Emergency/Evacuation Plan(s)

It is vital to have a clear plan for what to do in the case of an emergency while in the field. When accidents occur, many simultaneous actions often need to happen, both in the field and at the administrative level of your organization back home. Discussing, pre- planning, and practicing scenarios can all help to prepare when a real situation arises. 

Part 1: Field Emergency/Evacuation Considerations

• Pre-planning is key.
  • Research emergency response options where you’re going. Carry explicit directions, phone numbers for these resources
  • What equipment do you need?
    • Communication devices (cell phones, satellite phones, radios, etc.)
      • Check on cell service
      • Will you carry a GPS device
      • Consider purchasing or renting a satellite phone. One reputable company that sells/rents these is DeLorme.
  • Do you need additional maps?
  • Talk through a potential scenario with your instructor team
  • Tell someone (your supervisor and your family) where you’re going. Leave a detailed itinerary with them so they have some idea where you might be on a given day. This information can be included in your field safety plan.
  • Establish a check-in frequency; leave a local contact number for your family/supervisor back home in case you don’t check in. Include this in your field safety plan.
• Use your First Aid Skills if/when a real incident occurs
  • Perform first aid, patient assessment, and thorough documentation
  • Use available resources like first aid kits, drugs and drug protocols, first aid texts, expertise in your group
  • Consider long-term patient care considerations (i.e. if a patient is incapacitated and they need to stay in your care for an extended period of time, how will you help them go to the bathroom, change clothes, etc.)
  • Don’t forget to take care of the rest of your group (and yourself).
    • Remember if one of your participants gets really hypothermic, others in your group may be on the verge of hypothermia too.
    • In an emergency, other participants often want (and perhaps need) to feel useful and helpful. Delegate tasks, communicate with all of them as often as you can.
    • Facilitate a debriefing of any extended stressful emergency. If you’re uncomfortable leading this yourself, get help to do this for your group.
• Develop an Evacuation Plan - determine type of evacuation needed (is it medical, behavioral, a policy violation? Should it be fast or slow?).
  • Is there an immediate threat to life or limb?
  • Can the patient walk?
  • Distance and difficulty of terrain to get to medical support
  • Group physical and emotional strength, technical abilities
  • Weather conditions
  • Communication possibilities
  • Available outside assistance (helicopter, Search and Rescue, etc.)
• Be a leader, organize, and delegate responsibilities
  • Don’t be afraid to be directive
  • Keep everyone gainfully occupied
• Document
  • Use Illness/Injury Report Forms notes.
  • Photograph and/or sketch pertinent scenes or environmental factors
• Communicate with Emergency Medical Support and supervisor/ university contact
  • Know and use local EMS to get help. Carry directions, maps, and contact info for nearest local medical facility.
  • Use cell or satellite phones. Be prepared with your message prior to calling:
    • Know what you want
    • Have your documentation ready
    • Be prepared to take notes
    • Communicate your Evacuation plan
      • Patient’s first and last name
      • Your location
      • Know your timetable for evacuation
      • Request additional resources
      • Have a back-up plan
  • If electronic communication isn’t available, consider runner/messenger teams and evacuation teams
    • Take time to prepare runner teams; send 2-4 people with 1 instructor if at all possible).
    • Always have a timetable and plan for returning the runner party to the field
• Helicopter specific guidelines
  • If requesting a helicopter, additional information may need to be communicated
    • Number and weight of patients
    • Wind speed and direction
    • Current weather conditions
    • Lat/Long and elevation of landing site
    • Geographical description of landing site
  • Landing sites
    • Signal or compass mirror can be used to catch eye of pilot
    • Maintain visual contact until helicopter has landed.
    • Mark landing zone with securely anchored brightly colored markers.
  • Safety around a helicopter
    • Approach only when pilot motions to do so. Always stand where the pilot can see you.
    • Never walk in front of a helicopter or approach it from uphill.
    • Stay low whenever near the rotors.

Part 2: Administrative Emergency/Evacuation Considerations: In the event of a serious incident:

• Does your supervisor have a plan to initiate a crisis management team? What’s the clear chain of command/responsibility?
• Administrative Communication Management
  • Get the facts of the event ASAP
  • Communication with field incident leaders: things like witness statements, evidence (photos/sketches), site visits to re-create the story are all important
  • Who writes press releases and how are they managed? How to handle both internal and external communications?
  • Family notification and interaction: done ASAP by a high-level administrator; continual contact is also important.
• Incident review: might include in-depth interviews with students and staff, course records, police reports, etc.
• Practice scenarios can be very instructive