5 th Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference Looking Back, Moving Forward

Transcription

1 5 th Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference Looking Back, Moving Forward Tuesday, June 23, :30AM 4:00PM Radisson Hotel, Manchester, NH Presented by NH Department of Health & Human Services, NH Department of Safety, NH Health Officers Association, NH Public Health Network, NH Hospital Association, Volunteer NH, and Community Health Institute Conference Focus We will "look back" on the last five years, hearing from presenters about the challenges and successes they had in dealing with the floods, the tornado, and the ice storm, among other emergencies. We will learn strategies to "move us forward" in improving our response. This conference also focuses on sharing critical information and model practices to strengthen emergency plans and response capacity. Stovepipe Award We are searching for the recipient of the 2009 Stovepipe Award! Please complete a 2009 Stovepipe Award Nomination form or the required information to Lori Walter at lwalter@jsi.com or fax to (603) The deadline is June 12, Stovepipe award recipients will be selected from among the nominees by the Emergency Preparedness Conference Planning Committee and NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Christopher Pope. The award will be presented during lunch at the conference. Registration Information Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. Registration is due by June 15, There is no fee to attend this conference. To register, please go to Log in using your TRAIN username and password OR register as a new user. If you have any questions about the conference, please contact Lori Walter at the Community Health Institute at (603) or via at: Lwalter@jsi.com. If you have technical difficulties while registering on NH TRAIN, please contact Thom Flynn at (603)

2 Agenda 7:30 AM 8:30 AM Registration, Breakfast, & Exhibits 8:30 AM 9:00 AM Welcome, Opening Remarks & a Tribute to Local First Responders 9:00 AM 10:00 AM Keynote Presentation Public Health Preparedness - Obligations and Opportunities in a Time of Limited Resources, Economic Recovery and Reinvestment, and Unabated Threats James S. Blumenstock, Chief Program Officer, Public Health Practice, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) 10:00 AM 10:15 AM Break 10:15 AM 12:30 PM Morning Concurrent Sessions Choose ONE, 2-hour session or TWO, 1-hour session. 11:15 AM 11:30 AM Break 12:30 PM 1:45 PM Lunch & Stovepipe Award 1:45 PM 4:00 PM Afternoon Concurrent Sessions Choose ONE, 2-hour session or TWO, 1-hour session. 2:45 PM 3:00 PM Break 4:00 PM Adjourn Morning Sessions Choose ONE, 2-hour session or TWO, 1-hour session. One Hour Sessions - 10:15-11:15 AM All Hands On Deck: Assuring the Availability of Your Staff in an Emergency We are in the business of responding to emergencies. Yet, the very fact of the emergency makes it difficult for our staff to report to work, challenging our ability to carry out our mission. This session will discuss simple strategies organizations can use to ensure staff availability in an emergency, and will provide attendees with tools to use in implementing these strategies. Learn about the experiences of NH response organizations in accessing needed staffing resources in our recent emergencies. Increase your ability to carry out a training program for your employees to increase their level of personal preparedness. Learn how simple changes to an organization s personnel policies can be used to increase staff availability in an emergency.

3 Garrett Simonsen, MS, Public Health Network Coordinator, Town of Derry Margaret Franckhauser, RN, MS, MPH, Executive Director, Community Health and Hospice, Laconia September is National Preparedness Month What are you doing to be prepared? (Repeated at 3:00 PM) Learn what programs and campaigns many of our communities and agencies are involved with during National Preparedness month. Help develop a statewide plan for NH citizens to get engaged and keep themselves prepared. Develop a coordinated statewide plan for NH citizens to personally prepare themselves. Identify and provide various programs and ways for citizens to get involved and be prepared. Develop a cross-discipline, geographically represented state committee to oversee statewide initiatives that mirror or supplement national preparedness campaigns. TBA Who s Sheltering Whom and Where? (Repeated at 3:00 PM) This session will identify key issues to consider when planning for a local shelter including key decision points about location, essential services, operations, and reimbursement. Presenters and attendees will also discuss the benefits that can be achieved through a regional approach to sheltering. Learn the 5 key issues when planning for a community-based shelter. Understand why key state partners are developing a regional approach to sheltering. Demonstrate the ability to maximize reimbursement for shelter costs. Dan Brennan, Emergency Services Director, NH American Red Cross Joe Arcidiacono, Director, Emergency Services, NH Department of Health and Human Services After Action Strategies: Planning, Implementing and Funding This session, aimed at local public safety officials and community leaders, will detail the development of an after action report (AAR) and improvement plan (IP). Why it is important for communities to take the time to do them. How target capabilities can be utilized to make planning efforts more efficient and effective. Potential sources for grant funds to fill gaps in your IP.

