Ventura County Health Care Coalition (VCHCC)

Situation Status Report (SitRep)

STEP-BY-STEP SUBMISSION GUIDANCE

The Ventura County Health Care Coalition (VCHCC) has been designated to collect data and

report facility and entity situation status to the Local Emergency Medical Services Agency

(LEMSA) for Ventura County. The Ventura County Emergency Medical Services Agency

(VCEMS) has primary responsibility for staffing the Medical Health Operational Area

Coordinator (MHOAC) position. The MHOAC Program is the principal point-of-contact

within the Operational Area for information related to the public health and medical impact

of an unusual event or emergency system activation. The occurrence of an unusual event or

emergency system activation should always trigger completion of a Situation Status Report

(SitRep). The procedures for submitting a SitRep are as follows:

A. PREPAREDNESS: Planning prior to an incident (Step-by-Step Instructions)

Bookmark the following SitRep URL in your web browser http://bit.ly/vcsitrep

1. Please note, the SitRep is incompatible with Internet Explorer; consider

bookmarking the URL in a different web browser (i.e. Safari, FireFox,

Chrome, etc.)

Save the electronic, PDF SitRep to the Desktop on all work-site computers

Print several copies of the PDF SitRep and store in your Emergency Plan Binder

(for redundancy purposes in the event of power/data failure).

Train staff on:

1. The importance of communication via SitRep(s) AND

2. How to access/submit SitRep(s)

Determine who [from within your facility/organization] is responsible for

submitting a SitRep(s)

B. RESPONSE: Submitting a SitRep (Step-by-Step Instructions)

An initial SitRep should be submitted to VCHCC within 1 hour of the incident onset.

A phone call should always accompany a SitRep submission for internal incidents.

1. There are two platforms by which to submit a SitRep; the primary method

should always be followed first as the secondary is for redundancy (i.e.

backup) purposes only. These methods are outlined below:

A. PRIMARY: Submit via ArcGIS

1. Type the following URL link [in all lower-case font] into your

web browser. Please note, the SitRep is incompatible with Internet

Explorer; consider using the URL in a different web browser (i.e.

Safari, FireFox, Chrome, etc.) http://bit.ly/vcsitrep

2. Complete all fields in the survey

3. Submit SitRep by clicking box that reads “Click here to SEND”

4. If successfully completed, a confirmation page will show (see

Figure 2 in Appendix A)

B. SECONDARY (backup): Submit via email or fax

EMAIL

1. Complete all fields in the electronic PDF [fillable] SitRep form

2. Save file to your computer

3. Attach file to an email with the subject line “URGENT: <Your

facility/organization/entity name> SitRep”

4. Send email to VCHCC@ventura.org

FAX

1. Complete all fields in a pre-printed SitRep form found in your

Emergency Plan Binder (see above “A. PREPAREDNESS”)

2. Fax to (805) 981-5300

2. Internal incidents

A. Should the incident be localized and contained to your facility/entity

and/or surrounding area, follow the above steps in order from

Primary to Secondary AND

1. Conduct a follow up phone call

a. During Hours of Operation (8am-5pm M-F): Main Line

(805) 981-5301

b. After Hours of Operation: VC EMSA Duty Officer

(805) 981-5339

3. External Incidents & Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI)

A. Should the incident be widespread, affecting multiple

facilities/organizations within Ventura County you will receive a

request for SitRep submission from either VCHCC@ventura.org or

EMSAgency@ventura.org

1. Follow above, Step-by-Step Instructions for submitting a

SitRep

C. ReddiNet (for Hospitals only)

1. Normal ReddiNet messaging procedures should be followed simultaneous,

and in addition, to SitRep procedures.

D. Alternative Communication Methods

1. If unable to follow the above protocol due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e.

loss of internet/fax), consider the following methods of communication

o Phone (landline or cellular)

o HAM Radio

o Satellite Phone

SitRep procedures will always precede Resource Requesting. At least one, initial SitRep

will be a required prerequisite prior to any resource request.

E. Resource Requesting

1. In the State of CA, Resource Requesting is a standardized, operational

process that supports the ability of jurisdictions (Local, Regional, and State)

to provide assistance during disasters that exceed the resource capacity of an

individual, Operational Area. A common operational framework supports

effective information flow between Local, Regional, and State partners and

supports efficient response when additional resources are needed during

emergencies that exceed local response capabilities.

2. Resource Request form(s) will be updated and revised over time.

Appendix A: ArcGIS Screenshots

Figure 1. Initial view of ArcGIS SitRep that is seen upon following this URL http://bit.ly/vcsitrep

Figure 2. View of the confirmation page that is seen upon successful completion.

