Palomar Medical is ready for mass casualty event

Although a mass killing like that which occurred on Sunday morning in Orlando, Florida is almost too hor­rible to contemplate, it is perhaps com­forting to know that Palomar Medical Center is equipped and ready to deal with such an emergency.

In response to media questions about its trauma center capabilities in mass casualty events, Palomar Health Mon­day released the following statement:

“Palomar Medical Center, as a Level II trauma center, in conjunction with the San Diego Trauma System is fully prepared to treat an influx of patients from mass casualty events, similar to the incident in Orlando, Florida.

“The hospital’s Emergency Manage­ment Plan includes triage and staffing provisions to provide the level of care the patients need.

“In addition, Palomar Medical Cen­ter is linked into to San Diego County’s Emergency Medical Services and Of­fice of Emergency Services to be able to proactively share resources during mass casualty events. The hospital is an integral member of the San Diego Trauma system and has close working relationships with local law enforce­ment and fire services agencies, to ensure excellent communication and coordinated actions during times of multiple-victim incidents.

“The hospital staff is well-trained and drilled in emergency procedures for such incidents,” said

Chris Saunders, Public Relations Manager for the health system.