Important Phone Numbers

Social Services Department LTC Services for

Fire/Police/Ambulance - 911 Seniors Division
MOHLTC after hours pager - 1-800-268-6060

Emergency
Region of Durham Headquarters - 905-668-7711

Director of Long Term Care & Services for Seniors -

905-668-7711

Hillsdale Estates - 905-579-1777

Hillsdale Terraces - 905-579-3313

Codes
Lakeview Manor - 705-426-7388
Quick Reference Guide for All Employees
Fairview Lodge - 905-668-5851
Code Red - Fire

Code Black - Bomb Threat

Code Green - Evacuation

Code Yellow - Missing Resident

Code Brown - Chemical Spill

Code Orange - Community Disaster

Code Grey - Airborne Contaminant

Code Blue - Medical Emergency

Code White - Violent Person

Hot Weather Illness Prevention &

Management Program
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 CODE RED Symptoms of HRI:
FIRE
• Pale, cool, moist skin.
• Heavy sweating.
If you discover fire or smoke: RACE • Muscle cramps.
1. Remove people from immediate danger. • Rash.
2. Activate the fire pull station. • Swelling, especially hands and feet.
3. Close the door and contain the fire. • Fatigue and weakness.
4. Extinguish the fire if possible. • Fever.
• Dizziness and/or fainting.
Upon hearing the fire alarm: • Headache.
1. Stop all regular activities. • Nausea and/or vomiting.
2. PSW’s and Emergency Coordinator respond. Note: One • Confusion and decreased mental alertness.
PSW on days and afternoon shift to remain on unit. • Red, hot, dry skin (late stages).
3. Emergency Assistant does ALL PAGE and calls 911 from • Unconsciousness/coma.
Care Centre/Communication Centre and then proceeds to
front entrance. Prevention
4. Clear all corridors and common areas of residents, visitors
and equipment. • Know the signs and symptoms of HRI.
5. Take direction from the Emergency Coordinator. • Choose from a variety of beverages at and between meal-
times.
• Close window dressings (i.e. blinds and drapes).
• Close windows when air conditioning is on.
• Wear hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and lightweight, long
sleeved clothing when going outside and to sit in shaded
areas.
• Plan outdoor activities before 11am or after 4pm.
• Limit outdoor activities, and during extreme heat participate
in programs inside.

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Protect Yourself: CODE BLACK
BOMB THREAT
• Consume a cup of cool water every 20 - 30 minutes.
• Take periodic breaks as needed in a shaded, or air condi-
Steps to take when initiating a Code Black:
tioned indoor area.
1. If receiving a bomb threat (via phone, email, fax, letter, or in
• Avoid beverages with caffeine (i.e. coffee, tea, cola).
person) get attention of colleague to call 911 and page Code
• Wear light coloured, loose fitting clothing.
Black. Record as much information as possible on bomb
• If not used to working in high heat, pace yourself, especially
form or notepad.
with physically demanding tasks.
2. If you discover a bomb, block off area, do not touch package,
• Educate yourself to the signs of heat-related illness in your-
have someone tell Emergency Coordinator (no radios) and
self and co-workers.
remove residents from area.
• While working in direct sunlight, wear a broad brim hat, lip
3. If you hear Code Black paged, report to your work area using
balm, sunglasses and sunscreen.
stairwells. All managers, registered staff and maintenance
report to Command Centre, receive search form and direc-
tion from Emergency Coordinator. Search party to report
HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS back findings.
PREVENTION FOR RESIDENTS Any abnormalities, suspicious objects or packages must be
reported, identifying the location with a description of the item.
HRI (heat-related illness) occurs when your body is unable to
Staff should look for something that should not be in an area,
properly cool itself. In severe cases it can lead to heat stroke,
signs of forced entry, object similar to description from bomb
which is a life-threatening medical emergency. The effects of heat
threat, object that is suspicious in size, shape, labeling, location,
are made worse if you do not drink enough fluids to stay hydrated.
volume, presence of tape, wire or explosive wrappings, or signs
of tampering. Staff should open cupboards, drawers, and locked
Residents may be at increased risk for HRI. Older adults are at
doors. Registered Staff should open and search locked rooms
increased risk of HRI due to normal aging physiological chang-
including Treatment Room, Med Rooms, equipment storage,
es. Older adults may not recognize signs of thirst, drink insuffi-
etc. as they have the keys and are familiar with what would be
cient fluids to maintain hydration, have difficulty regulating body
found in these areas.
temperature, and may have decreased awareness of their body’s
needs.
*DO NOT ASSUME THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE BOMB -
CONTINUE THE COMPLETE SEARCH
Residents may also be at risk due to their medical conditions and/
or medications that increase fluid loss, affect sweat production or
**IF A SUSPICIOUS OBJECT IS IDENTIFIED, ASSIGN
impair the body’s ability to regulate internal temperature.
SOMEONE TO APPLY CAUTION TAPE TO A LARGE AREA
AND REMAIN THERE TO KEEP EVERYONE AWAY UNTIL
POLICE ARRIVE

