sup annex communication plan

8/10/2019 Sup Annex Communication Plan

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Benton County Health Services

Emergency Communications Plan

1

Benton County Health ServicesEmergency Response Plan

Support Annex A:

EMERGENCYCOMMUNICATIONS

PLAN

_____________________________________ ________________

HealthDirector Signature Date


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CONTENTS

Section I. Introduction 3

A. Purpose

B. Scope and Applicability

C. Incident Management Activities and Key ConceptsD. Authorities

Section II. Planning Assumptions and Considerations 5

Section III. Roles and Responsibilities 6

A. Local GovernmentB. State Government

Section IV. Concept of Operations 11

Section V. Incident Management Actions 11

Section VI. Ongoing Plan Management and Maintenance 12

A. Coordination and Plan Maintenance

B. Training and Exercises

Section VII. Abbreviations and Glossary 14

Section VIII. Attachments and Appendices 171. Public Information Call Center Operations


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IntroductionEffective risk communication in a disaster hinges on the ability to recognize the outbreak,

mobilize supplies of needed materials to affected populations in a timely manner, and

provide ongoing medical care for affected individuals. Benton County Health Services

(BCHS) has the legal authority and responsibility to lead the response to anepidemic/outbreak event or a pending public health threat. The county emergency

management office will coordinate and facilitate the medical response. This plan will beused in conjunction with other emergency management plans as appropriate.

When an emergency occurs in the community, there may be little or no public

information initially available about the incident. Once an incident is made public, thereis a need for professional and articulate public information from a credible medical or

public health source. A biological or communicable disease emergency is certain to

generate a high level of public and media interest. This document describes how BCHSwill respond to public information requests and communicating important information to

key partners and agencies.

The Benton County Public Health Communication Plan outlines key assumptions for the

response to public information, refers relevant legal and statutory authorities, and defines

a concept of operations for communications. The roles and responsibilities of publichealth will be delineated to manage public information needs with the intent of

minimizing injury or exposure to those persons directly affected as well as those who

have not yet been exposed. BCHS will augment the response activities of federal, state

and local agencies.

While official hazard assessment is not done for diseases in the community, BCHS

should be prepared to respond to any evidence of the category A agents (anthrax,botulism, smallpox, tularemia, plague and viral hemorrhagic fever). Of more common

incidence are communicable diseases such as influenza, pertussis, meningococcal

disease, E Coli. 0157, norovirus as well as foodborne outbreaks. BCHS has alsoexperienced the need for public information when a new disease receives media attention

such as West Nile virus, SARS, Avian Influenza H5N1or Pandemic Influenza. Thirdly,

the need for information increases when a disease outbreak occurs, when many children

become sick, or when a death occurs.

A. PurposeThe purpose of this Communications Plan is to coordinate routine and emergency public

health communication methods and procedures including:

Communication among health officials within the public health system,

Communications between public health officials and other emergency responders,

Direct communication with the media,

Communication considerations for specific populations and the general public,

Long term public educational efforts related to hazard awareness,

Information about the communications equipment and capabilities availableduring emergency operations,


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Identifying and obtaining the resources necessary for an effective health relatedpublic information response.

Because this plan requires ongoing working relationships and developing agreements

across disciplines, agencies, government officials and media representatives, it requires

careful review by all key players and an openness to revision based on input from keyplayers and evolving circumstances.

The plan includes all-hazard standard operating proceduresfor before, during and after

the emergency. The standard operating procedures clearly define the activities that shouldtake place depending on the level of the emergency and at different stages of the

emergency response, including notification of key partners, guidelines for establishing

and operating a joint information center (JIC) and providing for telephone informationline surge capacity.

B. Scope and Applicability

The scope of this plan is to provide a description of the role Public Health plays inensuring effective risk communication during the mitigation, preparation, response, and

recovery phases to disasters or emergencies that affects the lives and well-being ofindividuals of Benton County.

It is the intention that this plan will work in concert with local, state and federal plans

dealing with a disaster or emergency.

This plan cannot anticipate all possible emergencies or situations and therefore should not

be used without competent review, training and exercising of the plan by qualifiedemergency management professionals to test, revise and/or validate its contents.

Conditions will develop in actual operations where standard methods will not suffice.Nothing in this plan shall be interpreted as an obstacle to the experience, initiative, andingenuity of those responsible for responding to emergency situations in overcoming the

complexities that exist under actual emergency conditions.

