Disaster Surge Capacity Drill Evaluation

Inspection template for evaluating hospital or facility disaster surge drills, focusing on mass casualty triage, bed capacity, staffing readiness, and supply chain response.

Drill Activation and Command Structure

• Drill activation occurred within the planned start window
  Confirm the exercise began at the scheduled time or within the approved activation window.
• Incident command was established and announced
  Verify an incident commander and command structure were identified and communicated to participants.
• Command roles were staffed with designated alternates
  Confirm key roles such as operations, logistics, planning, and finance/administration had assigned personnel or alternates.
• Situation updates were documented at defined intervals
  Verify status updates, patient counts, and resource needs were recorded during the drill.
• Communications with internal departments were timely and clear
  Assess whether notifications to nursing, ED, lab, radiology, security, and support services were sent without delay or confusion.

Triage and Patient Flow

• Triage area was established in the designated location
  Confirm the triage zone was set up in the planned area with clear access and signage.
• Triage tags or categories were applied consistently
  Assess whether patients were assigned appropriate triage categories using the approved method.
• Patient flow from triage to treatment areas was controlled
  Verify patients were directed to appropriate care areas without bottlenecks or unsafe congestion.
• Critical patients were prioritized and escalated appropriately
  Confirm high-acuity patients were identified quickly and transferred to the correct level of care.
• Triage documentation was complete and legible
  Check whether triage records captured patient identifiers, category, time, and disposition.

Bed Capacity and Patient Placement

• Available surge beds were identified and counted
  Record the number of usable surge beds available at the time of the drill.
• Bed assignment decisions matched patient acuity
  Verify patients were placed in appropriate units or temporary care areas based on clinical need.
• Overflow areas were prepared and safe for occupancy
  Confirm temporary care spaces had access to power, oxygen, lighting, and safe egress as applicable.
• Patient movement between areas was tracked
  Assess whether transfers, relocations, and discharges were documented during the drill.

Staffing Readiness and Resource Management

• Staff recall or mobilization process was initiated promptly
  Confirm the facility activated the staff notification process and received timely responses.
• Minimum staffing levels were met for the surge scenario
  Record whether the drill achieved the required staffing coverage for the simulated patient load.
• Staff understood assigned roles and escalation paths
  Assess whether personnel could state their responsibilities, reporting chain, and backup contacts.
• Required PPE was available and used appropriately
  Verify appropriate PPE was accessible for the scenario and used according to task risk.
• Fatigue management or shift relief was addressed
  Check whether extended operations included relief planning, breaks, or staff rotation.

Supply Chain and Critical Supplies

• Critical supplies were available at the point of use
  Confirm essential items such as triage tags, stretchers, IV supplies, oxygen, and medications were accessible where needed.
• Supply shortages were identified and escalated
  Assess whether shortages were communicated to logistics or supply chain leadership promptly.
• Replenishment process functioned within the drill timeframe
  Verify the facility could request, receive, and stage replacement supplies without excessive delay.
• Vendor or internal logistics contacts were reachable
  Confirm the drill tested contactability of supply chain, materials management, or vendor support as applicable.