4 A discussion will be held on grant funds, the differences among them, and how you can apply for them. Learn the in s and out s of developing an AAR. Understand the value of an IP and its follow through. Learn about target capabilities and how they can assist communities in answering the questions how prepared are we? how prepared do we need to be? and how do we prioritize efforts to close the gap? Learn about potential grant opportunities for investing in your IP. Diane Becker, Assistant Operations Chief, NH Department of Safety - Homeland Security & Emergency Management Michael Poirier, Planning Section Chief, NH Department of Safety - Homeland Security & Emergency Management Richard Verville, Preparedness Planner, NH Department of Safety - Homeland Security & Emergency Management Pam Urban-Morin, Grants Manager, NH Department of Safety Grants Management David Vaillancourt, Chief of Field Services, NH Department of Safety - Homeland Security & Emergency Management One Hour Sessions 11:30 AM-12:30 PM Evacuation Planning for the General Population Presenters will describe the processes and techniques used to develop an Evacuation Plan for the State of New Hampshire and the Town of Allenstown, NH. Presenters will also describe how the local plan worked (lessons learned) following two major flooding events in 2006 and 2007 that resulted in the evacuation of 100 homes. How to plan for a major evacuation within the state following a disaster or emergency. How to develop a community evacuation plan to deal with a major disaster or emergency. How the evacuation plan worked following a major disaster within the community. Michael Pillsbury, P.E., Assistant Director, Division of Operations, NH Department of Transportation Shaun Mulholland, Police Chief/Deputy Emergency Management Director, Town of Allenstown Communications Among Responders During Emergencies (Repeated at 1:45 PM)) This session will explore ways for responders to plan for how to maintain communications and access needed information whether various communication methods are working or not. Hear

5 how town officials communicated among themselves and with the state when telephone and/or Internet services were down during the ice storm. Learn about resources and capabilities you can put into place before an event so you ll have information available when you need it. Presenters will also describe the different communication procedures the State will use during public health emergencies. Learn about model practices when normal communications channels are operating. Understand options for communications when normal channels are down. Understand differences in communications between state agencies and communities during public health emergencies. Chris Christopoulous, Fire Chief, Lebanon Fire Department Jim Hicks, Emergency Management Director, Town of New Ipswich Integrating Volunteer Groups into Response (Repeated at 1:45 PM) This session will describe how organized, trained volunteers and teams are deployed during a disaster. You will also learn how to promote their effectiveness and how they are employed during long-term recovery. Keeping your volunteers motivated throughout the year when there is no emergency is critical to the success of each organization. How to deploy and use CERT, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, Community Organizations Active in Disasters. How volunteers and volunteer groups make a difference. Best practices for keeping volunteers ready to respond. Lisa Michaud, Executive Director, Greater Manchester Red Cross Tim Dupre, Executive Director, Volunteer NH A CERT/MRC Representative Two Hour Sessions 10:15 AM-12:30PM Coordinating a Local Response/Local EOC All disasters are local disasters. During regional disasters and incidents state and federal resources may not be available for lengthy periods of time. This session will explore how local emergency managers and emergency medical services personnel have utilized local resources including CERT teams, volunteers to house, feed and communicate vital information to their residents. The successful use of available assets from the state s most recent disasters will be discussed. Discuss the use of local resources to provide medical care and housing during an incident.