C. Incident Management Activities and Key Concepts

This plan addresses the full spectrum of activities related to communications during

incident management, including prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery

actions. The plan focuses on those activities that are directly related to an evolvingincident or potential incident rather than steady-state preparedness or readiness activities

conducted in the absence of a specific threat or hazard. Additionally, since incidents

typically result in impacts far beyond the immediate or initial incident area, this planprovides a framework to enable the management of communications for multiple

incidents as well as the prevention of and preparation for subsequent events. Examples of

incident management actions include:

Increasing local public awareness;

Assessing trends that point to potential terrorist activity;

Communicating and coordinating protective measures across jurisdictions;

Increasing countermeasures such as inspections, case management, andinvestigations;


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Conducting public health surveillance and assessment processes and, whereappropriate, conducting a wide range of prevention measures to include, but not

be limited to, immunizations, isolations measures, and quarantine;

Providing immediate and long-term public health and medical response assets;

Coordinating support to Regional, local, and tribal authorities in the aftermath of

an incident; Providing strategies for coordination of resources required to handle subsequent

events;

Restoring public confidence after a terrorist attack;

Enabling immediate recovery activities, as well as addressing long-termconsequences in the impacted area.

D. Authorities

According to Benton Countys Public Information Annex of the county Emergency

Operations Plan, upon activation of the ECC, the overall responsibility for public

information rests with the Incident Commander acting through the Public Information

Officer. The PIO serves as the official Benton County spokesperson and the sole sourcefor dissemination of official emergency related materials to the public.

In accordance with the State of Oregons Bioterrorism/Public Health Emergency Joint

Information System/Center Operations Plan, in the event of a bio-terrorist event or public

health emergency involving the state, the responsibility for coordinating the activities ofthe JIC rests with the Department of Human Services Office of the State Public Health

Officer, Public Health Preparedness Planner, and Health Services Public Information

Officer (PIO) in coordination with the Governors PIO and PIOs of other affected local,

state and federal agencies and partner organizations. The Health Services JointInformation System and/or Joint Information Center will be activated at any time that the

Agency Operation Center is activated, or at other times as determined by the Lead PublicInformation Officer or Deputy Public Information Officer in conjunction with theIncident Manager, Deputy Incident Manager or designee.

In the event of a local public health emergency or imminent public health emergency, theHealth Director who is acting as the Incident Commander is responsible for assessing and

determining the need for additional resources. Upon determination of need, the IncidentCommander or designee shall request resources through Benton County Emergency

Management.

II. Planning Assumptions and Considerations

The coordination of timely and accurate communications with partners and the public is

an essential function during a disaster to ensure that protective measures are taken and toreduce the spread of rumors and misinformation.

During a large public health disaster, public action and cooperation would be required tocontain the spread of disease. Consistent messages from various agencies are necessary

to ensure public trust and reassurance. For this reason, reliable communication methods

must be in place and well exercised for various types of disasters.


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There are times, however, when disaster strikes without warning and the public

information system cannot react rapidly enough to properly inform the public about thehazard. For this reason it is important that prior to the occurrence of an emergency the

public be made aware of potential hazards and the protective measures that should be

employed.

A primary goal of communicating with the public is to gain their cooperation in

responding to the emergency. Clear, concise public communication is the single most

important contributing factor in determining the success of the public informationresponse. Age, cultural background, and average educational level of the population will

be considered, and simple, non-medical terminology will be used. Informing and

reassuring the public will reduce fear and anxiety and will be crucial to earning publicconfidence and cooperation.

Assumptions of this plan include:

Adequate communications are vital for effective and efficient warning, response,and recovery operations

During an emergency, routine communication methods may be neutralized or noteffective.

The public needs a consistent resource for receiving accurate and timelyinformation.

Responding agencies need reliable and effective means of communicating witheach other.

Additional communications equipment required for emergency operations will bemade available from citizens, business, and/or other government resources.

During an emergency, Public Health staff will quickly be overwhelmed andadditional staff may be necessary.

Inaccurate or late risk communication information can lead to public mistrust;

further demand on resources; or failure to take protective measures.

Poor public communication during a disaster can result in:

Public demand for misallocation of limited emergency response resources

Public mistrust or circumventing public health recommendations

Opportunists who play on peoples fears or uncertainties to providefraudulent advice or treatment

Overreaction and wasted fiscal and medical resources during the emergencyresponse, and increased disease and death.

It is estimated that during a public health emergency demands for services from the

worried well could outnumber the demand from those who are actually ill by 20 to 1,potentially overwhelming the available medical response resources.

III. Roles and Responsibilities

A. Local Government

The Benton County Board of Commissioners, as the jurisdictions chief executive board,

is responsible for the public safety and welfare of the people of its jurisdiction. The Board

of Commissioners provides leadership and plays a key role in communicating to the


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public, and in helping people, businesses, and organizations cope with the consequences

of any type of domestic incident within the jurisdiction.

