Preparing for the worst: Meet the duo keeping Niagara Health ready for anything

The following was written by Pia Unlayao, communications specialist at Niagara Health. She can be reached at [email protected]:

The less you see of Simon Bridgland and Josh Marshall at Niagara Health, the better.

“The only time Josh and I should be seen is when things haven't gone to plan. If we've done our job correctly, then you never even knew we were there," says Bridgland.

This dynamic duo are emergency management specialists, but prefer to think of themselves as emergency preparedness specialists. They ensure Niagara Health’s leadership and staff are well-prepared, so that when an emergency happens, the response is smooth and efficient. They are crucial in safeguarding anyone who walks through our doors.

"No matter what the emergency is, our job is to make sure the organization is resilient and that care continues smoothly afterward," says Marshall.

How do they prepare for the worst? From creating emergency training materials for staff to carrying out crisis simulations with leadership, their work extends beyond managing emergencies; it involves pre-positioning resources and preparing the hospital for any event.

They work for weeks, months and sometimes years, preparing for a single event. A recent example being the Total Solar Eclipse that took place in April, which the team started preparing for three years ago.

A balancing act 

The pair brings a unique combination of skills to their roles.

"Josh brings the brains; I bring the frontline experience," says Bridgland, who worked as a registered nurse for 30 years.

"We translate for each other, and it works really well."

With an academic background in emergency management and experience in public service and business continuity, Marshall adds a layer of academic rigor and strategic planning. Together, they form a powerful duo, complementing each other's skills and experiences to fortify the hospital's emergency preparedness framework.

Their teamwork is the cornerstone of their success. Bridgland’s clinical insights ensure their emergency plans are not only theoretically sound but also practical and applicable.

"Even though our roles are not clinical, understanding the frontline side is essential to making sure our procedures make sense," Marshall explains.

He notes that they’ve heard from other organizations where they don’t have the clinical experience. “It is not necessarily a gap, but it can be challenging.”

The future of emergency management

 Looking to the future, Bridgland and Marshall see emergency management evolving to meet increasing demands and changing circumstances.

They envision more drills and hands-on exercises to better equip staff for real-life scenarios. "I’d love to see more engagement and gamification, like hiding a bag of M&Ms on a unit and having staff find it using their search procedures for a bomb threat," says Bridgland.

Marshall highlights the growing impact of climate change and socio-economic factors on the frequency and scale of emergencies.

"We need to recognize that emergencies are occurring more often and with greater impact, not just here, but globally," he says.

This reality underscores the increasing importance of emergency management, not only in healthcare but across all critical infrastructure sectors.

Patti Snider, Manager of Risk attests to how Bridgland and Marshall embrace Niagara Health’s commitment to “Putting People First” by ensuring staff work in a safe environment and that patients and visitors are well-protected while in our care.

“Their dedication, collaboration and adaptability are what makes them the BEST dynamic duo. It is an honour to work alongside them everyday,” says Snider.

As Marshall puts it, "Everyone has the right to go home safely at the end of the day, whether they’re a volunteer, physician, contractor, staff member, patient or visitor."