PEI

Mock airport disaster tests hospital's Code Orange protocol

Charlottetown Airport and Queen Elizabeth Hospital will carry out a mock disaster training exercise Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency being made to look as realistic as possible

Island EMS ambulance with paramedic standing behind van looking at stretcher in back of ambulance.
Emergency personnel will be busy at Charlottetown Airport Wednesday afternoon. (Pat Martel/CBC)

Charlottetown Airport and Queen Elizabeth Hospital will carry out a mock disaster training exercise Wednesday afternoon.

Kelley Rayner, director of hospital services and the QEH, said the exercise will provide an opportunity to both train staff and test the system.

The scenario will test the hospital's Code Orange systems, Kelley Rayner. (CBC)

"The staff go through the exercise, go through their various roles — different staff have different roles — and to test that, and to see if there's things that we need to do to change it, to improve it," said Rayner.

"It's not something that happens very often, but it's very important that the hospital do that so that they are ready in case of a real incident."

The scenario will also involve the Charlottetown Airport, and 29 mock disaster victims.

Operations will continue as normal at the airport, but there will be an unusual number of emergency responders on site.

At the hospital regular emergency service will not be affected, but there could be delays for non-urgent cases in the emergency department.

Clinic hours in Charlottetown have been extended Wednesday to provide better service.