Fire in basement of hospital today

About 3pm today (Sunday) there was a fire in the service area of the basement of Bay of Plenty District Health Board’s Tauranga Hospital. The fire was contained to one switchboard, and almost immediately extinguished by the sprinkler system. While there are three switchboards one was taken out completely, resulting in power to the Emergency Department, APU and Radiology being cut.

However, a smelly acrid smoke quickly spread through the hospital ground floor with some filtering to the first floor. About 60 people, patients, family members and staff were evacuated to the front and rear of the hospital.

Triage stations were immediately set-up outside ED and two ambulances were used to treat some patients, allowing some procedures to be done and giving some privacy. Other patients lay in the sun with sheets above to provide shelter, and ice blocks were handed out.

The evacuation was completed just after 3pm and by 5pm all patients were back in the hospital although not in the wards from whence they came.

Ward 3A was opened and patients from APU were relocated to there. ED patients were relocated to the Medical Day Stay Unit, with the more seriously ill taken to ICU.

Security guards and ED staff will be stationed at the front of the hospital tonight and for as long as required directing patients to the relocated ED in the Medical Day Stay Unit.

The incident was attended by Fire Service and St John staff. St John brought two frontline ambulances, two response cars and their mass casualty trailer which includes a mobile hospital – a tent which could have been erected if required. The Fire Service had six fire trucks and their Control Response unit.

The Incident Controller Dr Derek Sage said that there was no break in patient care continuity and that at no time were patients or staff in danger.

“The response to the fire ran as planned. Staff did exactly what was required of them, quietly and professionally, managing the incident, the patients and new patients arriving at the hospital.”

Dr Sage said he is proud of how everyone responded and performed.

Chief Operating Officer Phillip Balmer said it was great to see how quickly people dropped their Sunday afternoon activities and came to the hospital to assist where necessary.

“The organisational response was superb.”

Staff from the Property Services team will be working around the clock to renew wiring that was damaged in the fire.

ED will relocate back to the Emergency Department at 6am tomorrow (Monday).

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