Speaker 1: So you see, folks, as this storm starts to move to the north-northeast over the next couple of days, we could be in for a good bit of heavy rain and some hurricane-strength winds.

Speaker 2: How you doing, George? Okay.

Speaker 1: You start seeing some of the first of that rain as early as tomorrow night, so be sure to bring in the lawn furniture and tie down the grill. How's she running?

Speaker 3: Mom, when are you picking the girls up for school? No, no, Mom, today's my first day and I'm late. No, it'll be a lot faster if I drive them.

Speaker 4: Well, that's it for the processing. Welcome to your new job.

Speaker 2: So it's not a problem to move her dialysis from Friday to tomorrow afternoon? Thanks. Goodbye. We need to move two more appointments back and I'm still not sure I can get an early delivery on that medication.

Speaker 4: Well, you're going to be busy most of the afternoon, so find someone that can get on that. Brittany, this is Linda Snow, the charge nurse on duty today. She'll be heading up your direct care orientation.

Speaker 3: It's nice to meet you. You too. I'm curious. Why are you moving the appointments from Friday? A storm is supposed to hit us.

Speaker 4: We need to implement our emergency operation plan as soon as possible to make sure the weather doesn't sidetrack us too much.

Speaker 3: But I thought that the storm wasn't hitting until Saturday. Well, you never know, now do you?

Speaker 2: Come on, let's get started. I'm sorry I was short with you back there. Things can get a little hectic around here when the weather gets bad.

Speaker 3: I completely understand. I was working in good care last year when they had to evacuate because the power went out during the ice storm. Oh, jeez, I'm sorry. That must have been a nightmare.

Speaker 2: Yeah. This is our occupational therapy room. We use this room to get short-term patients ready to transition into assisted living. Did you hear about the storm?

Speaker 1: It's going to be a bad one.

Speaker 2: Oh, don't you worry about that. Bessie, this is Brittany. She's our new CNA. Well, it's nice to meet you, Brittany.

Speaker 3: It's nice to meet you too, Bessie.

Speaker 2: This is B Hall. Hey there, Lucille. Hi. And this is Marvin's room. He's such a sweet man, but the poor thing just stays sick. Speaking of, I don't know if you noticed, but we try to divvy up residents by the amount of care they need. Well, how so? Well, we try to spread residents that need continuous care and bed-fast residents equally among all the halls, and that way all of our staff members can get the care they need. And that way all of our staff members should have fairly equal responsibility, which is especially relevant when there's an emergency. So if I'm working a hall and we have to evacuate, I'm responsible for all of these residents? Well, hopefully it doesn't come to that. But occasionally we do need to move residents from their rooms to a safer location in the facility when we shelter in place. But don't worry. If you need help, we'll make sure you have it. I always tell all my staff members to keep an extra change of clothes, toothbrush, all that, in their lockers at all times. You never know when something could happen and keep you here a whole lot longer than you expected. What about food? I mean, how much extra supply do you have? Well, we keep about a week's worth of food, medications, water on hand at all times, and that's enough for residents and staff. Oh, Ned, I was just coming to find you. I was just on my way to fix that lock on the back exit.

Speaker 5: George wandered out after lunch. Oh, Lord.

Speaker 2: Well, Ned, this is Brittany Johnson, our new CNA. Oh, right. Well, I have to take care of this real quick, but you can come with me.

Speaker 5: We'll talk on the way. Kill two stones with one bird.

Speaker 3: So, Ned, you're the only maintenance guy? Yep, as of last week.

Speaker 5: The boss retired, so until they hire someone else, it's just me. Sounds like a lot of work for one person.

Speaker 3: You're telling me. Odd call 24-7?

Speaker 5: I'll probably be here all weekend if that storm's as bad as they're saying. But I thought that there was a generator.

Speaker 3: I mean, won't that cover everything if the power goes out? It should.

Speaker 5: We can run it for three days on full load with a full tank. Full load? Is everything on the generator?

Speaker 3: No, just certain lights and outlets, kitchen and laundry, the necessities.

Speaker 5: On my last job, we didn't have a generator, but we were able to bring one in.

Speaker 3: Did you have a quick connect system? Yeah, I guess that's what it was called. Anyway, they hooked it up, but the heat wasn't on the backup power. Doring winner. Sure was. Well, we have heat. Central air could be an issue, though.

Speaker 2: Brittany, I'm working on the call-down list for this weekend. I know you aren't scheduled, but there's a good chance you'll be called in early in case we need extra staff when the storm hits. I guess I can ask my mom to keep the kids?

Speaker 3: You may want to figure that out sooner rather than later.

Speaker 2: Also, it wouldn't hurt to make sure your mom's prepared for any bad weather.

Speaker 5: This is a lot to take in.

Speaker 2: I have some guides and checklists for preparing a family plan that I can get you. Ready.gov is a really good website for family plans, too.

