Annual Report 2007 - Emergency Preparedness & Response

Medical Reserve Corp volunteer participates in regional training exercise

To improve our capabilities to respond to actual and potential emergencies from natural and human causes, in 2007 Clark County Public Health:

• Responded to numerous disease outbreaks and public health emergencies in Clark County and the surrounding area.
• Provided communities with information about general personal and household preparedness, West Nile virus, pandemic influenza, norvirus, and other actual or potential health threats.
• Increased our outreach to vulnerable populations, including the ability to reach them with public health messages in an emergency.
• Participated in several emergency response exercises to test cooperative emergency response capabilities among local health jurisdictions in Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, and Skamania counties.
• Developed a communications plan and resource sharing agreement with area hospitals, clinics, and other health care providers as part of the Healthcare Preparedness Coalition.
• Tested a communications system that is interoperable with the systems used by police, firefighters, paramedics and hospitals.
• Worked with other county health departments in our area to develop interoperable communications between public health agencies.
• Conducted a live exercise to test the ability of staff and Medical Reserve Corps volunteers to set up four medication dispensing clinics in Clark County at the same time. Exercises like this better prepare us for the possibility of pandemic influenza or other health emergencies.
• Participated in a full-scale federal terrorism exercise, a county level communications exercise, and a multi-county public information exercise to test different functions that public health will have to perform during a real emergency.
• Conducted risk communication trainings for public health staff and partner agencies to better prepare our workforce to communicate with the public during emergencies.
• Received Board of Health approval to acquire antiviral medications that could be distributed to county residents during a pandemic flu outbreak.
• Participated in a pilot test of a communications system designed to alert all public health staff of an emergency.
• Increased the size of the Southwest Washington Medical Reserve Corps to more than 70 volunteers. Additionally, Clark County Public Health provided four training opportunities to MRC volunteers. MRC volunteers assisted at three community outreach events. In December, the MRC received a formal activation request from Lewis County to provide flood relief and the unit deployed five volunteers to provide assistance.
• Developed a Regional Public Health Emergency Response Team comprising public health staff from several SW Washington health departments who have participated in advanced public health and emergency response training.