6 Discuss how CERT teams and volunteers groups may be used to operate the local EOC. Discuss innovative ways to communicate with the public when major utilities services have been damaged. Wes Whittier, Emergency Management Director, EMT-1, Town of Brookline, NH Reaching Your Public With or Without Mass Media Communicating with the public is critical in disasters. Mass media such as television, radio and newspapers can assist first responders to get essential information to the public. Yet, as the communities of Derry and New Ipswich know, loss of power can affect the ability of mass media to play this role. Come to this session to learn both how best to work with the mass media in an emergency, and how to continue to reach your public when the mass media is not an option. Learn from media representatives about the abilities and limitations of the mass media as a part of a Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications (CERC) strategy. Increase your awareness of the potential uses of new media (for example, Twitter) as a CERC tool. Identify ways to work with the media in an emergency to get your message to the public. Learn about the alternatives to mass media used by Derry and New Ipswich to reach the public with critical information during the ice storm. Alisha McDevitt, Assistant News Director, WMUR Television Charlie Perkins, Vice President of New Media, Union Leader Corporation Meredith Lund, M.S Ed., EMT-1, FFII, Deputy Chief of Operations, Public Information Officer, New Ipswich Fire Department, Captain, New Hampshire Fire Academy, Division of Fire Standards & Training and EMS George Klauber, BS, Fire Science and Technology, Certified Fire Officer, Certified Fire Service Instructor, Fire Chief, Emergency Management Director, Town of Derry, NH Martin Murray, Senior Corporate News Representative, Public Service of NH Ed Brouder, News Editor for WZID, WFEA, WMLL; Chair, NH State Emergency Communications Committee Liz Fitzgerald, Project Director, 211 NH Meeting Medical Needs in an Emergency Making sure that health care is maintained in a disaster that affects your community is a daunting challenge, but it is achievable. This session will consider the structure under which NH healthcare system is planning to respond to emergencies and how response to the December Ice Storm unfolded within that structure. What worked? What didn t? How do communities and their healthcare organizations treat patients or those with medical needs in the appropriate manner so that care continues during difficult circumstances? Learn the model for healthcare system preparedness.

7 Learn the functions of healthcare facilities, hospitals, community health, long term care, homecare, medical needs facilities in a disaster. Learn the different types of patients/people with medical needs. Learn the different levels of care and the appropriate placement of patients/people with medical needs. Learn recommendations for improvements in healthcare emergency preparedness. Representatives from NH Department of Health & Human Services, Hospitals, EMS, Community Health Centers, Disaster Behavioral Health, Homecare and Town Management Legal Issues Unplugged Learn what community leaders need to know when it comes to declaring a local state of emergency and what it means from a legal standpoint. A discussion of volunteers and what immunity means vs. indemnity they are not the same animal. Learn about how an emergency ordinance can assist your community; learn how you can adapt it to fit your community s needs and circumstances. What are the burning legal questions that you have always wanted to ask but never had the opportunity well, now s the time to ask. What do community leaders need to know about declaring a local state of emergency? Obtain a sample emergency ordinance that can be crafted to fit your community s needs. Learn about declaration of a Public Safety Incident and Public Health Incident. Volunteers who can authorize; what can they do; and what if they or someone else gets hurt? Immunity vs. indemnity- what is the difference and why? Nancy Smith, JD, Senior Assistant Attorney General, NH Department of Justice Paul Sanderson, Attorney, NH Local Government Center Daniel D. Crean, Attorney, Daniel D. Crean P.L.L.C. Afternoon Sessions Choose 1 two-hour session or 2 one-hour sessions. One Hour Sessions 1:45 2:45 Communications Among Responders During Emergencies (Repeat from morning) FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Program This session will explore the FBI's mission with regard to WMD, the resources the FBI brings to bear, and how the agency responds using case studies of recent incidents in New England.