Speaker 5: And, you know, whatever happens, we'll deal with it.

Speaker 2: And nobody's expecting you to know everything. Every situation's different.

Speaker 5: We're working with the emergency planners so we're as prepared as possible, but that's all we can do right now.

Speaker 3: Bessie, you can't be looking out the window right now. I was just watching it rain. I know. But the wind is really starting to pick up. And what if a branch hit the window? You wouldn't want to get hurt. Um, I'm going to go check on that, okay? You try and get some sleep. What was that? A window just shattered in here. Is Marvin okay?

Speaker 2: Nobody's hurt, but a lot of rain is blowing in. Let's get the bed in the hall.

Speaker 5: Is everybody okay?

Speaker 3: There's a lot of glass.

Speaker 5: I'll get this window covered, then I'll be able to...

Speaker 3: What about the other residents? I mean, they aren't safe in their rooms, either.

Speaker 5: We'll have them out of their rooms just as soon as possible.

Speaker 3: There's room in the dining hall.

Speaker 5: But there are windows in there, too.

Speaker 2: I'm sure we could keep them far enough away.

Speaker 5: I'd rather not take that chance. We can use this hall, and Hall E doesn't have any windows, either.

Speaker 2: What about the physical therapy rooms? Or the showers? What was that? Must have been the generator kicking on.

Speaker 5: Linda, do you mind if I borrow Brittany for a minute?

Speaker 2: Sure, but only for a minute.

Speaker 5: Can you hand these out to all the staff?

Speaker 3: Sure, but why do we need them?

Speaker 5: In case the generator shuts off.

Speaker 3: Has that ever happened before?

Speaker 5: Nope. But if it does, I don't want to be left in the dark.

Speaker 4: Hello?

Speaker 2: David, it's Linda. I just wanted to let you know that we just lost power.

Speaker 4: I know. I've been getting calls non-stop. Is the generator working okay?

Speaker 2: It is, but it might not be bad for you to come in. It's a bit frantic here.

Speaker 4: I'm sorry, but there's just no way I could possibly get there through the storm. Roads are flooded. Trees are down. You think you can manage until I can get there in the morning?

Speaker 6: We should be okay. I'll keep you updated. Thanks.

Speaker 4: Bye.

Speaker 3: The TV's broke. Oh, no, George. The satellite just went out because of the storm. It won't turn on. George, I'm going to need you to follow me to the physical therapy room.

Speaker 5: I'm fine right here.

Speaker 3: We have a bed set up for you. I'm going to get you right back here as soon as it's safe.

Speaker 5: Leave me alone. Fix the TV.

Speaker 2: I checked with local emergency management and power's out all across the region.

Speaker 5: In that case, it's probably going to be a couple days, maybe longer, before we get power back.

Speaker 2: You think the generator's going to be okay if we need to run it that long?

Speaker 5: It should be fine. I'll check the diesel levels when the storm clears. Schedule a refill if I need to.

Speaker 2: Nancy, is everything okay? I don't think I can make it any longer. I've been here since three o'clock. My eyes, I can barely keep them open. We've set up some cots for staff in the business office. Just go lie down for a little bit, and I'll send for you if we need you. Thank you so much, Linda.

Speaker 3: George won't leave his room. Okay. And some of the other residents are getting really worried about the storm, and I've tried to talk to them and calm them down, but they aren't responding. I don't know what...

Speaker 2: Just breathe. We're all doing the best we can. We just need to stay calm and deal with one thing at a time. I know. I'll deal with George. You go check on the residents we've already moved and see if they need anything.

Speaker 7: Okay. And as I'm sure you've all noticed, the heat wave that this past weekend's storm ushered in,

Speaker 1: still in full swing, folks. Temperatures fluctuating between the mid and upper 90s with a heat index well over 100. If you're going to be outside, be wary of the overheating, and don't forget to hydrate. Hey, Ben. Hey.

Speaker 3: Hi, Bessie. Hi, George. Hi, Brittany. Hi. You all doing all right? Uh-huh. We're doing okay. I'll be back to check on you in a little while, okay? Thank you.

Speaker 4: What's the status on those fans, Ned?

Speaker 5: It was tough enough to get what we got. But I don't think we could run them even if we could get more.

Speaker 4: Why is that?

Speaker 5: The generator's not looking too hot. Well, actually, it's looking really hot. It's been running on full load for, what, 55 or 60 hours now?

Speaker 2: How is everybody doing?

Speaker 3: A lot of residents didn't sleep last night because of the heat, and now I think it's really getting to them.

Speaker 2: What about you? How are you doing? Hot. Tired. Make sure you stay hydrated. Can't take care of the residents if you don't take care of yourself.

Speaker 4: I thought we could run on full load as long as we need, assuming we have the fuel. We can test and test, but she's never had a load like this for real.

Speaker 5: When are they expecting power back? Still saying at least two days, with all the damage to the transformers.

