2003 Model Practice Application (Public)

Emergency Preparedness Program

Creek County Health Department

The events of September 11, 2001 reverberated across the country. America's ability to respond to emergencies was sorely tested. The preparedness of the public health care system, particularly local county health departments, was analyzed, and a number of weaknesses were identified:

• In general, county health departments were not involved with local emergency management systems.
  
  
• County health departments did not have an identified organizational structure to respond to emergencies.
  
  
• Communication equipment needed for emergencies was non-existent.

In response, three rural county health departments, serving a population of approximately 134,000 people, began a collective effort to upgrade the infrastructure of emergency response preparedness. These county health departments improved their ability to respond to emergencies by:

• Developing new and ongoing relationships with local and state emergency management personnel.
  
  
• Providing emergency management training to selected health department personnel.
  
  
• Identifying and defining the roles and responsibilities of staff outlined in the county emergency operations program.
  
  
• Creating an organizational structure that identifies staff members assigned to specific emergency duties.
  
  
• Creating a communication program that is compatible with the local emergency management system.

Following September 11, 2001, a number of deficiencies were found in the ability of county health departments to respond to emergencies, particularly large scale events. This program identified those deficiencies and set up an infrastructure to address public health emergencies. Historically, emergency response within the public health care system has been at the level of the state and of larger urban county health departments. The events of the last couple of years identified the need for a more proactive and involved emergency response policy in rural counties also.

Local county health departments are inundated by a public concerned about terrorism, anthrax, West Nile Virus, and SARS. Health departments across the country have done an extraordinary job of reassuring the public and implementing emergency response programs to protect them. The staff of the three health departments involved in this report are unlike any of the other county health departments around the country. They have identified certain deficiencies in their county emergency response procedures and have worked diligently to address those deficiencies.

The time staff members spent in developing this program was in addition to their normal duties and responsibilities. The participation was voluntary and affirmed that the public servant spirit is still alive and well. The financial costs were primarily for the purchase and installation of the communication equipment. The installation costs were kept minimal because local emergency management personnel contributed their time and technical expertise. The purchase costs are as follows: handheld radios and accessories ($2,000), base radios and accessories for each site ($1,000), antennae for each building ($1,000), and backpacks for the handheld radios ($500).

The program evaluation is conducted by local emergency management director. This will be accomplished through training classes and exercises. The development of an effective evaluation structure is ongoing.

The most difficult challenge during the program development was to create an environment that would encourage staff members to change their perception of their role in emergency response. Historically, the state health department has provided most of the personnel and direction for emergency response at the county level. Only recently has the idea been encouraged that county health department personnel must take a more active part in local emergency response. An effective emergency response program for a county health department has to be developed at the county level. State agencies can provide format suggestions and ideas, but there are just too many site-specific variables and relationships to account for to have a state-mandated program format.

The minimum key elements needed to replicate the program would be:

• The flexibility to allow time to be used by the person with existing duties.
  
  
• An identifiable person (or persons) on staff who has some basic knowledge and interest in the area emergency preparedness.
  
  
• Minimum resources to purchase communication equipment.