Public Health

Communicable Disease Nurses, Environmental Health Specialists, or the Health Officer

may be the first responders to a public health threat. In some instances, notificationcomes from an outside agency such as local hospitals, healthcare providers or a facility.

BCHS Policy and Procedure of Triage and Routing of CD Phone Calls will be followed

to alert all necessary parties. Public Health will manage the initial crisis response usingICS, including the appointment of an Incident Commander and a Lead Investigator under

the Operations section.

If the event is small enough, the response may be handled by the Communicable Disease

Team. In a larger event, other agencies and the state department of health may be

involved. As the scale, magnitude, and significance of the event grows, the responsibility

for Incident Command, mitigation, investigation, and recovery will progress through

State and Federal agencies as appropriate.

This Communications Plan and/or Benton County Public Information Annex of thecounty Emergency Operations Plan will be activated at any time that the BCHS

Department Operations Center is activated, or at other times as determined by the

Incident Commander or designee.

The development of a disaster or threat requiring risk communicationfrom Public Health

will be likely to progress over time from a non-emergency situation. This information isexpected to come from Communicable Disease staff, GSRMC and/or health care

providers. Alternately, BCHS staff may receive notification of an emergency from statehealth officials, neighboring counties, Emergency Management, other governmental

agencies, or members of the public. These means of communication may occur through

the 24/7 Disease Reporting number, emails, Oregon Health Alert Network (HAN); Alert

Oregon notification, or ORCD Alert.

Preparedness/ Pre-Event

Planning

Coordinate planning activities with state and federal health, law enforcement, andemergency management agencies.

Participate in training, exercising, coordinating with local/state agencies to ensurethe integration of plans.

Notification

Communication methods are in place and updated with first responders and otherkey partners. Refer to the PIO Annex of the Benton County Emergency

Operations Plan for a list of contact information for the applicable points of

contact.

Establish and maintain liaison with clinics, nursing home/care centers, mentalhealth organizations, EMS, GSRMC, funeral service providers and otherjurisdictions.

Facilitate cooperation among all local involved parties (e.g. government officials,emergency responders, health experts, businesses and the public.)


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Maintain alert, warning, and notification mechanisms such as through HealthAlert Network, ORCD Alert, and Oregon Alert.

Educate key partners of communication methods and procedures.

Keep equipment under a schedule of testing, maintenance, and repair.

Train personnel on the appropriate equipment as necessary

Public Information

Work with Benton County Emergency Management to identify potential healthhazards and prepare the appropriate public health response to such hazards.

Prepare emergency information for release during emergencies such as fact sheetsand draft news releases.

Conduct public education programs including hazard awareness, protectivemeasures and meaning of warning signals, in collaboration with local and statepartners.

Educate local media on the role of public health, and general protective measuresthe public should take on a regular basis.

Maintain contact list and working relationships with local media. Participate with ECC on testing local procedures such as media notification.

Maintain contact list of groups to assist in message development and delivery tospecial populations.

Educate key partners on media access and PIO function.

Response/Event

Activate plans and procedures as appropriate.

Maintain records and documentation as appropriate.

Notification

Notify staff and key partners through Public Health Staff Notification Procedures.

Establish early means of communication and outline responsibilities with keypartners.

Provide public health updates to key agencies as additional information isobtained.

Contact the State ECC through the county Emergency Coordination Center whenadditional resources are needed. The ECC will then contact the OSPH AOC.

Public Information

Establish a Joint Information Center if necessary.

Provide information about the event and health effects to the public. Provide information on protective measures to be taken by the public and

partnering agencies.

Provide a means for the public to receive additional information as appropriate(website, information line, hotline, etc.).

Keep the public updated as to the progress of events and any changes to previousmessages.

Establish public information programs dealing with personal health and hygiene.

Assist in maintaining rumor control.

Utilize public feedback as a measure of the informational programs effectivenessor to make immediate changes.


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Monitor media reports for accuracy of information, make corrections asnecessary.

Recovery/ Post Event

Participate in After Action Reports, hot-washes, debriefings, etc. and schedule trainings

and exercises internally and through the county as appropriate.

Notification

Provide key partners with updates as to outcomes of the event as appropriate.

Public Information

Provide the public with updates as to outcomes of the event as appropriate.

Provide information about potential or continuing hazards affecting public healthand offer appropriate guidance for mitigation of harmful effects.

Continue to provide information about protective measures as appropriate.

Compile record of events and prepare After Action Report.

Assess effectiveness of the emergency public information program.

