Super Storm II
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GBMC is in to its sixth day of Yellow Alert (essential staff remains on site) facing back to back super storms. No sooner had the snow from the Super Bowl weekend storm been cleared, forecasters called for a second severe snowstorm to drop 1-2 feet with blizzard potential. The medical center has been fully operational throughout with full surgical schedules Monday and Tuesday. In anticipation of the second storm beginning last night over 200 staff stayed at the hospital. Many came packed for three or four days. Putting staff up in empty patient rooms was not an option since the house was full. As the supply of cots ran low the Maryland Emergency Management System was put to use.
Dan Tesch, GBMC's Emergency Management Director, uses the hospital's Ham radio system to talk with other members of the Baltimore County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) group during the beginning of the second snowstorm. In short order 100 extra cots came from the Baltimore County Emergency Management Task Force supply at Towson University. The cots were quickly delivered to designated sleeping areas for staff.
Mike Forthman, VP of Facilities unloads the cots as Dan Tesch readies the cots for use.
Jody Porter, RN - Senior Vice President Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, and Jill Wheeler, RN - Nursing Administration, plan staff accommodations in GBMC's Hospital Command Center.
Our Civiletti Conference Center has been converted into a staff dorm, filled with cots. Staff that are staying for several nights are instructed to store their linen for the next night as the night shift comes in to get some rest.
Throughout, the GBMC Command Center remains on high alert. At 5 a.m. this morning George Bayless, VP of Finance, took over for overnight incident commander, Eric Melchior. Steve Cohen coordinates volunteer drivers and prioritizes staff pick-ups. Four staff handle phone calls as Dan Tesch, Michelle Tauson and Donita Dietz of Emergency Management, advise the Incident 
Commander.
The Command Center includes an information board with the roles of all important personnel outlined. The individuals fulfilling each role are place on the board with their contact and cell phone numbers. To the left of the board are pre-arranged binders that outline the duties of each position with an action plan set out for the first 96 hours of any emergency.
Incident Commander George Bayless surveys the storm from the Emergency Department entrance. Area weather reports are reporting blizzard like conditions with wind gusts between 40-60 mph. Six volunteer drivers are still out this morning and we will assess the conditions as they return. As conditions worsen we may have to stop transporting staff altogether. Physicians are rounding on our telemetry patients to see if any patients can move to med/surg beds to alleviate a back up in the ED.
Surgical cases from our three OR’s were consolidated in the general operating room. All of the first case patients were here and on time. Only four patients called to cancel. We will do 26 cases today and have 68 scheduled for tomorrow. Our pharmacy, laboratory and radiology departments have remained fully staffed. There is a great spirit of teamwork throughout the organization.
There will be plenty of lessons learned with these storms. Our Command Center keeps a running list of items to be discussed in an after-action session, so that we can be better prepared in the future.
Plow and the “Gator” in the front parking area. Same area twenty minutes later.
