Public Health and Mass Shelters

MA Region 4A Medical Reserve Corps Executive Committee and the Town of Concord

2008 Ice Storm Friday, December 12, 2008

Power outages for up to a million residents and businesses in five Massachusetts counties (Worcester, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Berkshire).

Governor Deval Patrick declared a State of Emergency, which continued until Monday, December 29th.

2008 Ice Storm Impact Area

Ice Storm Deployment

Region 4A provided: 167 volunteers 305 total shelter shifts 111 were covered by medical personnel Command and Control for

deployment of 41 non-4A

MRC Volunteers

Ice Storm Deployment Response Partners

American Red Cross Upper Merrimac Valley Medical Reserve Corps Taunton Medical Reserve Corps Greater New Bedford Medical Reserve Corps MA Region 2 MRC MA Region 4B MRC Boston MRC Brookline MRC Our Fathers House Nursing Home UMass Memorial Medical Center Hopkinton Fire and Police Department Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Department of Mental Health (DMH) Riverside Trauma Center Public Health Departments of affected communities

Ice Storm DeploymentSummary

All shelters and all volunteers met their mission – to provide a safe space with food and medical care as needed.

This event provided Region 4A as well as other state and local emergency teams an opportunity to exercise our plans for a mass care event.

It also provided an opportunity for us to identify communications, delivery and deployment methods that would strengthen future responses.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Imp

act

Probability/Likelihood

NuclearWeapons

ImprovisedRadiological

Device Chemical

Biological

Explosive/Incendiary

NaturalDisaster

The Concord Approach

MRC organized as a unit of CERT under Concord Emergency Management Agency

Mass Sheltering/Care is Primary Focus Shelter Drill every 2 years Shelter-at-Home Community Education

Program Integrated Approach

ConcordBoard of

SelectmenTown Manager

ConcordEmergency

ManagementAgency

ConcordCERT

ConcordMedical Reserve

Corps

ShelterManagement

Team

Concord AmateurRadio Emergency

Team

Local EmergencyPlanning Committee

Town Staff

Citizens Emer.Radio Network

Unified Command

Unified Command

OperationsSection

Chief

OperationsSection

Chief

PlanningSection

Chief

PlanningSection

Chief

LogisticsSection

Chief

LogisticsSection

Chief

Safety Officer

Safety Officer

PublicInformation

Officer

PublicInformation

Officer

Finance/Admin

Section Chief

Finance/Admin

Section Chief

ShelterBranchSection

Chief

ShelterBranchSection

Chief

DebrisRemovalSection

Chief

DebrisRemovalSection

Chief

DamageAssessmentSection Chief

DamageAssessmentSection Chief

LandfillRecycling

GroupSupervisor

LandfillRecycling

GroupSupervisor

SeeAttached

Shelter ICS

SeeAttached

Shelter ICS

Evacuation/Trans.

Section Chief

Evacuation/Trans.

