Chairman of the Disaster Committee

1) The chairman of the disaster committee or his assistant will be notified of the disaster by the switchboard operator and will receive the following information:

a) name and number of the person that called;
b) nature of the disaster;
c) location of the disaster;
d) number of victims that will be sent to the hospital;
e) approximate time of arrival;
f) mode of arrival (example: by ambulance, helicopter, other).

2) The chairman of the hospital disaster committee, after putting the plan into effect, will:

a) instruct the switchboard operator to initiate disaster notifications according to established procedures;

b) immediately notify the highest local authority where the disaster site is located;

c) make sure that the shift on duty in the emergency ward is assigned to the initial triage group and to the major and minor treatment areas;

d) check that a person has been assigned to handle the telephone during the disaster;

e) make sure that the communications system is operative in all the areas of the disaster zone;

f) begin compiling a disaster area telephone directory.

3) When the chairman of the emergency committee has determined that the disaster situation no longer exists:

a) he will notify the communications department and reserve staff to institute procedures for terminating the operation;

b) the chairman of the committee will be responsible for collecting the information forms from the hospital departments that have participated, for review at the next meeting of the disaster committee.