St Vincent’s Participating In National Emergency Network

BRIDGEPORT — St Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport has become the first hospital in the state to become part of 866 Recover, a national emergency management program owned by Service Master. The new alliance between St Vincent’s and Service Master of Greater Bridgeport was announced May 18 by both organizations.

Under terms of the partnership agreement, Service Master will help the hospital assess and manage risk related to areawide disasters such as severe weather, flooding, fire, or acts of terrorism.

St Vincent’s President/Chief Executive Officer Susan Davis, RN, EdD, said that the hospital already has extensive procedures for emergency situations and has long been conducting disaster drills with its existing risk management team and local emergency management resources.

“St Vincent’s is no stranger to emergency planning, but this added layer of protection gives us access to national resources we did not have before. Of course we hope they are never needed,” she said in a release.

866 Recover provides resources in case of fire, water, flooding, and other interruptions to continuity of patient care.

Should an areawide disaster take place affecting St Vincent’s operations, Service Master will provide whatever resources are necessary through its extensive network of franchises allowing the hospital to remain up and running. This means bringing in fire remediation equipment, water cleanup materials, or air handling and testing equipment to prevent mold buildup in the aftermath of water damage.

In addition, if an emergency takes place beyond the ability of St Vincent’s to recover immediately, it will receive priority services even at a time when similar services may be stretched to the maximum. This means the hospital will recover quicker and continue providing needed community and in-hospital patient care.

Paul Plouffe, owner of Service Master Greater Bridgeport, said 866 Recover was born out of the company’s experience at the Pentagon in the aftermath of 9/11.

“Crews from throughout the Service Master system from Maine to Miami were brought in to help with not only the cleanup and reconstruction, but also for preloss contingency planning should something happen in the future.”

He added that these are the kinds of services that will be provided to St Vincent’s under terms of the agreement, which applies equally to St Vincent’s off-site facilities including St Vincent’s Immediate Healthcare Centers and St Vincent’s Behavioral Health Services.

The included services encompass fire and smoke restoration, water damage mitigation, drying and dehumidification, building stabilization, and reconstruction services. All work is completed in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.