Emergency Codes

Student Orientation Centre for Education Modified September 2017

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

• Have a basic understanding of our 11 emergency codes.

• Know where to get further information regarding codes.

• Know how to call a code.

Emergency Codes

• Each code has a policy which indicates the type of emergency,

who responds, roles of various staff, and processes that need to

be followed.

• Codes are used to activate processes in a timely manner to deal

with the Emergency.

• Each code has a specific team that is dispatched to help

manage the situation.

• Codes are represented by a colour.

Resources

• Every unit or department has an Emergency Response Manual.

• Information on Emergency Preparedness

activities and Codes can also be found under

the “Emergency Preparedness” link on the

NYGH Intranet home page as well as under

“By-Laws, Policies & Procedures/Emergency

Preparedness Manual” (Chapter XIII)

Emergency Response Codes

Impending or Actual Cardiac Arrest - Adult

Impending or Actual Cardiac Arrest - child

Code Blue

Code Pink

How to call a code:

General site

Dial 5555

Seniors’ Health Centre

Dial 14-5555

• Know which code you are calling – which colour.

• Know the location of the code

Branson site:

How to call a fire, cardiac arrest, hostage taking,

person with a weapon or bomb threat

Person who identifies the emergency will:

a. In case of fire, activate the fire alarm

b. All codes above, call 911 and follow directions from 911 operator

c. All codes above, call Security by dialing 2222 on a North York

General Hospital phone

d. In case of fire, follow REACT:

R Remove those in immediate danger

E Ensure doors are closed

A Activate the fire alarm

C Call 2222 to give exact location and nature of fire and call 911

T Try to extinguish the fire

Branson site:

violent patient, facility emergency, missing person/child

• The person who identifies the emergency will:

Call security by dialing 2222 on a North York General Hospital

phone.

Impending or actual respiratory and/or cardiac arrest

• Code Blue: 18 years of age and over

• Code Pink-Adolescent: 13 to 17 years of

age

• Code Pink: newborn or child up to the

age of 12 years (to the 13th birthday)

CODE RED

• Code Red – A situation in which the fire alarm system has been triggered into

alarm.

• Code Red “All Clear” – Announced overhead when all areas are able to resume

normal duties.

• Code Red “In Effect” – Announcement made by telecommunications to alert

staff that the facility remains in a Code Red Alert. All areas are required to:

1. Implement their area specific Code Red procedures and their relevant contingency plans.

2. Prepare for evacuation in the event Code Green is announced.

Fire Alarm System

• North York General Site, Branson Site and Seniors Health Care Center are equipped with 2 stage fire alarm systems.

• 4000 Leslie is equipped with a single stage fire alarm system. If you hear the fire alarm in this building you must evacuate immediately.

• Never assume that the alarm sounding is “just a drill” or a “false alarm”.

What are the different sounds of our Fire Alarm…

• First Stage – alert stage

The first stage sounds at 20 beats per minute and will be

accompanied by an overhead page; “CODE RED”…. “location”.

• Second Stage – evacuation stage

The second stage fire alarm sounds at 120 beats per minute and

will be accompanied by an overhead page with evacuation

instructions.

What to do if you discover fire…

What to do if the alarm is NOT in your area…

• Remain where you are to await further instruction over the emergency paging system.

• If in transit and close to your department, return promptly and listen for updated announcements.

• Traffic is to be kept to a minimum but any traffic necessary must be kept to the right hand side of the hallways and staircases.

• Turn on all lights, close all doors, to keep smoke confined to the fire area and out of the halls.

Code Green -

• CODE GREEN – Horizontal Evacuation

-horizontal move to an adjacent fire zone.

• CODE GREEN – Vertical

- evacuation of staff, patients and visitors down stairs.

Order of Evacuation…

• Remove people in immediate danger first.

• Remove the easiest patients and visitors.

1.Ambulatory.

2.Wheelchair.

3.Non-Ambulatory.

4.Resistive or patients in intensive care.

Code Yellow

Code Amber

CODE YELLOW: inpatient/resident or outpatient who

cannot be accounted for.

CODE AMBER: infants and children up to the age of 18

that cannot be accounted for.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Inform your Preceptor/Clinical Instructor/Charge

Personnel

• Call a code and provide assistance as required

• If you first identified a Code Yellow you will need to

complete a SLIP (on-line) within 48 hours.

• If you are injured, you must be seen in Occupational

Health and Safety or in the Emergency Department and

complete a SLIP (on-line) within 48 hours.

SLIP (Safety Learning Incident Process)

• A process developed to report Good Catches and Incidents in a

timely manner.

• Upon submission of a SLIP, a summary will be sent to the

appropriate manager(s) for prompt follow-up.

