Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Jessa Hospital in Hasselt held a full-scale fire drill in pediatric Ward B7, simulating an e-bike battery fire. Staff, led by Kris Vankriekelsvenne and Veerle Lynen, practised evacuation, coordination, and safety.
As VRT News reported, Jessa Hospital on Stadsomvaart in Hasselt held a large-scale fire drill to test its emergency procedures and staff readiness. The exercise focused on a fire in the parents’ room of Ward B7 in the pediatric department.
According to the scenario, the fire started from an electric bicycle battery. 2 people in the room were affected by the smoke. In reality, the fire was simulated with smoke machines, digital flames, and puppets acting as patients.
“An exercise like this is important for testing our procedures,”
says Kris Vankriekelsvenne, one of the emergency plan coordinators at Jessa Hospital.
“Writing out such a procedure on paper and actually carrying it out is quite a different matter.”
How did Jessa Hospital Hasselt test staff during the Ward B7 fire drill?
Veerle Lynen, head nurse of the paediatrics department, said the exercise went well but highlighted the challenges of handling a real emergency.
“This was the first time we practised the procedure in a live setting. There is always a certain amount of chaos and uncertainty, but everyone did their best,”
she said.
The exercise also helped identify areas where procedures could be improved. Hospital leaders said such drills are vital to ensure patient safety, especially in pediatric wards where quick action is essential in emergencies.
Officials mentioned that firefighters face a major challenge when responding to emergencies in large hospitals. Complex layouts and multiple floors can slow down access to the source of a fire. To prepare, fire departments carry out realistic drills that allow teams to move quickly through the building.
Digital response plans support these exercises by providing detailed information about entrances, corridors, and critical areas. New firefighters use these drills to learn the hospital layout and practice effective coordination.
“That’s indeed nearly impossible. But we do organise exercises every two years based on a floor plan, simulating the entire service. Then we see how evacuations should be handled: what do you do with someone on a ventilator, for example?”
says Vankriekelsvenne.
Large-scale fire drills have been conducted in other hospitals in Belgium and internationally. In 2016, a study at Jessa Hospital in Hasselt found that noise levels in the intensive care unit exceeded World Health Organisation guidelines, prompting discussions on improving the hospital environment. While this study focused on noise levels rather than fire drills. The National University Hospital conducted a fire drill involving 5 patient wards to test emergency response plans.
Comments
13 responses to “Fire Drill Conducted in Pediatric Ward B7 at Jessa Hospital Hasselt”
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Fire drills for kids? Brilliant! Nothing like teaching them early that life can go up in smoke, especially when you combine e-bikes and hospital chaos. 😂🚒
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Looks like Jessa Hospital decided to add a bit of excitement to the pediatric ward—who needs theme parks when you’ve got smoke machines and puppet patients? 😂 Just your everyday Tuesday in Hasselt, eh?
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So, we’re simulating fires with smoke machines and puppets now? Must be a real treat for the kids—“Look, Timmy, the hospital staff are playing firefighter with our future on the line!” 😅
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Nothing says “we care” like a fire drill in a pediatric ward, especially when the flames are just digital and the patients are puppets. 🎭 Just imagine if they put as much effort into real patient care as they do into rehearsing for this smoke and mirrors show! 🤷♂️
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Only in Belgium would a fire drill in a pediatric ward involve puppets and smoke machines—because nothing says “safety first” like a bit of theatrical flair! 😂
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Just what we needed—smoke machines and puppets in a pediatric ward. Because nothing says “trust us with your child’s safety” quite like a staged e-bike battery fire! 😂
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Fire drills in a kids’ ward? Nothing says “fun day out” like pretending to evacuate from an e-bike inferno! 🚴♂️🔥 Hope those smoke machines were worth the trouble, lads!
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Looks like Jessa Hospital’s got their priorities straight—nothing like a full-blown fire drill to keep the kids entertained! 😂 I mean, who needs toys when you can practice evacuation from an imaginary blaze?
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Looks like Jessa Hospital is taking ‘safety first’ to a whole new level—who knew pretending to be a firefighter with puppets could be such a hoot? 😂 Guess it’ll be hard to tell if the smoke or the chaos was the real highlight of the day!
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So, we’re using smoke machines and puppets to prepare for a fire in a pediatric ward? Bravo, just what every hospital needs—more chaos and less actual flames. 😂
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Jessa Hospital really knows how to throw a party—who needs a circus when you’ve got smoke machines and puppets in the pediatric ward? 🎪💨 Just wait until they add a bouncy castle for the next drill! 😂
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Just what every pediatric ward needs – a fire drill involving e-bike batteries! Because nothing says “healthy environment” like practicing evacuations with digital flames and puppets. 🚒🎭
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Conducting a fire drill with digital flames and puppets in the pediatric ward? Talk about raising the bar for playtime! 🎭🔥 Honestly, who needs real emergencies when you’ve got smoke machines doing all the heavy lifting, right? 😂
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