Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
This next period of time serves as the first window to begin seriously updating the
public about what has taken place, what rescue and stability plans are in place and
being activated, if an evacuation is necessary or any other instructions the public
needs to heed, and set up means for Public Health functions to receive donations
and other volunteer work that may be needed in a disaster. For example, if a disaster
renders a significant need for donated blood—this will need to be communicated
to the public by a Public Information Officer (PIO), with directions on where to go
(presuming the disaster has not made it unsafe to do so). This is almost automatic
in any kind of significant disaster, given the regularly reported shortages of many
blood types on hand for organizations such as the American Red Cross.
Another critical function of this postincident communication is providing
direction for members of the public with special needs, or who are disabled, or
otherwise unable to respond as needed after an incident occurs. There may be a
specific Public Health need to order an evacuation of nursing homes and other large
health care facilities, and this will also need to be made public. The PHO must also
know the makeup of his/her community. Do you work in a largely diverse popula-
tion area, where for many, English is not the first language? If so, you will need to
have preplanned for communicating in English, Spanish, and possibly other lan-
guages (depending on the area) to your community regarding the incident, what
has occurred and what next steps the public should take. This is especially critical
in the event that a mass evacuation has to be ordered, or—in the case of a biological
or chemical incident—that you must order people to stay in the homes and take
certain precautions so as to not be adversely affected.
During this period, especially in the course of responding to a significant inci-
dent, there will be large, continuing coordination effort between agencies and juris-
dictions. What may start as a local incident, depending on whether it is a terrorist
attack or simply how many people are affected, may become an incident with state
and federal response interest. There will need to be people available from the Public
Health agency to work with these officials for coordination purposes. During this
period, the local Public Health agency may also discover that because of the gravity
of the incident, local supply resources and staffing needs are going to be insufficient
for this level of response, and state and federal assistance is going to be needed.
This is the type of effort that will continue as the response reaches the 12- to
16-hour mark after occurrence. By this point, the local Public Health agency will
be working in tandem with various federal agencies. Take the example of an epi-
demiological emergency, such as Avian Influenza. According to the World Health
Organization as of August 2011, there have been over 500 cases of Avian Influenza
A/H5N1 with nearly 350 human deaths reported so far world wide, but there are
cases currently being reported in Asia on a more increased basis. It is not going to
be likely that the local Public Health agency, no matter how well equipped and
organized, is going to be able to handle such cases, or an outbreak, on its own. In
such a case, the local Public Health agency is going to need to work with, at the very
least, the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services.