• An On-line form is available under Quick Links on the Intranet

page.

• Reports can be submitted anonymously except if reporting a

personal injury.

Code White

•A term used to alert staff when a violent or potentially violent patient who is unmanageable by any other means presents a danger to self or to others.

• This does not include a hostage situation or where a weapon is involved (Refer to Code Purple).

Non-Patient Violence Incident –

What to do?

• If non-patient (person who is not considered a patient/resident/or client )

1. General or Branson

a.notify Telecommunications at 5555 to request

STAT Security and indicate exact location

2. Seniors’ Health Centre

a.notify Telecommunications at 14-5555 to

request STAT Security

b.call Police 9 -911

Post Event Documentation

• Person who first identifies a Code White will

complete a SLIP electronically within 24 hours.

• If you are injured, you must be seen in

Occupational Health or in the Emergency

Department.

o A SLIP regarding the injury needs to be

completed within 24 hours.

Code Purple -

Your Role:

• Ensure your safety.

• Ensure that a staff member is aware of the situation.

• Notify security x 4444 (General), x 2222 (Branson), X 14-4444

Seniors Health Centre. There will not be an overhead page.

• Call 911 and provide necessary information

Code Grey -

• An infrastructure essential systems failure such as:

1. Loss of electrical power, normal or emergency

2. Internal Flood

3. External air exclusion

4. Loss of domestic water

5. Loss or leak of natural gas

6. Loss of steam, heating

7. Loss of medical gas systems(s)

• OR the implementation of intervention measure (i.e. air exclusion) that constitute a

health or safety risk to patients, visitors, staff, volunteers, students and physicians.

Code Black

The person that receives notification of a bomb threat by telephone will:

A) Remain calm

B) Treat the call seriously

C) Speak in a normal voice

D) Not interrupt the caller

E) Take notes

F) Observe the telephone display (if available) and note the number calling you or

any other information on the display

G) Attempt to ask questions and prolong the conversation. Try to get information about whom

or what the threat is directed against

H) Whenever possible, alert a staff member to contact Security STAT to respond to your

location

Bomb threat by mail/fax or email

If letter or parcel

Handle the item as little as possible.

Do not allow anyone else to touch it in order to preserve fingerprints or other

evidence.

Notify Security at the General Site or 4000 Leslie or Branson at 5555, SHC at

14-5555.

Isolate the area and prevent anyone from entering the area.

If by email

Don’t delete the email.

Notify Security as above.

Bomb Threat By Personal Contact

• Remain calm

• Note characteristics of informant

• Take the threat seriously and conduct self in a manner similar to being taken

as a hostage (refer to Code Purple)

• Gather as much information as possible about the individual and the nature

of the bomb

• If possible notify Security at the General Site or 4000 Leslie at 5555,

SHC at 14-5555 and the Branson Site at 5555

• When possible, document all information on the Bomb Threat Information

Checklist Form(Appendix “A”) and take the completed checklist in

person

to the Incident Manager in the Emergency Operation Centre

• Not leave the facility until authorized to do so

Code Brown

The term used to alert staff to an unmanageable accidental

release of a hazardous or potentially hazardous substance

or gas.

1. Manageable spill: the release of material, which can

be contained, cleaned up and disposed of using

standard housekeeping procedures (little to no risk)

2. Unmanageable spill: the release of material which,

identified by the worker discovering the spill, cannot

be immediately identified (clear or immediate hazard)

Upon discovering a spill…

Notify a staff member.

Responsibilities of staff:

S- safely evacuate everyone from the immediate area and secure area

P- prevent the spread of fumes by closing doors

I- Initiate appropriate spill procedure

L- leave all electrical equipment alone. Do not turn on or off

L- locate any information regarding the chemical, if possible, and act

accordingly

Call Code Brown.

Post Event Documentation

• Person who first identifies a Code Brown will complete a SLIP electronically within 48 hours

• Any injured students should go to the occupational health department or emergency for treatment immediately and complete a SLIP within 24 hrs.

CODE ORANGE

• Alerts all staff in hospital that NYGH has been notified of an external disaster that has/may result in mass casualties

• Hospital operations will increase availability of staff and beds to manage number of casualties

• Command Centre will be established as needed that will provide support to families of casualties of external disaster

Code Orange CBRN

• CBRN is an acronym for Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear event.

• A select number of clinical and non-clinical staff at NYGH are especially trained to manage actual and potential CBRN events.

• CBRN equipment used for screening and decontamination of casualties stored adjacent to the point of entry (Emergency Department).

Remember…

Please BE PREPARED!

Your response in an emergency situation

could save someone’s life!