like an
earthquake, as well as provide medical care and prepare to handle mass
casualties.
"Our staff should always be aware of such a
possibility. We have at least two major and three minor earthquake faults running
through and/or near Kitsap County. Geographically, the Kitsap Peninsula is
essentially an island if the Tacoma Narrows and Hood Canal Bridges were closed.
Many geologists say we are overdue for "the big one," so the
possibility of a significant seismic event is possible at any time," Lerma
said.
Lerma stresses that all staff should prepare their home,
work space, and personally owned vehicles with emergency preparedness kits
along with structural preparations such as securing furniture from falling over,
making sure the water heater is safely strapped, and knowing how to shut off
their utilities. Staff should also prepare their families with a communications
plan such as an out of state contact person and a rendezvous point in case the
streets are blocked or closed.
"We must prepare ourselves and family if/when an
earthquake strikes. NHB staff might very well need to provide care for an
extended timeframe until relief arrives or back to normal operations. We have
to have the ability to sustain ourselves, and also know our families are
prepared to survive with emergency supplies for any such interim period. As a
hospital, we must be ready to serve not only the active duty and beneficiary
population, but also the "perfect storm" of circumstances that has
wounded, injured civilians show up at the front gate needing care due to the
inability to transit to a civilian hospital. If needed, we have backup utility
systems that will provide power, heat, and water for approximately a week after
a significant seismic event," Lerma said.
Lerma notes that NHB has routinely held mass casualty drills
in conjunction with an earthquake scenario. Some of the main objectives of a
mass casualty exercise are to rapidly test and evaluate damage assessment to
the facility itself; assist patients, visitors and staff with injuries; and
track patients through treatment areas and assess for 72 hours, if necessary.
Doctors, nurses, hospital corpsmen and support staff also
get tested and evaluated on their ability to set up, activate, triage and transport
ambulatory and non-ambulatory trauma patients to the correct treatment areas,
as well as provide medical care for a variety of injuries atypical to an
earthquake, such as abrasions, lacerations and contusions.
NHB's Evacuation Plan priorities are to provide immediate
assistance to visitors, outpatients, and non-essential staff; support
ambulatory inpatients, stable newborns and mothers; help non-ambulatory
inpatient, stable post-anesthesia care unit patients, and beneficiaries in
early stage of labor; and handle critical care patients, OB patients in third
stage of labor and intra-operative cases.
The NHB Evacuation Plan also contains a check list with such
information as preparing bed ridden patients by ward staff for using the
Evacu-Sled; check all spaces for patients, visitors, or injured staff, some of
whom might be hiding in closets or under furniture) and ensure that they are
evacuated before able bodied staff; ensure a safe route for evacuation (avoid
elevators) and destination (as announced); and provide for evacuee physical and
emotional care, including facilitation of communication to loved ones/family
members.
"It is every staff member's responsibility to know
their role in evacuation of the building," Lerma said.
Holding earthquake drills helps NHB maintain the high
standard of readiness and staying prepared for serious conditions such as
disaster, weather, and mass casualty situations.
Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management (KCDEM),
recommends the following for dealing with a major natural disaster such as an
earthquake, flood or severe weather storm:
* Know the safe spot in each room: under sturdy tables,
desks, or against inside walls.
* Be aware of danger spots such as windows, mirrors, hanging
objects, fireplaces and tall furniture.
* Conduct practice drills. Physically place yourself and
family in safe locations.
* Learn first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
* Create a Family Earthquake Plan and decide where your
family will reunite, if separated.
* Keep a list of emergency phone numbers.
* Choose an out-of-state friend or relative who family
members can call after the quake to report your condition. Carry emergency
contact cards with out-of-state contact phone numbers.
* Develop a portable/auto survival kit for work and travel.
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