St Mary’s Hospital - Camrose

EMERGENCY RESPONSE CODE PURPLE

Hostage

EMERGENCY RESPONSE CODE PURPLE ALGORITHM

taken hostage
Staff Member

If able:
• Call for HELP
Appendix I
• Activate panic
button

• Notify Switchboard / Designate / Protective

Discovering the incident

Services to activate. Call 86 ‘Code Purple / Move patients, visitors

Location’ response and staff in the immediate
Staff Member

• 911 to be called requesting Police assistance vicinity to a safer area

and provide as much detail as possible: Prevent others away from the incident
- exact location of captor and hostages from entering
- number and description of captors the area If moving is not advisable,
- number of hostages and any injuries known shelter in place behind
- number and type of weapons secured doors (locked /
- any demands made barricaded)
- call back #___________________

Upon receiving notification, advise

Switchboard / Designate

Notify: When directed by Site

all staff:
• Protective Services if on- Admin / Admin On-Call,
• “Code Purple / Location” site 780-678-4200 or announce:
(three times) Covenant Health • “Code Purple, All
• Call 911 Security Managerat 1- Clear” (three times)
• Site specific variations to 780-446-9497 • Site specific variations
overhead announcements and • Site Administration 780 to overhead
internal activations 781 0895 / Administrator announcements and
On-Call 780-679-7688, internal activations)
Hold all calls to the hostage area unless already done

Title Effective Date Document # Site

Emergency Response Code May 2016 ERC 4 St Mary’s Hospital
Purple
Reviewed and Approved By Covenant Health Emergency/Disaster Management May 2016 Page 1 of 5

Produced by Alberta Health Services and Adapted for Covenant Health Sites
 Supervisor (if PS not on-Site)
• Respond to incident and provide assistance as required
Protective Services or

• If requested by the manager or person in charge/

Designate, Protective Services is prepared to assume the
on-scene Incident Commander role Prevent unnecessary /
unauthorized traffic into
• Secure the area and control access
the area to preserve
• Assist uninvolved areas to lockdown their areas evidence until Police
• Meet and assist Police on their arrival, providing a copy of arrive
facility’s layout, information on how facility doors open or
close, utility access, video feeds (CCTV), keys and access
cards

• Assist and direct staff to move

those in vicinity of incident to a
Supervisor / Designate

safe area
• Gather information from staff Consult with Police,
of Affected Area

discovering the incident Site Administration /

Ensure incident
• Confirm ‘Code Purple’ has Administrator On-Call / Arrange for
documentation
been activated Protective Services (if staff support
is completed by
• Confirm Site Administration / on-site) for possible as needed
staff
Administrator On-Call has escalation or when to (EFAP etc)
been notified announce ‘All Clear’ as
• Notify physician and obtain appropriate
health record if captor is a
patient
• Assist Police as required

• If a Code Purple is called If Code Purple is called for • Close and secure
All Staff Members

for your work area while a different work area while doors if possible
you are away, do not you are away, return to • Ask visitors to
return there OR your own work area if it is remain in your
• Report to an unaffected not affected, and it is safe work area until the
area to assist staff in to do so ‘All Clear’ is
securing their access announced

Title Effective Date Document # Site

Emergency Response Code May 2016 ERC 4 St Mary’s Hospital
Purple
Reviewed and Approved By Covenant Health Emergency/Disaster Management May 2016 Page 2 of 5

Produced by Alberta Health Services and Adapted for Covenant Health Sites
 Consult with manager or • Determine need to establish In consultation with
person in charge of Site Command Post to engaged parties
affected area / coordinate actions and determine when
Protective Services / communications to staff incident has resolved:
• Advise Switchboard
Administrator On-Call

Police to determine • Ensure notification to Zone

Site Administration /

actions, based on risk Leadership, Communications, / Designate to

• Escalation of RAAPID via Incident announce ‘All Clear’
response Notification Algorithm (three times)

Ensure Urgent Ensure all other

Notification of an incident documentation
Emerging Issue form has been completed
has been completed

Site: Document #:
St Mary’s Hospital, Camrose ERC 4
Approval Level: Initial Effective Date:
Covenant Health E/DM May 2016
Cross Reference: Revision Effective Date:
Lockdown Emergency Response Procedure May 2016

PURPOSE

Emergency Response Code Purple is the designated phrase to alert personnel to an incident where
a patient / client, visitor, a member of staff or a physician is being held against their will by another
individual or where someone is threatening violence with a weapon.

