Pandemic Flu plan

[emtI]

I have been assigned the glorious job of drafting a Pandemic Influenza/Bioterrorism Response Plan, detailing how our ambulance service will respond and handle a pandemic outbreak or a bioterrorism event.

Since the research indicates that up to 40% of staff may be afflicted at any one time from a pandemic outbreak, that would leave us about 7 people to work around the clock. We are a volunteer (except for me) rural squad, and several of our employees also work at places such as the hospital, the nursing home, and the county, which could potentially leave us with no one to work!!

Anyone else had to work on a project such as this one? If so, I would welcome any tips or suggestions you might have.

 

[fyrdog]

Did you try your state Public Heath agency? You can also try some federal sites. (CDC FEMA) Some of your near by cities may have a plan you adapt to your own needs to.

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/

 

[MedicPrincess]

Yes...our county sent us something on this a while ago....sit tight...I will find it....

 

[MedicPrincess]

Try this. It isn't a DETAILED response plan. I work for a County. We have a Ginormous Military Installation that is only getting bigger....nothing they tell is ever DETAILED. We learn the bare minimum to get our jobs done....




EDIT: Oh, and this has some Florida and County specific info in it....use what you want....apply your population numbers as necessary.

EDIT 2: In a nutshell...if we have a pandemic flu outbreak, they say the public here should be prepared to live like they do after Hurricanes...only for 6-8 WEEKS, instead of a days....that is to include having enough Emergency Food/Water/Cash to last that long as well...

 

[emtI]

Thanks Princess. That does help. I did check the pandemicflu.gov site when I was assigned this, and found a bunch of checklists and stuff to use. That's pretty much what they told us too, is a 6-8 week cycle, etc.

We meet with our county commissioners next week again to work on it some more, and then we'll do a table top exercise next month.

I am also searching for information to help design a set of SOG's and protocols on overloaded EMS services, and how to prioritize calls during such an event. Of course we have MCI protocols, but this is for the long haul kind of thing.

Our dispatch center is a county 911 system, and they are all EMD trained, so I need a plan that will work in with their system, as well as the other local services in the county.

Wish me luck!

 

[sunshine1026]

I currently work for a county health department, and I would recommend talking with your local/county health department as well. A lot of "policy" type stuff comes from most state level agencies, with the locals actually translating the policies into workable plans for their respective jurisdictions, so the local agency is a pretty good resource most of the time.

The tabletop exercise is a GREAT idea - the more interaction that takes place between agencies and the greater the opportunities for lots of different types of responders to work together and get to know each other, the better. Just make sure that there is a good evaluation process that goes along with the exercise!

 

[Stevo]

don't be surprised to find out that, in a serious pandemic, the protocalls will be imposed top down...

including an entity (very close to our VP wich gets all no bid contracts) that has numerous detention centers predetermined for us

~S~