Paging System in Critical Situations/Emergent or Urgent Incidents – Code Purple

Should a critical incident occur where students, staff or faculty require additional assistance to manage the situation, the paging system should be utilized to alert fellow dentistry team members of the situation occurring.

A typical code system consisting of calling a code colour, followed by the location, can alert students, staff, and faculty of an acute/urgent situation regarding immediate attention, without disrupting or alarming other patients or visitors in the clinics.

The following colour codes should be used where indicated:

Code Purple – indicates a medical emergency and alerts the Nurse Manager and Faculty that medical assistance is required.

Code White – indicates the presence of a violent or potentially violent person and Faculty or Managers should move quickly to the area to offer assistance in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. If the situation cannot be immediately de-escalated, 911 should be activated.

Code Silver – indicates a much more serious situation where there is a violent person and a weapon is present. This call for assistance should be met with a team member activating 911 and other Faculty and Managers moving to the area to offer assistance/support where possible.

As with any emergency situation, those responding to the situation are meant to offer additional support but should never put themselves in grave danger.

When a situation arises, call the appropriate colour code addressing the situation, immediately followed by the location of the incident. Examples:

“Code Purple-Oral Surgery”

“Code White-Paedo Clinic”

“Code White-DSCU”

“Code Purple-Main Clinic cubicle C24”

The paging system can be activated from any DSB-clinic phone by pressing 88020 or activating the paging button if available on the phone display.

It is important that the person announcing the code over the paging system speak loudly, slowly, clearly, and deliberately. Repeat the code colour and location THREE times.

Due to the fact that the DSCU is more isolated from the rest of the clinic, additional measures have been put in place. There is remote chime system located in the DSCU to allow team members in that area to discretely activate the chime which will ring at the front desk of the Main Clinic, in a case where a patient or parent may be agitated, and assistance is requested. Admin Team members should call “Code White-DSCU”, which will alert any Faculty member or manager in close proximity to immediately approach the DSCU to offer assistance.

A note about 911:

Dialing “911” from a campus phone connects to the Campus Special Constable Service or the Student Emergency Response Team (SERT) on Campus. If an actual ambulance is required, dial “9” for an outside line, then “911” to be connected to the London City 911 Operators.