Disaster Preparedness
In Operation Atlas, one of the largest full-scale terrorism preparedness drills of its kind, BWH nurse administrators Elvi Rigby and Mae Hansen readied the hospital and staff for 20-plus patients as National Guard fighter jets forced a terrorist-hijacked United Airlines flight to land at Logan Airport. With the process for an external code amber code in full swing, Rigby and Hanson maintained communication with emergency officials at the scene, alerted the staff in the ED, Environmental Services, Security and several other departments. All the while, verifying Tower care units could accommodate however many patients the hospital would receive during "Operation Atlas," the code name for drill earlier this month.
"Elvi, Mae, ED nurse-in-charge Michael Lage and the entire hospital handled Saturday's drill superbly," said Tom O'Regan, director of Emergency Management at BWH.
BWH was among 50-plus entities to participate in this drill that was being planned for eight months. Operation Atlas, funded by the federal Department of Homeland Security and coordinated through Boston Mayor Tom Menino's office, tested all the agencies of the Metro-Boston area that would be called into service during a real terrorist event, including city police, fire and EMS crews, State Police, Massport, FBI, National Guard and Coast Guard.