CHSP Emergency Preparedness and Response Questions and Answers

Question 1

A multi-vehicle accident on a nearby highway results in a surge of over 30 critically injured patients arriving at the hospital. What is the IMMEDIATE priority for the hospital's leadership upon being notified of this mass casualty incident (MCI)?

Accepted Answer

Activating the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS).

Answer

The immediate activation of the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is the top priority. HICS provides a standardized, flexible command and control structure essential for managing the chaos of a mass casualty incident, establishing clear roles, organizing an effective response, and efficiently managing resources.

Question 2

A hospital is conducting its annual Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA). Which of the following is the primary purpose of this process?

Accepted Answer

To identify and prioritize potential emergencies that could affect operations or the demand for services.

Answer

The primary purpose of a Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) is to systematically identify potential hazards (natural, technological, human-caused), assess their probability of occurrence, and evaluate their potential impact on the facility and community. The results are used to prioritize all subsequent planning, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts.

Question 3

A hospital experiences a complete failure of its normal electrical power supply. The emergency generators successfully start. According to NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, what is the maximum time allowed to restore power to critical branch circuits?

Accepted Answer

10 seconds

Answer

NFPA 99 and NFPA 110 require that for a Type 1 Essential Electrical System (EES), which serves critical care areas, power must be restored from the alternate source (generator) to the critical and life safety branches within 10 seconds of an outage.

Question 4

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Emergency Preparedness Final Rule, how often must a hospital's Emergency Operations Plan, policies, and communication plan be reviewed and updated?

Accepted Answer

Annually.

Answer

While the 2019 CMS Burden Reduction rule changed the review frequency for some provider types to every two years, hospitals and long-term care (LTC) facilities are still required to review and update their emergency preparedness program, including the EOP and associated plans, at least annually.

Question 5

An exercise that involves the simulated movement of patients and the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to test communication and coordination functions is best described as which type of exercise?

Accepted Answer

Functional Exercise

Answer

A functional exercise is designed to test and evaluate specific capabilities, functions, or interdependent groups of functions in a time-pressured, realistic environment. It involves activating the EOC and command staff to test functions like communication and resource management, but without the actual, large-scale deployment of field personnel and equipment seen in a full-scale exercise.

CHSP - Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Practice Test

CHSP - Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Practice Test

CHSP Emergency Preparedness and Response Questions and Answers