Preparing for optimal outcomes: a live evacuation exercise

Requirements for emergency preparation and training are a part of medical facility guidelines. At one pediatric level I trauma center with 525 beds and more than 12,000 employees, the perioperative teams received regular evacuation training but had never held a live evacuation exercise, so a team made up of perioperative and support personnel created a plan for a live evacuation exercise. The team evaluated the six key areas of evacuation planning: communication, resources and assets, security and safety, staff responsibilities, utilities management, and clinical and patient support activities. Lessons learned from the exercise included the need to include surgeons in evacuation plans, the need for improved communication between different perioperative departments, and the need for security personnel to assist in evacuations.