Appendix B: Additional SitRep Content Guide

(for ArcGIS version)

The Primary method of submission (ArcGIS) was developed after the SitRep PDF form. The

following content was added in the newer, Primary method of submission. For all other

SitRep content see Appendices C & D

REPORT TYPE

A. Updates are recommended to provide a common operating picture

B. Follow the steps below for updates

1. Under “Report Type”:

• “Initial” should only be marked on the first SitRep submitted during an

incident

• “Update” should be marked on all remaining SitRep submissions during the

same incident

• Update numbers should follow this procedure: First update (although it is

your second SitRep submission during this same incident) should be

indicated as Update #1

SITUATION IMAGES

A. Up to 3 images can be included; images MUST be formatted as follows:

1. Smaller than 10MB

2. One of the following file types: jpg, jpeg, png, gif

WEBSITE LINK

A. Include a link to a website

a. Sample links that may be useful in providing greater situational awareness

may include, but are not limited to, news stories.

Appendix C: PDF SitRep Screenshot

Appendix D: PDF SitRep Content Guide

1. Report Status ▪ The report status options are shown in a dial button format, choose ONE of

the following:

• Advisory: No Action Required – this indicates that the content included on the form is a report of the facility status but no assistance is needed at the time of submission.

• Alert: Action Required – this indicates that aid is needed at the facility. Detailed information should be written in the “Current Situation” box that is labeled “1, 7 & 11”.

2. Date/Time of Report ▪ Indicate the date and time that you are completing/submitting the SitRep in

the respective formats: MM/DD/YYYY and HH:MM 3. Contact Information

▪ The following information is required of the person completing the report: Name (First & Last), Position or Title, Phone Number (ensure it is a working number & include area code), an Alternate/back-up Phone Number (include area code), and email address.

▪ The following information for the facility/organization that you are reporting for will also be required: Name, Street Address, and City.

4. Facility/Agency Type ▪ Select from the drop-down option, the discipline that identifies your

facility/organization. ▪ If the type that your facility/organization identifies as is not included, select

“Other/Not-Defined” AND write the type your facility/organization identifies as in the “Current Situation” box that is labeled “1 ,7 & 11”.

5. For Facilities Only ▪ Write the number of impacted beds within your facility ▪ Write the total number of beds in your facility.

6. Prognosis ▪ Options are shown in a dial button format, choose ONE of the following:

• Improving – the situation/status of your facility is improving from the initial impact/incident and/or has improved from the last SitRep submitted.

• Worsening – the situation/status of your facility is worsening from the initial impact/incident and/or has worsened from the last SitRep submitted.

• No Change – the situation/status of your facility has not changed from the initial impact/incident and/or from the last SitRep submitted.

7. Current Facility Condition ▪ The condition options are shown in a dial button format, choose ONE of the

following:

• GREEN – your facility is experiencing normal operations and/or the situation has been resolved. No assistance is required.

• Yellow – your facility is managing the incident using its own resources or existing agreements. No assistance is required.

• Orange – your facility is experiencing modified services; you have requested assistance via an existing agreement (i.e. vendors or other facilities). No local EMS or MHOAC assistance is required.

• Red – your facility is experiencing limited services; you require some, minor assistance from the local EMS agency or MHOAC.

• Black – your facility is experiencing impaired services; you require significant assistance from the local EMS agency or MHOAC.

• Grey – Unknown 8. Internal Plans Activation

▪ The activation response options are shown in a dial button format, choose ONE of the following:

• Yes – your facility has activated a plan or plans in response to this incident

• No – your facility has not activated any plans ▪ In the comment box below the question, explain which plans have been

activated or (if applicable) why you have not activated any plans. 9. Evacuation

▪ The evacuation response options are shown in a dial button format, choose ONE of the following:

• Yes – all or some portion of your facility has evacuated 1. enter the number of individuals and beds evacuated

• No – your facility has not evacuated 10. Emergency Response (9-1-1)

▪ The 9-1-1 response options are shown in a dial button format, choose ONE of the following:

• Yes – someone from your facility has called 9-1-1

• No – no one from your facility has called 9-1-1 ▪ If yes, explain the nature of the call and any response received.

11. Report Type

▪ Updates are recommended to provide a common operating picture

1. In the box titled, “Current Situation” indicate whether the report is an “Initial” submission or an “Update” to a past submission

2. “Initial” should only be indicated on the first SitRep submitted during an incident

3. “Update” should be indicated on all remaining SitRep submissions during the same incident

4. Update numbers should follow this procedure: First update (although it is your second SitRep submission during this same incident) should be indicated as Update #1

Appendix E: VCHCC Organizational Graphic

Appendix F: Incident Response: Step-by-Step Process

Appendix F: Incident Response: Step-by-Step Process