McLeod Health Dillon prepares year-round to meet the needs of its patients in case of disaster.
In compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the McLeod Health system has established policies and procedures to prepare, respond and recover from emergency incidents, and to activate the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) during such events.
Activation of Incident Command can be triggered by many types of incidents – hurricane, mass casualty, or a pandemic like the Coronavirus – anything that could impact the daily operations of the hospital.
Tracy Pelt is the Director of Security and Emergency Management at McLeod Health Dillon. Pelt works as an emergency preparedness liaison between the hospital, local, state and federal governments. He also works to keep the facility in compliance with standards for hospital emergency preparedness.
“The key to emergency preparedness is reinforcing teamwork to each team member. By working together and assisting each other in every aspect, we will be able to respond in a very streamlined way,” said Pelt. “It is important that the medical center be prepared for emergency situations in order to care for the community in which we live and work.”
Throughout the year, McLeod Health Dillon holds drills to prepare staff for disaster response. Community partners, including local law enforcement and first responders are often invited to attend the drills.
“If an emergency situation were to arise, our first priority is to protect our patients, our staff and, as the situation extends out into our community, our families,” added Pelt.