8 Define the FBI's role in WMD incidents. Provide information on FBI resources for managing WMD incidents. Provide case studies using recent WMD incidents across New England. Daniel R. Einhaus, Special Agent, WMD Coordinator, FBI Integrating Volunteer Groups into Response (Repeat from morning) Evacuation Planning for Medical Facilities Evacuation of a healthcare facility is a complicated process involving a large number of components that must work in perfect synchronicity to be successful. Planning for evacuations includes decision-making processes, analyzing facility layouts, assessing equipment, staffing, types of patients, partnering with other facilities or alternate locations to ensure continuity of care of the patient, transportation, coordination with the community, accessing support of local and State resources and much, much more. Essential evacuation concepts will be explored in this session. Challenges will be identified and plans that are already in place will be discussed. Learn what healthcare facilities have in place for evacuation plans. Identify barriers to a successful evacuation of patients. Identify the components of a good evacuation plan. Learn what local and State support is needed. Presenters will include evacuation planners from healthcare facilities and representatives from support resources. NH National Guard Capabilities & Limitations The NH National Guard is an integral part of Homeland Security for the United States, and a critical part of Emergency Response and recovery for the state. Learn how the Guard interacts with HSEM and municipalities and what assets and skills they provide during emergencies. Understand the role of the National Guard during a State or local emergency, and the process to have them activated. Learn what type skills and equipment the National Guard provides. Ralph Huber, Lt. Colonel, NH National Guard, Deputy Director of Operations One Hour Sessions 3:00 4:00 PM

9 September is National Preparedness Month What are you doing to be prepared? (Repeat from morning) Development and Application of the NH Radiological Incident & Response Plan This session will describe a new plan developed by NH Division of Public Health Services (NH DPHS) Radiological Health Section to mitigate and provide consequence management to events involving the accidental or deliberate release of radiological materials. This Plan responds to events other than Seabrook Nuclear Station, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant or the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Learn about NH DPHS capabilities in responding to radiological and /or nuclear events. Define the roles and responsibilities of NH DPHS and partners response both within and outside the state - that would be involved in any such incident response. Understand the plan of operations for an event that would involve radioactive materials. Jerry Kwasnik, Ph.D., Health Physicist, NH Division of Public Health, Radiological Health Science Who s Sheltering Whom and Where? (Repeat from morning) Critical Community Infrastructure - Ice Storm Reveals Need to Identify and Protect Protecting and ensuring the resiliency of the critical infrastructure (CI) in your community is essential to its security, public health and safety, economic vitality and way of life. The disruption of critical infrastructure will have an effect on government and business alike. Most critical infrastructure in a community is owned by private entities; therefore, it is essential that they are brought into the planning process early. Learn how to identify and ensure readiness of critical public and private infrastructure such as your EOC, public safety buildings, municipal water systems, shelters, and lessons learned from the ice storm. Discuss why it is important to develop public-private partnerships within your community. Learn about emerging technologies to improve identification of critical infrastructure throughout the state. Shaun Mulholland, Police Chief, Allenstown Police Department Roy Duddy, Director, Department of Resources and Economic Development NH Business Resource Center Sean Goodwin, NH Department of Safety Emergency Communications

10 Two Hour Sessions 1:45 4:00 PM Road to Recovery: Bouncing Back After Disaster Strikes Post disaster recovery is a process that often lasts long after the immediate impact of the disaster is over. In this session, we will hear from communities about the needs of their residents impacted by disaster, how the community organized to meet these needs, and what implications this has for the future planning. We will also learn about what challenges to recovery were or are being faced in these communities. Learn about the needs of NH residents impacted by recent NH disasters. Learn about strategies implemented and challenges experienced by communities in the recovery process. Learn about how strategies for recovery differ based on whether a disaster is declared or undeclared. Paul Deignan, Disaster Behavioral Coordinator, MSW, NH Homeland Security & Emergency Management Ellen Avery, Director of Community Building, Monadnock United Way Sue Desruisseaux, Town Administrator, Town of Goffstown Sharing Model Practices Identified in the 2008 Disasters A panel discussion from local, state and federal government partners on the most innovative approaches utilized in response to New Hampshire disasters. Learn about regional initiatives that were implemented for messaging, shelters, communications, EOC operations and the sharing of community resources. Learn innovative approaches that were developed and implemented in response to NH disasters. Discuss regional collaboration in response and recovery. Understand how creative thinking and innovation can help meet the needs of your community. Obtain information and strategies for new and different methods for crisis management. Diane Becker, Assistant Operations Chief, Homeland Security & Emergency Management