Section Chief

DamageAssessmentTask Forces

DamageAssessmentTask Forces

DebrisRemoval

Task Forces

DebrisRemoval

Task Forces

ResourcesUnit

Leader

ResourcesUnit

Leader

DemobUnit

Leader

DemobUnit

Leader

Doc.Unit

Leader

Doc.Unit

Leader

ServiceBranchChief

ServiceBranchChief

SituationUnit

Leader

SituationUnit

Leader

SupportBranchChief

SupportBranchChief

MedicalUnit

Leader

MedicalUnit

Leader

FoodUnit

Leader

FoodUnit

Leader

Comm.Unit

Leader

Comm.Unit

Leader

Tactical Radios

Tactical Radios

ARES/RACES

ARES/RACES

CARETCARET

Supply UnitLeader

Supply UnitLeader

Facilities UnitLeader

Facilities UnitLeader

Ground Support

Unit Leader

Ground Support

Unit Leader

Cost UnitLeader

Cost UnitLeader

ProcurementUnit

Leader

ProcurementUnit

Leader

TimeUnit

Leader

TimeUnit

Leader

Comp.Claims

UnitLeader

Comp.Claims

UnitLeader

ShelterBranchChief

ShelterBranchChief

ShelterOperations

GroupSupervisor

ShelterOperations

GroupSupervisor

ShelterSupportGroup

Supervisor

ShelterSupportGroup

Supervisor

DeputyShelterBranchChief

DeputyShelterBranchChief

ShelterMedical

Task ForceLeader

ShelterMedical

Task ForceLeader

Mental HealthSingle Resource

Boss

Mental HealthSingle Resource

Boss

ClinicalSingle Resource

Boss

ClinicalSingle Resource

Boss

Registration andDischargeTask Force

Leader

Registration andDischargeTask Force

Leader

DormitoryManagementTask Force

Leader

DormitoryManagementTask Force

Leader

Mass FeedingSingle Resource

Boss

Mass FeedingSingle Resource

Boss

Client ServicesSingle Resource

Boss

Client ServicesSingle Resource

Boss

Intake FlowSingle Resource

Boss

Intake FlowSingle Resource

Boss

ShelterChaplaincySupervisor

ShelterChaplaincySupervisor

Shelter Security

Strike TeamLeader

Shelter Security

Strike TeamLeader

ShelterCommunicationsSingle Resource

Boss

ShelterCommunicationsSingle Resource

Boss

ShelterQuartermaster

Task ForceLeader

ShelterQuartermaster

Task ForceLeader

DomesticAnimalShelterGroup

Supervisor

DomesticAnimalShelterGroup

Supervisor

Concord EOCConcord EOC CARETLINK

CARETLINK

NOT YET ESTABLISHED

Where Do I (we) Start?

Does your community have a shelter plan? CERT? Civil Defense?

Have you seen copies of the Red Cross Shelter Surveys?

Open the dialogue… What can youdo to help?

First Big Question….

Who are your customers? Community demographics

Language Income Housing status Age

Housing Diversity LTC, Assisted Living, Group Homes Apartments/Condos Affordable housing

Non-Residents Office workers Hotels MBTA/Commuter Rail Major highways (evacuation routes)

Hierarchy of Emergency Housing

1. I will stay in my house. I am comfortable here. I have supplies (food, water, electricity, etc…)

2. I will go stay with my friends, neighbors, or relatives at their house.

3. I will rent a hotel room, apartment, condo4. I will go to a community shelter

**The individual’s status is DYNAMIC, there can be movement between these stages, dependent on conditions, supplies,

environment, finances, health status, etc….**

Shelters are not just for Housing

Just because someone stays in their home doesn’t mean they don’t need….FoodWaterFlush toiletsShowersWarming/CoolingHuman Contact

What if you have to do this in your community?

How will you set up the shelters and provide all volunteers to provide safe space with food and medical care as needed to the residents of your community?

How will you exercise your plans for a mass care event?

How do you identify communications, delivery and deployment methods that would strengthen future responses?

Questions to Answer When You Get Home1. What is your primary shelter facility? Secondary? Tertiary? Any of them

in the Flood Plain?2. Facility capacities? Do they have generators? What is powered by the

generator? Natural gas or diesel?3. Who has the keys to get in at 3am?4. Do you have cots/blankets and other shelter basics? Where is it

stored? Who has the keys?5. Do you have the equipment for a basic first aid clinic to be setup in the

shelter?6. Is there space in the building or nearby for animal sheltering?7. What about staffing? MRC? CERT? Amateur Radio? Police? EMTs?

Has anyone been through Shelter Manager Training?8. How many extension cords and power strips do you have? Outlets in

the main dormitory area?9. Does the shelter have a large kitchen for mass feeding? A separate

dining area that can accommodate the entire resident population? Where would food come from if the shelter had to be open for 5 days?

10. Handicap Accessibility of the facilities?11. Communications? Are there phones? Will HAM radio work inside the

shelter to reach your EOC? What about UHF Police/Fire Radios?

Making your Plans:

The questions on the previous slide are only the beginning.

As you work with your community, more questions and answers will follow.

Please review the shelter surveys and plans with your Emergency Director, and ask how you can help.

The 4A MRC Website will soon have a section with mass sheltering resources, including plans from communities in 4A who are willing to share.

Remember…..You have already been planning for a

Mass Care Event (Emergency Dispensing Sites). In this case

you are dispensing housing, food, medical care,

etc….instead of Cipro or Vaccine

Discussion:

What have you already done in your community?

Will your plan work?

How can you improve it?

MA Region 4A MRC

Thank you for your time~

MA Region 4A Medical Reserve Corps Executive Committee

and

The Town of Concord