U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — The Virgin Islands Department of Health, through its Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program and Division of Public Health Preparedness, has launched a multi-phase emergency preparedness exercise titled Operation Guardian Angels, designed to strengthen the territory’s ability to respond to disasters involving infants, children, and adolescents.
“Children have unique medical and emotional needs during disasters,” said VI Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion. “Practicing how we respond to these situations allows our healthcare providers, emergency responders, and public health teams to strengthen coordination and ensure that when an emergency occurs, we are ready to support and protect the children and families of the Virgin Islands.”
The exercise is being conducted as part of an EMSC Program requirement established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which supports states and territories in improving emergency care systems for children.
The exercise includes both tabletop and full-scale simulation components, bringing together healthcare providers, emergency responders, and public health partners to test coordination, communication, and pediatric clinical readiness during a disaster scenario affecting children and families.
The tabletop portion of the exercise will be conducted on Thursday, March 5, on St. Thomas, and Friday, March 6, on St. Croix, with participation from a wide range of partners including emergency medical services providers, hospitals, and other healthcare and emergency management stakeholders across the territory. The discussion-based exercise allowed participants to walk through a simulated pediatric emergency scenario and evaluate response procedures, decision-making, and interagency coordination.
Operation Guardian Angels will culminate with a full-scale operational drill scheduled for March 24–26, during which emergency responders, healthcare providers, and public health partners will simulate real-time response activities. This hands-on exercise will allow participating agencies to test coordination, patient care procedures, and emergency communications in a realistic disaster scenario involving children.
The full-scale drill is designed to assess several critical areas of disaster preparedness, including:
- Pediatric emergency medical response and triage procedures
- Coordination between EMS, hospitals, and public health agencies
- Emergency communications and information sharing among response partners
- Resource management and patient movement during a pediatric surge event
- Family reunification and child-centered care considerations during disasters
Jacqueline Greenidge-Payne, EMSC Program Director, said the exercise represents months of collaboration with key stakeholders to ensure the territory continues to strengthen its pediatric disaster response capabilities.
“The EMSC Program has been working closely with the Division of Public Health Preparedness to design this exercise so that our emergency response partners can practice how we care for children during disasters,” said Ms. Greenidge-Payne. “Children require specialized medical care and coordination during emergencies, and this exercise allow us to continually strengthen our systems, identify gaps, and ensure that our territory is prepared to respond effectively when children are affected by disasters.”
Through initiatives such as Operation Guardian Angels, the VI Department of Health continues to strengthen pediatric emergency preparedness and improve coordination among hospitals, emergency responders, and public health partners throughout the territory.