Transcript BIOTERRORISM: AMERICA RESPONDS

BIOTERRORISM: SOUTH
CAROLINA RESPONDS
OBJECTIVES



To understand the response to a
bioterrorist act through use of the
unified incident command system
To describe the role and responsibility of
each responding agency
To raise other issues that must be dealt
with in planning a response to a
bioterrorist act



To best respond to the bioterrorist threat, our
state is divided into local regions for an initial
response. South Carolina eight regions
Federal and state resources are available
when local resources are overwhelmed
Each region coordinates its response through
a Unified Incident Command System using
the nationwide template or guidelines of the
National Incident Management System
(NIMS)


The NIMS guidelines provided a flexible
framework to allow coordination and
cooperation between involved agencies to
develop policies and procedures prior to an
incident. These are exercised and followed
to ensure a safe and effective emergency
response
All response agencies need to develop close
working relationships and work together to
save lives, preserve health, minimize panic
and minimize disease impact



To best manage an incident each jurisdiction
must use a unified incident command system.
Each involved agency can have its own
incident command system which is integrated
with others. Hospitals use the Hospital
Emergency Incident Command System
(HEICS)
Each agency has its defined role and
responsibilities


In a bioterrorist attack, health agency personnel may need
to interact with individuals from other response agencies
These may include:









Emergency Management Authority
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Mental Health agencies
Community Health Centers/Medical Offices
Law enforcement authority
Fire/Rescue
Volunteer community agencies
Medical examiner or coroner
Neighboring health jurisdictions(possibly in another state)



In this section, the role and responsibility of
each response agency will be presented
Each agency must coordinate with others in
the planning for, response to, recovery from,
and mitigation of a bioterrorist incident
It is important to note that functions assigned
to each response agency may vary by
jurisdiction
THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC
HEALTH DEPARTMENT


In a bioterrorist incident, public health is the
lead agency
Provide support services and public
health/medical services to include:




Activation of the Emergency Health Powers Act to deal
with quarantine and isolation
Distribution of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)
and dispensing vaccines and antibiotic prophylaxis
Environmental control (animal bites, wastewater, food
services inspections, general sanitation)
Operate shelters for those with special needs
ROLE OF PUBLIC HEALTH





Disease surveillance, detection, and epidemiologic
investigation
Ensure operational coordination in a mass
casualty disaster response through an Emergency
Operations Center (EOC)
Keep the public informed of available mass
casualty assistance programs
Collect,compile, maintain and share all essential
information
Provide laboratory support
THE ROLE OF HOSPITALS

Hospitals and usually with a one hospital
taking the lead provide:






Emergency and definitive acute medical care
Isolate contagious individuals
Dispense medications and vaccines to staff and
inpatients
Maintain safe and appropriate disposal of medical
waste
Decontamination of victims and facilities as
necessary
Train/Educate/Utilize volunteers
THE ROLE OF THE EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY





Hosts the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the
county
Has overall responsibility for coordination of the county
response logistics including food, water, electricity, shelter
and transportation
Mobilize and deploy assets during the crisis and in the
recovery phase
Develops and maintains communication links and issues
appropriate warnings to the public
Prepare for state and federal on-site assistance
THE ROLE OF EMERGENCY
MEDICAL SERVICES



Is first on the scene and delivers initial
triage of incident victims
Transports casualties
Augments hospital services
THE ROLE OF MENTAL
HEALTH PROVIDERS



Coordinate and provide mental health
crisis counseling to victims, staff, and
the worried well
Make referrals as needed
Provide post-crisis mental health
counseling
THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH
CENTERS AND MEDICAL OFFICES




Remain alert for initial cases of illness in their
practice
Deliver outpatient ambulatory care to victims of
a mass casualty disaster
Dispense medications and vaccines as needed
Provide triage to victims of a mass casualty
event
THE ROLE OF THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY




Ensure the public safety
Facilitate response and recovery
Provide threat assessment, criminal
investigation, forensics, and evidence
processing. The site on an incident is a crime
scene
Provide security and access control in and
around the disaster site and at affected
hospitals
THE ROLE OF
FIRE/RESCUE
+Evaluate the danger in a situation
Responsible for hazardous materials
management
 Establish decontamination control in
response to actual conditions
 Perform search and rescue as needed
THE ROLE OF VOLUNTARY
AGENCIES

Names of agencies may differ from
county to county, but they are generally
responsible for:


Support county relief efforts and provide
shelters, feeding, blood supplies, emergency
welfare or family support (Red Cross)
Support county relief efforts and provide
warehouse support, feeding and/or
emergency welfare support (Salvation Army)
MEDICAL EXAMINER OR
CORONER

Involved in activities related to
managing and processing incident
related fatalities including:



Body recovery
Identification, pathology, autopsy, storage
and forensics involving casualties
Decedent’s family assistance services
SOME IMPORTANT PLANNING
CONSIDERATIONS


Each region must develop sufficient
“surge
capacity” including facilities, assets and
staff to handle a very large number of
casualties
Each region must develop a plan to
recruit, credential, train and equip staff, as
well as volunteers and retirees
PLANNING
CONSIDERATIONS




Each region must develop a communication
system for its response agencies to use when
telephonic communication is not available
Each region must develop communication
channels with the state and Federal
governments
Each region must ensure the safety of its first
responders and their families
If a region adjoins a neighboring state cross
border issues need to be dealt with
PLANNING
CONSIDERATIONS



Animal care issues need to be dealt
with
Laboratory capabilities must be
adequate
Special needs populations, e.g. nonEnglish speakers, hearing and visually
impaired and other disabled individuals
must be planned for
CONCLUSION


As we have heard from our governing
officials
It is not if we will be attacked, but when-
--Will we be ready? Only time and
our preparation will tell