Joint Information Center

After an emergency has been declared, state and local Joint Information Centers (JIC)

will assume primary responsibility for all public information efforts and media relations

activities. In the event that a Joint Information Center is to be established, the JIC will behoused near the ECC, but could be operated from anywhere with an available Internet

connection or appropriate communication system. Depending on the scale of the

emergency, the JIC may be operated virtually from the offices of the Lead and Deputy

PIOs. Communication modes and frequencies must integrate with the State/Localjurisdictions current emergency communication plans.

PIOs staffing the JIC will record media briefings and monitor all local and nationalcoverage to identify areas that need additional emphasis or correction, analyze trends, and

update frequently asked questions (FAQs) and talking points. Additionally, PIOs staffing

the JIC will log all calls and e-mails, analyze for trends in concerns and questions and usethis information to update FAQs and talking points.

The JIC provides the physical location for coordination of the following functions:

1. Lead and Deputy PIOs (Leadership Command and Control)2. Content and Clearance Team

3. News Media Liaison4. Clinician Communication5. Media and Public Information Monitoring and Research6. Community Health Education7. Government Communication8. Hotline9. Public Health Partners and Stakeholders10.Spokespeople11.Public Area of Health Alert Network (HAN) Website


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An individual may be assigned multiple functions based on the scope of the event.

Detailed position descriptions for the team leaders for each functional area are includedin the Benton County JIC operations plan. It is anticipated that these positions will be

filled by public health staff, other county staff, partner agency PIOs, or regional/state

PIOs as necessary. They may also be filled by qualified PIO volunteers who have

received Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication and JIC training.

County Emergency Management

Refer to Benton Countys Emergency Communications Annex of the Benton CountyEmergency Operations Plan. The Emergency Program Manager is responsible for

implementing the Emergency Coordination Center to focus on serving as the

communications and coordination center for the county.

Communications Officers and operators from support agencies, while under control of

their own office and operating their own equipment in the EOC, will be responsible for

knowing and following the procedures outlined in this plan.

Existing communication systems and use is outlined in Benton CountysEmergency

Operating Procedures - Emergency Communications. This includes:

a. Corvallis Police Department 9-1-1 Center

The CorvallisRegional Communication9-1-1 Center operated by the CorvallisPolice Department is the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

Emergency calls for service are received by the 9-1-1 Center and dispatched to

the appropriate public safety agencies.

b. Benton County Amateur Radio Emergency Services

The Benton County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (BCARES), comprised

of:

radio operators licensed by the Federal Communications Commission for

noncommercial (amateur) communications, have voluntarily registered theirservices and formed an organized pool of trained communications specialists to

assist Benton County Emergency Management in providing emergency and

disaster communications.

Other County Departments

According to Benton Countys Emergency Communications Annex of the EmergencyOperations Plan, all county department heads will make available any personnel or

communications equipment deemed essential for emergency communications services by

the Emergency Coordination Center. When emergency operations are initiated, thesupervisors will determine which communications personnel will be required. Staff

requirements will vary according to the incident.

B. State of Oregon

The Oregon State Public Health (OSPH) is the state agency with primary responsibility

for public information during a public health emergency. Within Oregon State Public

Health (OSPH), the Public Health Preparedness Program is the lead program for the statepublic health response to emergencies. There are a large range of public health roles and

responsibilities on the state level during a public health emergency. The scope of the


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event, resources and priorities will determine how many of these roles and

responsibilities OSPH actually undertakes.

OSPH has the ability to notify healthcare providers, partner agencies and other counties

through the ORCD Alert, the Health Alert Network (HAN) and CDC websites.

Section IV. Concept of Operations

This plan describes both the relationship of Benton County Public Health to the local

emergency response structure, and the roles and responsibilities of BCHS management

and local public health program staff in risk communication.

The Communications Plan is structured to serve for the day-to-day operations of

responding to public information requests as well as in an emergency situation. There are

times when a communicable or other disease outbreak warrants the release of informationto partners and/or the public.

In the event that a public health emergency or impending public health threat is declared,BCHS DOC will be activated. The countys ECC may be activated or utilized if

resources are overwhelmed.

Communications play a critical role in emergency operations. Emergency communication

operations in Benton County include, but are not limited to, coordination of public safety

communications via telephone, radio and LEDS. These events will most likely require

establishing an Emergency Communications Center within the ECC, as well as theexpansion of the standard daily activities and responsibilities of the 9-1-1

Communications Center.

According to Benton Countys Emergency Communications Annex, the existing public

safety communications systems, consisting of telephones and radio facilities, will

perform the initial and basic communications effort for emergency operations. Landlinecircuits, when available, will serve as the primary means of communication with radio as

back-up.