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 CODE GREEN WORKING IN HOT WEATHER
EVACUATION
Your body has the ability to regulate its internal temperature
In an evacuation, all staff follow general code red procedures. through sweating and the cooling effect caused by the evapo-
Take direction from the Emergency Coordinator and/or Fire ration of sweat. However, there are a number of factors that can
department. interfere with this process and cause your body temperature to
spike, resulting in a HRI (heat-related illness).
3 Stages of Evacuation:
• Horizontal (same floor). Factors that can put workers at risk for a
• Vertical (floor above or below). HRI include:
• Total (second stag fire bells will ring).
• High humidity, which makes it difficult for sweat to evaporate.
• Excessive, heavy, or dark clothing.
CODE YELLOW •
•
Working in direct sunlight.
Increasing age.
MISSING RESIDENT
• Medical conditions and medications.
• Being overweight.
When a resident is thought to be missing, the Registered Nurse
• Smoking.
in charge of the missing resident’s area will act as the Search
• Consuming alcohol or caffeine.
Coordinator. If the RN is not available, the RPN on the unit or
the Emergency Coordinator will act as Search Coordinator.
Symptoms of heat stroke include:
To establish that the resident really is missing, the Search Coor-
dinator will, and not necessarily in the following order, depend- • Headache.
ing on individual circumstances: • Nausea / vomiting.
1. Notify Resident Home Area RPN or RN if you think a resi- • Dizziness / fatigue.
dent is missing. Consult staff members and read Progress • Shortness of breath.
Notes in chart. Consult roommate and other residents, if ap- • Rapid heart rate.
propriate, to determine if the resident indicated he/she would • Hot, flushed ,dry skin.
be going out. • Decreased or no sweating.
2. All managers, registered staff and maintenance re-port to • Confusion / anxiety.
Command Centre after hearing ALL PAGE. Receive search • Delirium / convulsions.
forms and take direction from Emergency Coordinator.
3. One employee from each search party will report back to Staff experiencing symptoms of heat stress (or observing in
command centre with results of search. others) should report to a manager immediately.

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 CODE WHITE CODE BROWN
VIOLENT PERSON CHEMICAL SPILL

Steps to take when initiating a Code White: Potential Code Brown causes:
1. If you witness a violent or aggressive resident, page Code • Train derailment.
White and remove other residents from area. • Plane crash.
2. All registered staff respond to page and take direction from • Tanker Truck accident.
Emergency Coordinator. • Spill greater then 4 litres which could endanger the
3. If the violent person is a resident: environment.
• EC /EA Follow Code White procedures – attempt to dif-
fuse situation / contact family/prn medications with con- When do you initiate a Code Brown?
sent / determine if transfer to another facility warranted. • Resident/staff/visitor Safety is threatened
• If uncontrollable – contact MD / complete form 1 / Call • Natural Environment is threatened
911 for EMS / Police if needed. • Property is threatened
• Report & Document Unusual Occurrence. • Normally when a spill is over 4 Litres
• Other Staff remain in own work area - Take direction from
Charge Nurse or EC/EA – additional staff may be re-
Steps to take when initiating a Code Brown:
quested to support other residents etc. as needed.
1. Contact Emergency Coordinator if you discover a large (4
4. If the violent person is NOT a resident: liter) spill.
• Dial 911 – if visible weapon, person not permitted on
2. Remove residents from immediate area.
premises (i.e.: restraining order in place) or become ag-
3. Contain spill using wet floor signs and spill kit until
gressive or violent.
Emergency Coordinator arrives.
• Page Code White and area 3 times .
4. All other staff await instruction from Emergency Coordinator.
• EC report to location / EA to Command Centre Other
staff remain in work area on alert & take direction from
EC/EA.
• Remove others from area and keep safe distance.
• Follow Code White procedures for Reporting & Docu-
ment Incident.
NOTE: call 911 if you feel residents or staff are in immedizate
significant danger. Defend self appropriately and call for help if
violence is occurring to you.

*Remember: Don’t try to handle it on your own –

call Code White

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 CODE ORANGE CODE GREY
COMMUNITY DISASTER AIRBORNE CONTAMINANT
Severe Weather ● Loss of Power ● Evacuee Reception Centre

Steps to take when initiating a Code Grey:

Examples of a Code Orange: 1. All managers, registered staff and maintenance to report to
• Fire, explosion, building collapse, major structural failure, Command Centre.
spills of flammable liquids. 2. Take direction from Emergency Coordinator.
• Accidental release of toxic substances, deliberate release of
hazardous biological agents, or toxic chemicals.
Important things to remember:
• Axposure to ionizing radiation, loss of electrical power, loss
• Seal all doors.
of water supply, loss of communications.
• Windows do not open in Hillsdale Estates.
• There are 53 outside doors to seal.
Code Orange Emergency Plan facilitates an appropriate, orga-
• Maps showing locations of all doors are part of the Code
nized response to an emergency, which provides for the safety
Grey procedure.
of residents, visitors, volunteers, and staff used in conjunction
• Updated procedures are on the “Everyone” drive.
with other existing Emergency Plans. The Emergency Tele-
phone Fan is activated with the notification of Stage 1 CODE
ORANGE. CODE BLUE
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
Steps to take when initiating a Code Orange:
1. Continue working duties as normal. Steps to take when initiating a Code Blue:
2. Stay alert for further instruction from Emergency Co-ordina- 1. If you discover a resident in acute medical distress, pull
tor or DEMO (Durham Emergency Management Office). nearest call bell and stay with resident.
2. If no response, have someone page Code Blue - Medical
Emergency.
3. Take direction from Emergency Coordinator.

If the medical emergency is outside the home:

• Reception will be notified and will initiate the Medical Emer-
gency by paging: Medical Emergency + UNIT OR AREA
–X3.

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