Speaker 6: David.

Speaker 2: Linda. Is everything okay?

Speaker 4: I was wondering if you had any updates on the power situation.

Speaker 2: Looks like it's going to be a while.

Speaker 4: If we can't get it any cooler in here, it's going to get dangerous.

Speaker 2: The staff is tired, and we're having a really hard time making all the rounds. We'll just have to push through.

Speaker 4: Get Jane in if you need an extra hand.

Speaker 2: David, don't you think we should at least discuss the possibility of evacuating? We're not to that point yet.

Speaker 4: Sorry I keep waking you, Lucille.

Speaker 3: I just know you haven't been feeling well, and I want to make sure you're doing okay with this heat. I... I... Lucille? Lucille.

Speaker 2: Thanks, Jane. I'll see you in a little bit.

Speaker 3: Lucille just passed out. She wasn't responding to anything.

Speaker 2: Did you call an ambulance? Yeah, they're on their way, but this heat is unbearable. Come with me.

Speaker 3: Brittany just had to call an ambulance for Lucille. Okay. The heat worsened her condition. She was completely non-responsive.

Speaker 2: I'm sorry. It's okay. Her condition. She was completely non-responsive. She's not going to be the only one.

Speaker 4: All right. Let's think.

Speaker 2: Someone could die from this heat. What is there to think about?

Speaker 4: We may have another option. Evacuating should be our last resort.

Speaker 2: But it's getting bad. And I'd rather it not get any worse.

Speaker 4: How widespread is the power outage now?

Speaker 2: I just talked to a local official and power is still out all across the county. They said it could be a few days before the power company can get to everyone.

Speaker 4: I'll call Benson Nursing and see if they can receive us. Linda, notify the staff. Brittany, start prepping the residents. And I'll have someone contact families and let them all know our status.

Speaker 2: This box contains all the residents' information. We have their personal information, medical conditions, medications, any concerns. And all of this information is up-to-date? Every Monday, we go through the residents' database and make any updates. I never would have thought about that. As we process the residents for relocation, just make sure these sheets go back to you. Okay. I'll be in touch. David. Captain Gaspert. Good to see you. So we have to get everyone out? Yeah. We don't have AC and it's just not safe. So you have staff prepped to help the EMTs and to help get residents out?

Speaker 4: Everything should be in place. I'm going to go get my kids. Okay.

Speaker 1: I'm going to go get my kids.

Speaker 4: Okay. I'll be back.

Speaker 1: Bye.

Speaker 4: Everything should be in place.

Speaker 1: All right. Let's get to it then.

Speaker 3: Hi, Bessie. Hi. Do you have everything you need for a couple of days? I think so. I'm going to need you to hold on to this information sheet. Can I see your wrist? What's that for? Well, it's a color code so we know how much care each resident needs. Okay.

Speaker 4: All right. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks. Well, I have some bad news. I just talked to Gina at Benson Nursing. Now she's telling me they can only take half of our residents. Better than not taking any. We'll prioritize sending the continuous care residents to the other nursing facility. But we have to find another location ASAP.

Speaker 2: David, I was just looking for you.

Speaker 4: What's wrong? They can only take half of our people.

Speaker 5: Maybe we could take the rest to the church down the road? Power's still out over there. Well, I guess I could see if they have a generator, but I really doubt it.

Speaker 2: Well, I know they still have power at the school over by my house, Hillside Elementary.

Speaker 4: They wouldn't have the resources to house our residents. I'll call around to some other facilities.

Speaker 3: George, I'm going to need you to wait out here for a little while.

Speaker 5: I just want to go back to my room.

Speaker 3: Well, you're going to take a little trip today. Don't you think it might be nice to get out for a little while? Can I see your wrist?

Speaker 2: How's everything going down here? It's going well. I think some of the residents are actually excited to get out. Well, you're doing a great job, so just keep doing what you're doing. We're going to be splitting the residents among three different facilities, so I need to make sure that all the medications get to the right locations. You keep at it. Okay.

Speaker 5: The End What do you think? I think I want to stay here forever. Well, I think we're ready to get everybody back in. It's still a little warm, but by the time we get everybody back, it should be just fine. Sounds great. Then we start getting ready for next time.

Speaker 4: Don't even say that.

Speaker 3: The End Can I get you anything? No, thanks. Hi, Lucille. Hi. Well, everyone's in. We are all finished.

Speaker 2: Except for contacting the families to let everyone know that everybody made it back safe.

Speaker 3: How fun.

Speaker 2: I know I told you this, but you did great. You handled yourself well for someone who got thrown into a tough situation.

Speaker 3: I appreciate that. And I guess, if nothing else, at least we'll be ready for the next time.

Speaker 2: Just always remember that it's impossible to expect everything. We just have to try our best and do what we can. And we'll be able to do that.

Speaker 3: The End For more information, visit www.fema.gov Thank you for watching.