On June 6, 2024, CHSCPR members representing over 50 organizations across Chicago participated in a full-scale exercise. The exercise scenario involved an explosion resulting in a mass casualty incident that was complicated by a radiation threat (“dirty bomb”). This exercise was the culmination of a Radiation and Chemical Emergency Annex Seminar, a Chemical Response Tabletop Exercise, and a Medical Response Surge Exercise conducted with our members throughout winter and spring 2024.
Over a five-hour exercise period, member hospitals, dialysis centers, long-term care facilities, a hospice organization, a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center, and the Chicago Department of Public Health activated staff and emergency response plans, and conducted response activities. These activities included Incident Command activation, utilization of communication platforms, patient triage and decontamination, and continuity of health care service delivery, among other exercise objectives.
The exercise served as another clear demonstration of our members’ strong preparedness and response capabilities, their commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration, and the region’s overall ability to effectively respond and coordinate during a complex emergency incident.
Photos (clockwise): Endeavor Swedish Hospital, UI Health, Chicago Department of Public Health, Rush University Medical Center.