June 5, 2025

Marshall Medical Centers Participate in Regional Emergency Response Drill

Marshall Medical Center North and South recently participated in a large-scale, online functional drill to assess and strengthen emergency preparedness across North Alabama. The Medical Response and Surge Exercise, conducted in partnership with the North Alabama Healthcare Coalition, simulated a catastrophic tornado—one of the region’s most critical threats—resulting in widespread power outages and multiple casualties.

The drill was coordinated and executed by Amanda Hopson, Safety Officer at Marshall Medical Centers, whose leadership ensured a seamless and effective exercise across multiple sites and partner agencies.

“This was a great success and an opportunity to learn where we can improve,” said Bill Smith, Director of Support Services at Marshall Medical Centers. “MMC had excellent participation and the experience will be very beneficial in helping us to be as prepared for disaster situations as is possible.”

The exercise, based on Marshall Medical Centers' Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA), was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of emergency plans, system communications, and interagency coordination during a high-impact event. Teams across both campuses sprang into action as simulated reports of damage and patient surges began to roll in.

Both Marshall Medical North and South activated their Incident Command systems and began preparing to receive patients and respond to critical resource needs. Staff executed a number of emergency protocols, including:

• Updating department-level patient census
• Reviewing inpatient charts for potential discharges
• Assessing and reporting on current staffing and supplies
• Canceling elective surgeries to free up critical care space
• Reviewing inventory of ventilators, BiPAPs, and Airvos
• Setting up morgue areas at both locations
• Collaborating with Marshall EMS to simulate patient transfers from Jackson County

“As we trained with other agencies and community partners, it reinforced the importance of shared readiness,” Smith added. “It is always beneficial when we can train together to ensure we are all working to improve the safety of our community.”

The drill emphasized the importance of interagency collaboration.

“The experience provided our team with not only a better understanding of our internal readiness,” Smith said, “but also highlighted the strength and support we can draw from neighboring facilities and first responders.”

Participating Agencies Included:

Federal Partners:

• National Weather Service
• Fox Army Health Center

State Partners:

• Alabama Department of Public Health
• University of South Alabama Center for Disaster Healthcare Preparedness

Regional and Local Partners:
Cullman County: Cullman EMA, Cullman Regional Medical Center, DCI
Jackson County: Highlands Medical Center, Jackson EMA, Heartlite Hospice
Limestone County: Athens-Limestone Hospital, EMA, EMS, Hospice of Limestone County, Limestone Home Health
Madison County: Huntsville Hospital, Crestwood Medical Center, Huntsville City Schools, Fire & Rescue, multiple dialysis and surgery centers
Marshall County: Marshall Medical Center North & South, Marshall EMS, EMA, Hospice of Marshall County, Davita Boaz
Morgan County: Decatur Morgan Hospital, EMA, EMS, DCI

The exercise concluded with strong communication across partners and clear next steps for continued training and improvement.

“This kind of collaboration builds confidence in our ability to protect the community when every second counts,” Smith emphasized.