APPLICABILITY

Emergency Response Code Purple applies to all personnel.

ACTIVATION

Emergency Response Code Purple can be initiated by any member of staff or physician who
witnesses or recognizes a potential or actual situation of someone being held against their will that
requires an immediate response by following the preceding algorithm.

Title Effective Date Document # Site

Emergency Response Code May 2016 ERC 4 St Mary’s Hospital
Purple
Reviewed and Approved By Covenant Health Emergency/Disaster Management May 2016 Page 3 of 5

Produced by Alberta Health Services and Adapted for Covenant Health Sites
The Police may respond to a Code Purple. Once on site, the Police should be briefed by Protective
Services (if on-site) or the Supervisor of the impacted area. If possible, relevant floor plans and a
copy of this Emergency Response Code should be made available. The Police would assume
command and control and would follow their own scene safety and management procedures.

POST INCIDENT ACTIONS

For a facility impacted by an Emergency Response Code Purple, Site Administration is to:

• Assess for injuries and facility damage.

• Implement subsequent emergency response plans as appropriate.
• Complete incident documentation as follows:
o Reportable Incident Form (Senior’s Health / Continuing Care sites).
o Urgent Notification of an Emerging Issue (all other sites).
o Other site or zone-specific documentation as appropriate.

Advice on document completion may be sought from Covenant Health Emergency / Disaster
Management staff or from the Local Administrator On-Call (during evenings and weekends).

Emergency/Disaster Management staff may also be contacted for assistance in facilitating the post
incident debriefing.
A patient’s health record would not normally be annotated with details of the incident. However, all
pertinent health information and collaborating information relevant to the care of the patient should be
documented in the patient’s health record. Pertinent health information is defined as anything having
a potential effect on the patient including anything relative to the stay, or anything having direct
medical, physical or mental consequences.

REFERENCE
Corporate Policy I-25 Emergency/Disaster Management Response

Title Effective Date Document # Site

Emergency Response Code May 2016 ERC 4 St Mary’s Hospital
Purple
Reviewed and Approved By Covenant Health Emergency/Disaster Management May 2016 Page 4 of 5

Produced by Alberta Health Services and Adapted for Covenant Health Sites
 Appendix 1

STAFF MEMBER TAKEN HOSTAGE

The first 15 – 45 minutes of a hostage-taking have the greatest threat of violence and aggression.

Do’s:
• Remain calm, if spoken to, speak in a calm voice
• Be patient and be an empathetic listener
• Consider escape opportunities carefully. If there is an accessible escape route and it is
safe to do so and you are sure you will be successful, attempt to evacuate; regardless of
whether other hostages agree or are able to follow.
• Try to build rapport by reminding captors of your human needs and by asking for items
that increase your comfort (going to the bathroom, eating, drinking)
• Follow the instructions of your captors especially if that means turning in your cell phone
as you do not want to get caught being deceptive by keeping your cell phone
• Try to stay a safe distance away from captors
• Avoid appearing to study your captors
• Identify yourself initially by first name only, but do not be deceptive about your identify
• Maintain a low key profile, remain alert and stay facing your captors
• Avoid phony camaraderie
• Adapt to the vocabulary level of your captors
• Stay away from doors and windows to avoid injury in the event of a Police intervention
• Ask for clarification of captor’s instructions only if it will not escalate the situation, and be
tolerant of other hostages

Do not’s;
• Do not attempt to handle dangerous situations alone.
• Do not be aggressive or use threatening body language
• Do not speak unless spoken to and do not volunteer information
• Do not be deceptive about your identity as you do not want to get caught in a lie.
• Do not negotiate by making promises in exchange for release.
• Do not make suggestions to your captors, never beg, plead, cry, demand or complain, do
not debate the captor’s cause.

During or immediately after the Police intervention:

• Do not run
• Drop to the floor, remain still and keep in plain view
• Follow the instructions of Police and keep your hands visible to them
• You may be placed in handcuffs or subdued until captors have been taken into custody

Title Effective Date Document # Site

Emergency Response Code May 2016 ERC 4 St Mary’s Hospital
Purple
Reviewed and Approved By Covenant Health Emergency/Disaster Management May 2016 Page 5 of 5

Produced by Alberta Health Services and Adapted for Covenant Health Sites