If the day-to-day operations are insufficient to meet the increased communication needscreated by an emergency; various county or state agencies, amateur radio operations, and

business/industry radio systems will be asked to provide expanded communication

capabilities.

Section V. Incident Management Actions

Benton County utilizes the Incident Command System in accordance with National

Incident Management System (NIMS) requirements as per the County EmergencyOperations Plan. As applicable, the Benton County Health Director (or designee) will

serve as the initial Incident Commander and shall direct initial operations through the

Benton Health Services Department Operation Center (DOC), which will be the incidentcommand post. The Incident Commander will determine to what level the Incident

Command Structure will be expanded, and possibly physically move the command post

to the county ECC.


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To ensure continuity of public health and medical activities during a public healthemergency, the following line of succession is established:

Benton County Health Director

Deputy Director for Public HealthDivision Manager for Environmental Health

Other designated staff

In many situations, communicable disease nurses serve as the initial team leader until

further resources are necessary.

Should the Public Information Officers be unavailable, absent, or incapacitated for any

reason, the Incident Commander or designee shall act as the PIO for the duration of the

incident or until a suitable replacement can assist.

If an event grows beyond the scope of local public health, the countys EmergencyCoordination Center may be utilized. In which case, the Benton County Emergency

Management Office is the overall authority for the Emergency Coordination Center andits Emergency Communications Center located in the ECC. If the incident is large

enough, the state Department of Human Services will take the role of Incident

Commander.

VI. Ongoing Plan Management and Maintenance

A. Coordination and Plan Maintenance

The Benton County Health Director or designee is responsible for the Public HealthCommunications Plan development, distribution, periodic review, and updating. Each

service with emergency assignments is responsible for assigning personnel andequipment and providing training necessary to carry out emergency functions.

This plan will be reviewed as necessary based on lessons learned during emergencies,exercises, county or state public health organizational changes, state planning guidance or

as other events warrant. The Deputy Director for Public Health is responsible for

assuring routine biennial review of this plan, as well as organizing exercises designed to

test this plan.

The Deputy Director for Public Health will also be responsible for assuring that anevaluation is conducted and an after-action report is completed on all exercises or realevents related to the functions of the Public Health Communication Plan.

The lead PIO will be responsible for maintaining media directories and contactinformation as well as to update call-down lists and contact information unless otherwise

specified in an appendix. The PIO will also be responsible for content on the Public

Health website and Public Health Information Call Center.


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Other public health staff, in conjunction with county Information Services and Telecom

will be responsible for maintaining communications equipment such as the copymachine, fax machine, website, Public Health Information Line and email.

B. Training and Exercises

The Deputy Director for Public Health will assure that staff who will be filling key ICS

and public information roles complete NIMS/ICS training as directed by the Oregon DHS

- HS Public Health Preparedness program including ICS-700.

Lead PIOs will receive training on crisis and risk communication and, when possible,

attend regional or state trainings on communication and Public Information. Additionaltraining may be obtained through other sources as they are identified and available.

Training opportunities will be shared with PIOs from other agencies as appropriate.

The medical and health services will participate as required in drills and exercises

conducted by Benton County Office of Emergency Management. Such exercises are heldaccording to the timeline and frequency set forth by local emergency management.

These drills and exercises may range from tabletop to full-scale.

Additional drills and exercises may be conducted by various agencies and services to

develop and test the ability to effectively respond to requests for public information andcommunication needs. Evaluation and post exercise follow-up will serve to improve the

plan and our ability to support the County EOP.

In-house drills will take place at least annually to test specific notification procedures.

These are to be coordinated by the Lead Public Information Officer and/or the PublicHealth Preparedness Coordinator. The After Action Report and Improvement Plan will

be shared with the Benton County Health and Human Services Director, Benton County

Public Health Manager, and the Emergency Management Director. (See appendix 1 for

more detailed Public Information Call Center (PICC) training.)


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Incident Command System (ICS). A standardized on-scene emergency managementsystem that enables multiple agencies and jurisdictions to respond to single or multiple

incidents using an integrated organizational structure.

Incident Commander. The individual responsible for all incident activities, includingthe development of strategies and tactics and the ordering and release of resources. The

Incident Commander has overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident

operations and is responsible for managing all incident operations at the incident site.

Joint Information Center (JIC). A facility established to coordinate all incident-related

public information activities. It is the central point of contact for all news media.

Joint Information System (JIS). Integrates incident information and public affairs into a

cohesive structure to provide consistent, coordinated, timely information during an

incident.

