Practicing Your Plan Arlene Sabo Chief of Police Plattsburgh State University Pandemic Flu Functional Exercise Purpose: * The exercise was designed to evaluate response plans and operating procedures for the entire 5 county region * Train individual agencies * Work with response partners * Identify weakness/voids – Discuss solutions Planning the Exercise * Public Health, Hospitals, and Emergency Management are all required, through the grant deliverable process, to conduct drills. * HSEP – Health System Emergency Preparedness Section of the DOH – Grant money allocated to work with ICF International consulting firm. – 5 pre-made drill scenarios to chose from – Because of public concern, we chose a pandemic functional exercise Planning The Exercise * The pre-made pandemic flu scenario did not fit our needs – Multi-agency drill design team worked with ICF to amend the plan to tailor our regional needs Pandemic Flu Functional Exercise On Plattsburgh State’s campus * July 25, 2006 * 5 counties – Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, St. Lawrence * 174 participants – Players: 142 – Facilitators and Evaluators: 20 – Support Personnel: 7 – Observers: 5 SUNY Plattsburgh personnel were located at three tables -Table #2 Clinton Country Medical (Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Plattsburgh State University Medical Clinic) – Table #6 Education (Champlain Valley Education Services (CVES) BOCES, Clinton Community College, Plattsburgh State University) * Table #7 Law Enforcement – City of Plattsburgh Police Department – Clinton County Sheriffs Department – Customs and Borders Protection – Plattsburgh State University Police – New York State Police – Clinton County Coroner Scenario * There were two scenario’s given to the participants Module 1 - a 3 hour period at the initial onset of the pandemic in the region Module 2 - a 3 hour period at the height of the pandemic in the region Module 1 * October 10, 2005 – There is an outbreak of avian flu. It originated in Vietnam and is now in the North Country. * Aprox. 10% 0f the population is ill and seeking medical attention (many more not in need of care are requesting medical attention out of fear) * Citizens are demanding a vaccine – the vaccine will not be available for another two or three months and then only in limited quantities Module 2 * 11 weeks after scenario 1. * 50% of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers are absent * 40% of law enforcement personnel are absent * In the last two weeks, there have been 390 deaths in the 5 counties Note: SUNY Plattsburgh had indicated they remained closed based on the prediction that the 1st wave would last 12 weeks and that there would be subsequent waves. However, there were some students who remained on campus • International Students • Other students who were unable to leave due to illness and other circumstances Dynamic Situation Created * Injects from the Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) were phoned in to each table from the SIMCELL * Tables could phone the SIMCELL or from table to table Plattsburgh State Medical Clinic Injects * Examples of Injects – You are receiving dozens of calls from students who have heard that the flu effects people their age. They are asking what precautions they should be taking. * Response: Sent out communications via e-mail, voice mail, and staffed a designated phone line. These were based on sample communications in our plan – You are starting to run out of supplies-Purchase Orders aren’t being accepted. * Response: Utilized department credit card for emergency supplies Plattsburgh State Medical Clinic Injects (cont.) * Resident students are contracted the flu. How do you triage and care for symptomatic students and students with non flu-like illness. – Response: Activated a second pre-determined clinic site in close proximity to the health center * Families are calling demanding the release of bodies due to their religious customs. – Response: Provided families with local funeral home information Education Table Injects * Examples of Injects – Parents are calling asking about campus closure and class cancellations * Response: Established a phone bank with several operators who would have basic information about the flu and information on campus emergency response plans. * Response: Information also given via voicemail, email, posters, and the Web – Parents are calling threatening law suits against the college for not doing enough to protect their children * Response: The above response covered this concern. Education Table Injects (cont) * There are food delivery delays due to closure of the border, traffic delays, and illness of workers – Response: Sodexho has a Disaster Contingency Plan that would be implemented ASAP. Law Enforcement Injects Examples of Injects * There are staff shortages due to illness. – Response: Leave was cancelled and alternative schedules were considered (12 hour shifts) * Student has barricaded himself in his dorm room due to fear. No water, food, or facilities. Roommate can not get in – Response: Officer and counselor from the health center sent to the dorm. Educational messages were sent to all students via e-mail, voice mail, and campus media in an effort to reduce fear Law Enforcement Injects (cont) * Fire in Clinton Dining Hall. Fire Department is too busy to respond. – Response: UPD not equipped or trained to respond. Evacuate building and area and wait until the FD is available * More transports needed from campus. – Response: Assess the quality of care in regards to the number of patients per transport. ( If possible, have more than one individual per transport.) Strengths * Regional response organizations effectively cooperated with each other during the exercise * Regional responders worked well together * All organizations were proactive in foreseeing critical personnel and equipment shortages Strengths (cont.) * Majority of inquiries from the media were appropriately referred to the Joint Information Center or Public Information Officer * Universities and school districts were proactive in maintaining order on campus – Informed constituents * From the President’s Office – Emails sent to all/any departments and agencies necessary Strengths (cont.) * Ensured the safety of the campus and community by: -Closing the college early and keeping it closed – Giving a dorm to the hospital – Assisting other law enforcement agencies Strengths (cont.) * Hospitals immediately activated their Emergency Operations Center and assigned individual roles and tasks via their Incident Command System * Private sector willing to share available resources and supplies Areas for Improvement * Misguided calls – Wrong agencies notified * Need to identify more staff and supply resources * Plans and strategies need to be shared with all disciplines and jurisdictions * County planning process needs to be expanded to involve schools, universities, nursing homes, and hospice care * Plans need to be put in place to care for workers and family members Areas for Improvement (cont.) * Campus personnel unaware of the JIC * Campus dining services unable to provide long term food supplies * Many organizations had resources available that were not utilized because of the lack of external awareness * The participating counties had under-developed mass fatality plan. Recommendations as a Result of the Functional Exercise * Supplies – Obtain department credit cards for supply purchase – Develop a long term food supply plan * Evacuation Plan – Governor needs to close campus ASAP – Enter into MOUs with bus companies Recommendations as a Result of the Functional Exercise (cont.) * Volunteers (CERT – Community Emergency Response Team) – Residence Life Staff – General campus – Community CERT Group Leaders: Responsible for training, planning and communications Pre-screening process for the CERT members Recommendations as a Result of the Functional Exercise (cont.) * Containment of disease for the campus – Keep campus closed – Separate students with flu symptoms from those with other acute symptoms – Alternate hospital sites for our county * Give dorms over one at a time –one dorm doubles CVPH’s census – Must keep this manageable. Advise students to pack valuables and place in closets – In order to release a dorm, the hospital must use their own staff.