Pearlview Rehab & Wellness Center holds successful mock drill

BRUNSWICK — Brunswick and Brunswick Hills Fire Departments recently took part in a successful mock drill simulating HVAC failure and extreme heat at Pearlview Rehab & Wellness Center to ensure that the facility was prepared for an emergency. Pearlview Rehab & Wellness Center Administrator Kimberly Corrigan coordinated the drill. She said all types of health care providers must actively plan and ensure readiness in case a disaster occurs as part of the conditions of participation for accepting payment from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Multiple disaster policies were tested such as evacuation, power outages and local emergency response that requires mutual aid from surrounding communities. The facility was also checked to see if they had adequate food, water and medical supplies for patients during an emergency. Everyone was notified in advance that there would be a drill, Corrigan said. The facility pretended to fire on the generator and had the fire department rush down the hallway while staff moved people to cooler areas of the building. Activities and refreshments were provided to residents to keep them occupied. "We would do this in the event that it was an actual emergency," she said. "We would be distracting our residents from the seriousness of what was going on. We would be providing fun activities and games for them, so that we were not only meeting their needs, but we were also meeting their psychosocial health." The drills usually last a couple of hours, Corrigan said. Communitywide drills, such as this one, occur once a year. Also, individuals from all levels of the organization discuss procedures and policies for all types of emergencies like active shooters, bomb threats, chemical spills and more once a year. "(The drills are important) to ensure the safety of not only our residents, but any staff that are in the facilities and any visitors that are in the facilities," she said. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.