National Incident Management System (NIMS). A system that provides a consistent

nationwide approach for governments (federal, state, local, and tribal), private-sectorbusinesses, and nongovernmental organizations to work effectively and efficiently

together to prepare for and respond to incidents.

Operation Section. Under ICS, the section responsible for all tactical operations.

Planning Section. Under ICS, the section responsible for collecting, evaluation, anddisseminating operational information related to the incident.

Shelter-in-place. Protecting yourself during an emergency by remaining in your house or

business place. For chemical emergencies, choose a small, interior room with few or no

windows as high in the building as possible.


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Appendix 1: Public Information Call Center Operations

PICC Setup

Secure locationThe Rogue Room can be easily modified to establish the Public Information CallCenter (PICC). An all staff email shall be sent explaining the situation and the need for

the Rogue Room. Staff will be asked to relocate all r events and meetings to alternativespaces in the building to allow for the PICC. The PH Division Coordinator will clear the

schedule of the Rogue Room through the use of the Outlook calendar setting.

Set up locationSet up 5 workstations, each consisting of a telephone and computer: 1 for the

Public Information Call Center Coordinator, and 4 calling stations.

Each of the 5 phones shall be configured to log into a queue and the queue thenselects which phone will ring. Prior to joining the queue, each phone operator wouldhave to log in. (See the Series 1 ACD instruction manual for more information on how to

use the phones.)

Acquire suppliesThe Rogue Room will need to have tables and desks added to accommodate the

additional phones and computers. The Public Health Division Coordinator can assist infinding all of the necessary furniture. The Department Administrative Assistant is the

liaison with the telephone and computer arrangements. The computers will be set up by

Benton County IRM and the phones by LCOG Telecommunications.

Supply list Digital Phones

o 5 NEC D term Series 1 phones, all connected to the same number.

Computerso 5 Dell Computers set up by Benton County IRM.

Internet Connection

White Board

Large Meeting Room (Rogue Room)

Tables

Chairs

Desks

Blackberryo Enables the Public Information Call Center Coordinator to be in constant

contact with the volunteers and to be very mobile.


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Determine the minimum as well as optimal staffing totals needed to

maintain operationsremember to multiply by the number of shifts:

PICC Minimum Staffing Total: 8 per shift

Command staff 1 (1 Supervisor)

Logistics 1 (1 Lead)

Operations 4 (1 Lead, 3 Operators)

Administrative 1 (1 Lead)

Other 1 (External Liaison)

PICC Optimal Staffing Total: 13+ per shift

Command staff 1 (1 Supervisor)

Logistics 3 (1 Lead, 2 support functions)

Operations 5+ (1 Lead, 3+ Operators, 1+ Subject

Matter Experts)

Administrative 3 (1 Lead, 2 support functions)

Other 1 (External Liaison)

Staff functions and qualificationsBase the PICCs functional positions and reporting structure on the Incident CommandSystem (ICS).

Create an organizational chart.

Connect the PICC to the organizations larger emergency response effort.

Create job cards for each staff position:

Supervisor and direct reports

Key job responsibilities

All lead or staff responsibilities/tasks (when reporting for shift, during

operation, post operation)

Determine the qualifications and work experience needed for each staff position.


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example:Staff position Qualifications

PICC Supervisor Knowledge of event; experience with ICS and PICCoperations; management skills

External Liaison Able to work with other agencies or community partners

Administrative Lead Supervisory and organizational skills

Logistics Lead Knowledge of/ability to broker technical support;knowledge about how to obtain necessary supplies

Operations Lead Experience with PICC operations

Personnel Needs Support Data entry experience desired

Personnel Coordinator Able to organize and coordinate information and people

Facilities Support Tech savvy, mechanical expertise and ability to lift aminimum of 25 pounds

Supplies Support Detail oriented; ability to accurately track and inventory

supplies

Operators Appropriate training in customer relations and call centeroperations; foreign language proficiency is optional

Subject Matter Experts Trained professionals, such as: nurse, epidemiologist,environmental health specialist, mental health professional,

pharmacist


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Volunteers

RecruitmentOregon State University

Volunteers can be solicited from Oregon State University by email request sent

out over the pre-med listserv. Chere Pereira ([email protected]), is theChief Premed Advisor at OSU and she moderates the list serv. An email volunteer

request can also be sent out over the Public Health Undergraduate listserv. Karen Elliot

([email protected]), who is a Public Health Faculty member at Oregon StateUniversity, is the moderator of this listserv.

LB Vision

Volunteers were can also be recruited through the Linn Benton Vision Volunteer

Center. The Health Department Administrative Assistant is the liaison between theHealth Department and LBVision. LB Vision has a form that potential volunteers fill

out, that form is then forwarded to the Department Administrative Assistant, who would

then pass the form on to the Public Information Call Center Coordinator.

