47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

emergency communications frequently broke, disconnecting thehospital systems from the outside world. Hancock Medical Centerlost not only the satellite dish, but also the dish for the educationsystem and its television antennae. West Jefferson Medical Centerlost only one antenna.External communication isn’t the only important link thatcan be broken during a hurricane. Internal communications(for example, from surgery to the nursing floor, or from thenursing floor to the supply storage areas) are critical to maintainfunctionality.At Hancock Medical Center, the only means for internal communicationswere 5-Watt Motorola radios. These continued to workwell, and were relied upon exclusively when the telephone switchgearflooded and broke down. West Jefferson Medical Center alsoused radio communication that continued to work throughout thestorm. Cellular phones also worked, until the transmission towerwas toppled. Hospitals that had ham radio operators bring theirequipment in, or had a ham radio set-up in the hospital, foundthis system very important and useful. Several hospitals plan tohave ham radios available for future emergencies.Charity Hospital and West Jefferson Medical Center lost their computersbecause the computer network power supplies were notwired into the emergency power supply grid. John Hancock MedicalCenter also lost its computers when the ground floor flooded(see Figure 4-14).Since many communication systems are dependent on externalnetworks that may be out of commission, roof antennae should bewell anchored, or mounted inside of penthouses. Satellite dish antennaemay have to be taken down prior to a hurricane and putback after the storm had passed. Finally, redundancy of systems isimportant, as proven during Katrina—one system may work whereothers do not.4-22 OBSERVATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CRITICAL FACILITIES