February 27, 2004

Wanted: A few good men and women

In the post-9/11 world, where the threat of large-scale incidents is a serious concern, the MGH has spent countless hours training and preparing hospital employees for what to do in case of an incident in the community. Training thus far has been aimed at specific groups of MGH employees who traditionally respond to disasters. Now, the hospital is looking for other employees who may not be directly involved in the hospital's emergency response — both clinical and nonclinical — to volunteer as members of the MGH Hazmat (hazardous materials) Response Team.

This initiative has been directed by senior management through the MGH Emergency Management Committee, with support from the Safety Office and the Hazmat Committee.

Steven Taranto, a manager of MGH Human Resources, reports that the outreach program underway has yielded numerous MGH and Partners employee volunteers from the main campus to Charlestown, demonstrating the widespread interest that employees have for this effort. "We would like to remind the MGH and Partners community that there still are opportunities for participating in emergency preparedness and response activities at the MGH," says Taranto.

The Hazmat Response Team is being established both to protect employees and the hospital facility from contamination and to provide decontamination of a large number of contaminated victims of a mass casualty incident or a major industrial accident in the community. The clinical and nonclinical team members will ensure that any patients arriving on campus are decontaminated prior to being treated inside the hospital.

As in all of MGH's emergency response training programs, the safety of participants is the primary concern. Volunteers who qualify for the Hazmat Response Team will receive 32 hours of initial training, will participate in regular practice drills and will maintain annual qualifications to ensure their safety and preparedness to respond to an incident.

Any employee interested in learning more about the Hazmat Response Team, training requirements and the screening process involved should contact Taranto at (617) 724-1567.