ProcessingOnce volunteers have been recruited, they must fill out a Volunteer Form and

turn it into the Public Health Division Coordinator. The volunteer form collects the

volunteers name, contact information, and emergency contact information. The PublicHealth Division Coordinator will send the prospective volunteer additional required

documents.

TrainingVolunteers will be sent all of the BCHD required trainings via email by the Public

Health Division Coordinator who will also follow-up with the volunteers. Volunteers arerequired to complete HIPAA and mandatory reporter training and sign the confidentiality

statement prior to participation.

Once all of the required trainings are completed, the PICC Coordinator will

arrange a time to train the volunteer in the specifics of the PICC. Most of these trainings

would occur during the volunteers first shift. Trainings would include: Tour of the relevant areas of the Health Department Training on how to operate the phones Overview of the outbreak situation Instruction on how to use the tracking system

Practice calls

Volunteers may not always be dependable, sometimes arriving late or not showing up atall. Volunteer unpredictability will challenge staffing the PICC. A solution to this would

be to offer unpaid internships as a way to have more dependable volunteers.


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PICC Messages

Create Hotline MessagingAll messages shall be created in Microsoft office, then uploaded to Google

documents (http://docs.google.com/). Google docs is a website where documents can be

uploaded and viewed online. There are a variety of different settings including privacysettings that allow the creator to determine who can see and edit the documents. No

protected health information shall be listed on Google docs.

The Following forms will be accessible from the homepage: Call Database Daily Update Pathogen Script PICC Schedule Oregon HHS Information Page

Call Database An excel spreadsheet will be used to track the time, date and topic ofcalls received. A separate spreadsheet page will be created for each week that theInformation Call Center is in operation.

Daily UpdateThe daily update will included any new and important changes to thepathogen script. The daily update will be revised every morning before 8:00 am.

Pathogen ScriptsScripts should be comprehensive documents including a wide varietyof topics related to the pathogen in question.

PICC Schedule Volunteers will be able to schedule their own shifts on the PICC

Schedule. Participation will be encouraged through periodic emails from the PICCCoordinator including a link to the PICC schedule.

Maintaining the PICC

PICC Staffing

The PICC schedule will be available to all volunteers at anytime as a Google doc.

If there is not adequate staffing for a certain time, an email will be sent out to the listserv

of volunteers asking for someone to cover that time. If no volunteers are available, the

PICC Coordinator will staff the phones. If the PIC is unable to cover the phones, the PHProject Assistant may be available to help.

Frequent Updates

Every morning the PICC Coordinator will revise the daily update, and whenever

drastic changes occur. Major changes to the daily update will also be written on the

white boards, printed out for the volunteers, and announced to all volunteers at thebeginning of their shift.

Track Calls

All of the calls will be tracked in the Google documents spreadsheet.


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Archive Information

Every Monday morning the PICC Coordinator will download the PICC scheduleand the call database to ensure a back-up exists to the Google docs versions.

Call volume

The chart below shows three levels of call demand and how those needs might be met.Level III is the most intense and relies on external surge support.

Call volume, regardless of intensity, will not be evenly spaced. Spikes will occur most

likely the first few hours of an emergency, and will be one of the heaviest periods. Its

also the time when there will be the least amount of information to provide the public.

To anticipate surges, consider these components:

Certain times of day are generally lighterwhen most people are sleeping, for

example (between 11 pm and 7 am).

Volume is likely to increase when there is a marked change in the situation orsignificant news is announced by the media.

3 Scenarios, several solutions

Event Type Hours/Shifts Phone Lines,

Location

Operators Capacity

Level I

low intensity

Operational:M F, 8 am 5 pm

1, 9-hr shift

(hourly breaks, 1 hr lunch)

1 PICC site:Room A(up to 8 phones)orRoom B(up to 15 phones)

3 (minimum) 15 Operators

(12 calls/Op x 8 hr)

288 1,440 calls/day total

Level IImedium intensity Operational:7 days/wk, 8 am 8 pm

2, 6-hr shifts(hourly breaks, .5 hr lunch)

2 PICC sites:Room B(up to 15 phones)

Room C(up to 19 phones)

30 68 Operators needed to staff 2shifts(15 34 Operators/shift)

(12 calls/Op x 5.5 hr x 2)

1,980 4,488 calls/day total

(990 2,244 calls/shift)

Operational:

7 days/wk, 8 am 8 pm

2, 6-hr shifts(hourly breaks, .5 hr lunch)

2 PICC sites:

34 phones68 Operators needed to staff 2 shifts(34 Operators/shift)

