On the afternoon of October 27th 2011 a plane carrying 9 people performed an emergency crash landing on Russ Baker Way in Richmond, 900 meters short of the runway. All 9 passengers and 3 additional people on the ground sustained serious injuries. Code Orange was called at both Vancouver General Hospital and Richmond Hospital.

A mock patient being triage during a Code Orange exercise at VGH.

Code Orange is called when there has been a mass casualty incident that requires hospital staff and physicians to take immediate actions to prepare for an influx in patients. Depending on the site where you work, there are different levels of Code Orange that can be called. However, despite the differences there are certain actions that all staff need to know:
• All staff return to their home units and await further instructions; no one should leave if it is shift change until the impact of the mass casualty is understood
• All breaks are cancelled until further notice; Review plans and prepare
• Units review patients, assess discharge options and potential additional bed capacity
• Functional areas in emergency may be established – others as required
• Normal operations may be curtailed to manage the situation
• Activation of an Emergency Operations Centre
• Affected departments will be contacted by the Emergency Operations Centre
• Other sites may be notified as appropriate

Take Action:

Find your Emergency Response Plans and review your departmental code orange plans. Make sure there are multiple copies of the action checklists and forms printed off and available. Know where your call back lists are and how to enact them. Listen for instructions over the PA system and always work as a team!

Do we recall staff?

We have learned from past code orange responses that immediate call back of staff is not necessary for all units. It is best to hold onto the staff you have (particularly if there is a shift change approaching), and wait for instructions from the Emergency Operation Centre.

Are we ready?

On the morning of April 29th, VGH, RH and C&W will be participating in a mass casualty exercise, led by the Vancouver International Airport Authority (YVR). All three sites will be exercising their Code Orange plans and activating their Emergency Operations Centre to support the sites’ responses and coordinate between hospitals and other participating agencies.

Read this month’s The Responder – Code Orange to find out more. Current and past editions of Health Emergency Management BC’s The Responder newsletter can also be found using the same link.

More information on emergency procedures

Please visit Health Emergency Management BC intranet page on VCH Connect.

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