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Copyright © 2010
Roger Tannen, Deputy Chief/Emergency Manager
New Mexico Certified Emergency Manager
Understand the role of emergency management pre-disaster.Understand the role of emergency management during a disaster.Determine best practices for emergency management during a pandemic event.
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A relatively new responsibility of government in the public safety sector.Developed from the old civil preparedness campaigns of the cold war age.Modernized as a result of Y2K as fears of global technology failure loomed.
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Government and large private sector partners realized that someone needed to be responsible for writing and maintaining preparedness plans.Emergency Managers, EM coordinators, and EM planners were the result.Early “offices” were typically associated with law enforcement or fire agencies.
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September 2001 changed that.Planning and preparedness efforts now directed towards an “all-hazards”approach.Previous efforts focused on natural disaster.Now human caused events are included.
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Human Caused:Chem, Bio, Radioactive, Nuclear, ExplosiveAccidental discharge (shipping incident)
Natural:HurricaneTornadoEarthquake/TsunamiFloodPandemic
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Planning:Emergency Operations Plan – all hazardAnnexesContinuity
Training:NIMS Incident CommandTask Specific
ExercisePractice, practice, practice!!!
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Finance: track costsLogistics: obtain and track resourcesOperations: provide direct support to field responsePlanning: Assist with daily and future operational plans
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Coordinate outside resources and personnelProvide public information (coordinated messages)Provide for shelter and evacuation…And many other functions
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Coordinate cost recovery activitiesCoordinate reconstitution of government functionsResearch mitigation opportunitiesPlan, train and exercise for next event based on lessons learned.
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Provide plans and training in preparation of a medical event.Develop Continuity of Operations for continued services to the public.Maintain working relationships with public health, hospitals, medical providers, EMS providers, and regional/state health offices.
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Have a means to follow and track health alerts.Follow World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notifications
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Early notification and trackingOn April 23, 2009 I received the first notification from the New Mexico Health Alert Network.
System sends email and facsimile information to registered users.
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Messages are classified as:ALERT: Conveys the highest level of importance; warrants immediate action or attention.ADVISORY: Provides important information for a specific incident or situation; may not require immediate action.UPDATE: Provides updated information regarding an incident or situation; unlikely to require immediate action.TEST: Tests the alerting system technologies, the ability to reach the intended recipients, or provides simulated alerts for exercise purposes. 14
This first message, although interesting, did not raise any alarms.That evening national news coverage of an unusual influenza outbreak.On April 24 HAN Alert advises of correlation between illnesses in Mexico and US – an unusual strain of Swine InfluenzaInteresting… why the flurry of alerts?
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By April 26 and 27, 2010 the activity level has ramped upThe national media has H1N1 as top story every nightMy office is beginning to receive phone calls from County staff – “what do we do??”
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On April 27 I notified all County public safety directors and the County Manager that OEM was following the situation and would update them if necessary.No physical action was necessary
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April 29th I requested that the County manager send a general information message to all county employees
Reassure staff that the situation was being closely followed.Describe sign and symptomsDescribe hygiene techniquesReport illness to supervisor for tracking within the workforce.
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By May 1st the cases nationally have jumped dramatically.The CDC has already moved to Phase 5Many samples have been sent from NM to the CDC for testing.First positive tests are returnedDepartment Directors are asking if the County has a Pandemic Influenza Plan –of course! 19
The state Department of Health is sending daily HAN messagesSchools are advised to close for cleaning after confirmed cases identified.The State EOC has moved to an active watch statusThe EOC is redistributing DOH messages – overkill vs covering all bases?
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Schools are advised to remain open!The EOC begins direct notification of local emergency managers of positive cases in their county.May 2009 was spent trying (successfully)
to find County funds for the purchase of personal protective equipment.Purchased/stockpiled N95 masks and hand sanitizer gel for each County employee.
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June 2009 the WHO raised the Pandemic level to Phase 6, the highest level.This immediately created fear amongst employees.A new message sent from the County Manager to all employees describing the status change due to rate of spread.
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In August the Region 1, 3 Public Health Office requested that Bernalillo County co-host a symposium on influenza preparedness.
