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DHS: Pandemic Influenza: Guidelines for Public Service And Emergency Mgmt

by: Into The Woods

Mon May 21, 2007 at 21:22:36 PM EDT

Department of Homeland Security has published guidance

for developing best practices and model protocols for use by State, local, tribal, and territorial personnel in the development of pandemic influenza plans, preparedness activities, training, and exercises.

The guideance was developed from input received from Federal, State, local, territorial, and tribal emergency medical services (EMS), fire, emergency management, public works, and sector-specific participants during a three-day forum sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Chief Medical Officer and hosted by the U.S. Fire Administration on 23-25 February 2007.

Best Practices
The generic best practices provided in this document are intended to promote the development of community-specific best practices to meet the challenge of a pandemic outbreak. The public service sectors addressed in this document include: Public Works, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management, 9-1-1 Call Center, Law Enforcement, And Fire Service. The best practices are presented in two groups: those associated with the planning phase of emergency management and those associated with the preparedness phase of emergency management.

http://www.usfa.dhs....

Into The Woods :: DHS: Pandemic Influenza: Guidelines for Public Service And Emergency Mgmt

It sounds like this forum was remarkedly free of BS. Preparing the public services for a pandemic requires this kind of penetrating look at what might happen. It would appear that they did not shy away from too many harsh realities.

Planning Assumptions
o Identification and prioritization of essential services to be maintained will be required by each service sector.
o Prioritized distribution of prophylactics and personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees based on mission essential duties they perform and potential for exposure will be required by each service sector.
o Allocation and distribution of prophylactics and provision of healthcare services may be limited due to inadequate supply or shortage of capacity, thereby requiring the prioritization of existing goods and services.
o Telecommunications may likely be overwhelmed due to increased utilization caused by telework employees, homebound citizens, and public services search for resources.
o The population may be directed to remain in their homes under self-quarantine for up to 90 days per wave of the outbreak to support social distancing practices.
Planning Considerations
The planning assumptions above raise the following questions which need to be addressed during the planning process:
o How will citizens get food, supplies, fuel, and access to healthcare services?
o Will the supply chain be able to maintain the stock of essential consumables and supplies?
o Will control measures be implemented to prevent price-gouging?
o Will family financial concerns influence the ability or willingness of families to self-quarantine?
o Will control measures be implemented to cover those that are income dependent for purchasing essential items on a weekly basis?
o Will financial institutions forego strict adherence to financial policies and contractual requirements during a pandemic?
o Will foreclosures or repossessions occur during the outbreak?
o Will vigilantes develop in neighborhoods or communities?
o Will society experience a breakdown?
o Will a black market develop?
o Will the theft of resources surface in an illegal distribution market?
o Will counterfeit prophylaxis and/or PPE surface?
o Will healthcare facilities and citizens become victims?
o How will local government react to these potential problems?

(Emphasis Added.)

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DHS: Pandemic Influenza: Guidelines for Public Service And Emergency Mgmt | 10 comments

Best Practices for Pre-Pandemic Education

Pandemic Influenza
Best Practices and Model Protocols
9 April 2007
Best Practices to Support Pandemic Influenza Planning
Employment of the following generic best practices, in collaboration with local public health, public services, and healthcare providers, will promote a community?s ability to plan for the challenges associated with an influenza pandemic. Additional information may be obtained through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website www.cdc.gov/flu/avian.
? Provide education to the general public prior to a pandemic influenza outbreak.
Considerations:
o The community must be aware of how a pandemic may affect their lives through the effects of the illness, disruption of public and private services, and be given an explanation of the community?s contingency plans such as establishing vaccination centers, social distancing, and quarantine.
o Promote citizen development of home ?flu-kits?, consisting of extra consumables, PPE, over the counter medications to relieve symptoms, and existing prescribed medications.
? Alert the public to the potential limitations and/or disruptions of public services during a pandemic.
Considerations:
o To avoid panic within the community, public information messaging should prepare the population for anticipated limitations in normal public services, access to healthcare facilities, and availability of other resources during a pandemic outbreak. ...

(Emphasis Added.)

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain

by: Into The Woods @ Mon May 21, 2007 at 20:34:22 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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What ITW said

ITW,

I agree with you along with one sentance:
Before the pandemic begins, preferably long before the pandemic begins. Yes that means now.

