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.
