PLANNING

CDH Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), supporting annexes, and supporting stand-alone plans detail our response to natural or manmade disaster, communicable disease outbreak or other public health emergencies. CDH has integrated the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS) in our planning, training and exercising efforts.

CDC – Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI)
CRI is a federally funded program that enhances preparedness in the nation’s largest population centers, where nearly 60% of the population resides. The program prepares areas to effectively respond to large public health emergencies with life-saving medicines and medical supplies.

State and large metropolitan public health departments use CRI funding to develop, test, and maintain emergency response plans. These plans detail how health departments will quickly receive medical counter measures from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and distribute them to local communities.

SNS is the nation’s largest supply of medical countermeasures for use in a public health emergency severe enough to deplete local supplies.

Also referred to as Business Continuity Planning, COOP Planning attempts to mitigate the lasting impact and interruption to business practice resulting from a catastrophic event or disaster, including flood, earthquake, and pandemic influenza.

While many Federal and State agencies are focused on developing plans for COOP and Continuity of Government (COG), Central District Health would like to encourage our local business partners to address their own COOP processes to ensure their ability to continue to provide goods and services to our communities in disaster situations. Below are some suggested sources of information to aid in this process.

Education

FEMA – Intro to COOP Planning for Pandemic Flu – IS 520
Introduces students to the characteristics of a pandemic, the effects that a pandemic can have on our society, and the steps organizations can take to minimize the effects of a pandemic.
Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP) training:

• • Emergency Preparedness Tabletop Exercise
  • Starbucks Business Continuity Planning: Hurricane Katrina and Pandemic Influenza

Resources

FEMA – Continuity of Operations Programs
IOEM – Idaho Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government
DHS – Plan to Stay in Business

Education and training play a vital role in preparing for public health emergencies and disasters. By continuously planning and preparing for potential events, we can improve our ability to respond effectively. Some of our training and education activities include practicing the CDH Emergency Response Plan (ERP), collaborating with regional partners, and participating in community outreach.

CDH’s Public Health Preparedness Program utilizes training resources from several expert organizations to enhance our ability to respond. Examples of these agencies include:

CDC – Center for Disease Control and Prevention
FEMA – Federal Emergency Management
Provides many programs, courses and materials to support emergency preparedness and response for emergency personnel, as well as the public.
IOEM – Idaho Office of Emergency Management
Offers awareness, management, performance and executive level courses.

DHS – Family Disaster Plan
To prepare yourself and your family by creating an all-hazards disaster preparedness kit.
DHS – Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit
Assemble supplies you might need in an evacuation or if you are confined to your home and store them in an easy-to-carry container, such as a backpack or duffle bag.
CDC – Extreme Cold
Learn how to prepare for winter storms, prevent cold temperature-related health problems and protect yourself during all stages of a winter storm with this guide.
YouTube – Are you Red Cross Ready
Oregon School for the Deaf (OSD) created this video in American Sign Language (ASL) to help the American Red Cross Willamette Chapter in Salem, Oregon reach more people in the community.