Kobie

by: Kobie @ Tue May 22, 2007 at 09:10:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

EMS Model Protocols also include open-eyed assessment

Model Protocols: Emergency Management Service Sector
...
Preparedness
Inform public of government pandemic outbreak consequence management
o Frequent, honest, and reliable information to be released to the public
o Use local media during pre-outbreak public education
Interdependency with external departments/agencies/tribal/business partners
o Assessment of cross-sector resources and workforce
o Completing memorandum of understanding (MOU)
Plan for higher than normal death rate in community
o Develop/train/exercise a community mass fatality plan
o Develop handling/storage plan for deceased
o Clarify legal aspects of medical examiner versus coroner system
o Moving/touching of deceased prior to examiner/coroner declaration
o Identify alternatives to standard ?declaration of death? process
...
Interruption in supply chain for food, fuel, PPE, and other essential items
o Establish stockpiles to maintain operations for 90 days per wave
o Establish guidelines for using/changing PPE
Depleted response resources due to mechanical failure/lack of personnel
o Enhance preventive maintenance programs for fleets
o Establish supplemental contracts/MOUs with local repair businesses ...

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain

by: Into The Woods @ Mon May 21, 2007 at 20:45:54 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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add also the older

http://www.dhs.gov/x...

U.S. National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), The Prioritization Of Critical Infrastructure For A Pandemic Outbreak, Jan 2007

by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 21, 2007 at 20:51:17 PM CDT

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Law Enforcement Protocol - raises some interesting questions

...
o Prioritize dispatching assignments of law enforcement
o Implement triage process for calls
o Implement alternatives to normal response
oIsolate sections of community during outbreak
o Implement isolation perimeters in areas with high infection rate
o Encourage voluntary compliance from public for quarantine/isolation orders issued by public health officials
o Seek guidance from local, county, or district attorney on enforcement of quarantine orders as issued by public health officials
o Anticipate social disruption/public disorder/black marketers
o Prepare strategies/tactics to meet crowd control measures ...

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain

by: Into The Woods @ Mon May 21, 2007 at 20:52:01 PM CDT

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Protocols: Public Works Services

Public Works Response:

...
Variances in water/solid waste/waste water treatment operation
o Caused by reduced workforce and community sector-support activities
o Ensure operation at minimal standards
o Variances in code enforcement procedures
o Realign resources to support other activities where possible
o Assisting in traffic control, evacuation, mass transportation
o Provide barricades, signage, and traffic signal modifications
o Utilize buses and vans to maximize an evacuation
...

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain

by: Into The Woods @ Mon May 21, 2007 at 20:57:53 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Will offences be prioritized?

Which development will be dealt with more severely?

Will vigilantes develop in neighborhoods or communities?

Anticipate social disruption/public disorder

If self defense is seen as worse than quick strikes by bandits/murderers, perhaps because the defenders are using noisy weapons, and they are easier to find because they stay in one place (their homes), there will be a huge sense of outrage and a loss of any civic cohesion that might be left. Principles should be established so that the edgy law enforcement people keep their sense of justice. It would be tragic to have our police or military service personnel becoming bullies, due to lack of foresight in making it clear that self defense is legal. NOLA-style gun confiscation is plain wrong.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." Flannery O'Connor

by: Jane @ Tue May 22, 2007 at 12:03:55 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Mirrors on the trees

Jane,

People get edgy and mistakes are made. Every so often you hear of a woman spraying mace on two guys on bikes that came up to her only to find out they where Jehov's witnesses.

It only takes a rock to kill.

Instead of cutty bushes back and closing hiding spots I fear people will use booby traps. That scares me.

One tip - put a mirror on a tree or post so the mirror faces your house. This way you can look out the window at the mirror and see the front/side of your house.

Avoid the blind spots.

Another helpful tip from your friendly neighborhood Kobie :) ha ha ha

by: Kobie @ Thu May 24, 2007 at 13:02:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

ITW, I didn't have time to look into this till now

The most significant sentence, of course, is this:

The population may be directed to remain in their homes under self-quarantine for up to 90 days per wave of the outbreak to support social distancing practices.

Right now, all the recommendations are only for emergency services not for individuals, and they read more like a wish-list than a plan, since these are recommendations for best practice only. But at least some of the most critical items are on the list, IMO, including providing support for family members of first responders.

It looks like they are taking graduated steps towards recommending 90 days of preps for individuals.

All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical. If not, they'd be called side effects...

by: SusanC @ Sun May 27, 2007 at 16:11:13 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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...

exactly... 90 days... per wave. stark difference in the prep recommendations heretofore.

by: c3jmp @ Sun May 27, 2007 at 17:12:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]