Issue link: https://securitytechnologyexecutive.epubxp.com/i/690996
28 SECURITY TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE • May/June 2016 www.SecurityInfoWatch.com EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT by Br ya n Warren, CH PA ,CP O - I H o s p i t a l s h av e a n e x t ra o rd i n a r y responsibility when it comes to security planning and countermea- sures during public health emer- gencies. They have to continue to function regardless of the criticality of the sit- uation -- unless they have been so physically damaged that they cannot, such as in Joplin, Mo. after a tornado in 2011 or the five New York hospitals that had to evacuate during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. When events in the community create patient "surges" that see a large number of patients arrive at a facility in a relatively short period of time, if proper planning and consideration is not given to security and traffic control issues (vehicular and pedestrian), such events can dras- tically impact or even shut down a healthcare facility, creating chaos and disrupting the abil- ity to provide much needed medical care for the community. It has been said that in chaos there exists opportunity, and unfortunately many criminals subscribe to this philosophy. This is why it is crucial to identify those cr itical infrastr uctures and ke y resources of our health care facilities prior to an event and understand what countermeasures will be needed for security sensitive areas of a hospital during a public health emergency event, wheth- er natural or man-made, and how we need to work closely with other departments to be suc- cessful -- such as infection control specialists should an isolation or temporar y quarantine type of event occur. Common Security Sensitive Areas in Health Care While hospitals do not typically present a pri- mar y target for terrorism or criminal action (although in cer tain specific circumstances they do have that distinction) all healthcare facilities, regardless of their size and scope, have a number of areas that can be consid- ered "security sensitive". In this context, such Security Sensitive Areas (SSA's) refer to cer- tain departments or areas of the facility that are more likely to suffer from security related problems than others. These "hot spots" are especially vulnerable for a number of reasons including exposure to potentially malicious actions, patient populations, presence of valu- ables or materials of interest, etc. These areas can include, but are not limited to: • emergency departments, • labor and delivery / pediatric units, • behavioral health units, • pharmacies, • business offices / cash handling areas, Having policies and contingencies in place before disaster strikes ensures safety and security of a facility Security Planning for Public Health Emergencies