University Hospital to Conduct Electrical Utility Failure Disaster Drill

CINCINNATI—University Hospital will test its emergency electrical circuitry and diesel generators during a planned drill from 7 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 25, 2009. The drill will take place in the hospital’s Critical Care Pavilion, Lab-Medicine Building and B-Pavilion.

The purpose of the test is to ensure that uninterrupted electrical power is available in the event of a weather emergency or other occurrence that would compromise the delivery of electricity from the city’s power infrastructure.

The test is one of a number of emergency preparedness drills conducted yearly by University Hospital.

During the drill, there will be a momentary power loss throughout the buildings being tested. These areas will go dark when power is switched off at 7 a.m. Diesel-powered generators will activate automatically, but will require approximately 10 seconds to fully engage and begin generating power.

The affected buildings will operate with reduced power for five hours—experiencing dimmer-than-usual lighting, longer wait times for elevators and limited access to working electrical outlets. The drill will conclude at noon.

The drill will not compromise the safety of patients, visitors or staff. Critical hospital equipment needed to safely attend to patients will continue to operate during the drill. Although patients and visitors will be informed of the drill, it is not likely that they will experience anything other than normal operating conditions.

Questions about the drill should be directed to David Capal, director of University Hospital facilities, at (513) 584-4585. Patients with questions about the drill can call patient relations at (513) 584-6201.

About University Hospital
University Hospital, part of the Health Alliance, serves as the primary teaching hospital for the UC College of Medicine and provides primary care and specialized inpatient and outpatient services to more than 500,000 patients per year. It is home to Greater Cincinnati's only adult Level I trauma center, accredited helicopter ambulance service and multi-solid organ transplant center. University Hospital is consistently ranked in U.S.News & World Report's annual guide to America's Best Hospitals.