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Several hundred key stakeholders from Federal, State, County, and municipal jurisdictions attended.The question about “vaccine” was a hot topic.
Detail of the vaccination priority groups was distributed.
The media presented government as being as ready and prepared as possible!
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The DOH requested the number of vaccinations needed for each jurisdiction.Vaccine was first requested for first responder medical personnel.The County expanded the survey to census all employees in each priority group.
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Limited Vaccine Deployment Number Full Vaccine Deployment NumberCategories Categories
Pregnant Women Pregnant Women
People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
Health care and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact
Health care and emergency medical services personnel
Children 6 months through 4 years of age Persons between the ages of 6 months through 24 years of age
Children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions
People from ages 25 through 64 years who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems
County Department Name:
"Number" includes Bernalillo County employees and those family members who qualify as beneficiaries (dependants), also known as household members.
Department Contact Name & Number:
Group 1 Group 2
Positive cases start popping up around County officesStaff want to know how to disinfect an officeStaff want personal protective supplies.The County appoints a single County Commissioner to head the efforts in Bernalillo County.
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County Facilities Management Division installed hand sanitizer foam dispensers at every County facilityFYI: Alcohol based sanitizers are NOT approved for correctional facilities!
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Positive cases are mounting across the State and CountyAt one point Bernalillo County Housing Department was down 50% its staff!!The State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has requested weekly H1N1 updates form each jurisdiction.
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In early October I briefed all County Departments and Divisions on the status of the pandemic
Where the County was headedReminded staff of Continuity of OperationsConveyed the significance of good reporting and documentationA plan to vaccinate all County employees and their families was discussed
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In November the PPE and informational brochures were distributed to every County employee.Brochures developed by CDC and DOH on prevention of spread and vaccine use.They received a bottle of alcohol based gel
As a token and personal hygiene reminder; advised to purchase own
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And received two universal fit N95 masksEmployees were advised that they had been issued “particulate” masks, not medical masks (fit testing)They were given guidance on how to donThey were given instructions as to appropriate use:
When they begin to feel ill and need to approach some to ask permission to go homeWhen someone who is clearly ill approaches your workstation - - GIVE YOUR MASK TO THAT PERSON! 32
Weekly update to County upper management staff on local, state, national, and global status.Weekly update to the State EOC on the status of the County
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Vaccine is arriving in the State, but in far too few quantities to hold mass vaccination clinics.Target groups (medical providers, pregnant women, and children) are given priority.
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The City of Albuquerque, partnering with the Regional Public Health Office begins discussions for “outside the box”operationsThey decide to consolidate the myriad of phone call-in lines to one central, statewide 800 number.From that plan develops an ingenious fashion to deal with vaccine requests.
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The City uses its Website and its 311 information line to SCHEDULE people in the target groups for vaccination clinics.Appointments were establishedThe visual media experience of vaccination clinic chaos in CA and other states is easily averted.Several thousand individuals vaccinated without incident.
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The DOH pushed to vaccinate thousands of elementary school students.As more vaccine and the H1N1 grant money became available more local vaccination clinics were scheduled. The PH offices planned the events and provided medical staff, supervision, and vaccine.The Emergency Management offices staffed and established locations for the events.
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Unfortunately, this final push at vaccinating the public was late in the game.The rate of illness was downMedia coverage was limitedComplacency had set in.This led to poor turnout at these final clinics.
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The good news…We got to practice!
We WERE able to set up vaccination clinics, points of dispensing.We tested the COOp and Pandemic PlansWe identified problems and we have made plans for change.
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Recognized issues:Too many people asking for the same information from too many sources: use your EM office!Too much early misinformation: know your sources, distribute only what you know to be true.Make sure policy makers and upper management are well informed and use their EM office for intelligence and operations.
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Recognized issues:Vaccine will arrive at its own pace. Be prepared to deal with confused and angry public.A well written plan is just paper until it is put to use in exercise or event!!
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Get to know your local Emergency Manager!
The EM office is a venue to resolve resource needs.
Share what YOU know during an incident!
You are the expert in your field; share what you do during exercises.When the event happens you are less likely to be left out of the loop.
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