(12 calls/Op x 5.5 hr x 2)

4,488 calls/day total

(2,244 calls/shift)

Operational:24 hr for 4 days

Community Partnersite:

24 phones 36 Operators needed to staff 3 shifts(24 Operators, 8 am 6 pm)

(10 Operators, 6 pm 12:30 am)(2 Operators, 12:30 am 8 am)

(12 calls/Op/hr)

3,480 calls/day total

(2,592 calls/day)(720 calls/day)(168 calls/day)

Level III

high intensity

Combination:

external surgesupport plus PICC

Surge support can

be used for 24-hrservice or peak-hr

service

Operational:24 hr as long as needed

Commercial Servicesite:

Up to 63 phones Up to 63 Operators

(12 call/Op/hr)

18,000 calls/day total(.01 of 1.8 million, pop)


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Accurate data is one of your best predictors; an automatic call distributor (ACD)

can track and report calls by the hour allowing you to anticipate todays volumebased on yesterdays activity.

Training, testing, and exercising

Training

Until a PICC is activated, precisely who will be available to staff the call center isunknown. Identify possible recruits and train your lead staff. Just-in-time training will

be an integral part of the set-up and shift-start processes.

key areas to cover in training:

The Incident Command System, how this pertains to the PICC staffing structure

and your organizations larger emergency response effort (see Writing it down:

Incident Command System chart)

Specific job functions (see Writing it down:Job card; completed job cards can be

found in the PICC plan for Public Health Seattle & King County at

http://www.metrokc.gov/health/apc/index.htm); consider training certainindividuals on more than one position as a backup measure

Processes attributed to each lead area: administration, operations, logistics

Best practices for handling deaf, hard of hearing, speech- or cognitive-disabled or

delusional or disoriented callers

For the operations lead and operators, familiarity with the Operator Guide, which

can include:

Job card and list of tasks

All instructions for using the phone equipment and protocols (including how to

handle media calls)

Phone scripts and Q & A for the specific emergency

Call log sheets and protocols

Criteria (or decision tree) for making and receiving referrals and/or transfers

Referral guide (including Web sites)

Instructions for difficult and special-needs callers (TTY, foreign language) All informational/educational materials that the public will be provided by your

health department (handouts, Web downloads)

Clarity on compensation and other labor issues, how staff will be called to duty,

anticipated length of service, and measures planned for employees safety andcomfort

Note: It is better for operators to be clear and accurate on a few key points than

confused and inaccurate on a broad range of topics. Train accordingly. It could

mean the difference between safety and harm for the caller.


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Testing

Some aspects of the PICC to periodically test:

Call rollover function to each surge support provider.

Interactive voice response or menu system options (make sure staff knows how tocorrectly record messages for the corresponding options).

Call routing (pressing the assigned operator key should send caller to a liveoperator, for example).

Operational test of all phones, headsets, and line jacks.

o Call-out protocols to PICC staff

Document the results and make corrections as needed.

Exercising

Some points to consider when designing a PICC exercise:

Involve your team of experts as planners as well as observers (internal andexternal).

Test as many aspects of your technology as possible.

Track your set-up time (have a goal in mind).

Evaluate your process for training PICC staff (including support materials,

Operator Guide, scripts).

Activate the PICC for at least 30 minutes.

Recruit enough volunteer callers to overload your system (provide callers with

talking points, emergency backgrounder, parts to play).

Ask every volunteer and staff member to complete an evaluation form (a different

form for each group).

Conduct a debriefing (hot wash) immediately after the exercise.

Send thank-you notes to all participants, especially your team of experts thathelped make the PICC a reality.


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Worksheets

Incident Command System (ICS) staffing structure

Job card

Call data comparison chart

Room phone line list

Operator log (shift summary sheet)

Operator log (individual call sheet)

Referral Guide

Post-event evaluation form


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Emergency Communication Plan

Incident Command System PICC Staffing Chart


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Job card

PICC (name of position)RESPONSIBILITIESPICC LOCATION &

SHIFT:

REPORTS TO: [WRITE NAME]

DIRECT REPORTS: [WRITE NAME]

FUNCTIONAL AREA:

Reporting for Shift

During Operation

Post Operation


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Call data comparison chart

Call data collection capabilities and processes

Name Computer-generatedreport

(postactivity)

Real-timecapability

Length ofcalls (time& date)

# callsoffered

# callsanswered

# callsabandoned

# callsdeflected

Operator-collecteddata

# callswaiting

# callsafterhours

PublicHealth PICC

Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

CommunityPartner #1

CommunityPartner #2

CommercialService

StateDepartmentof Health


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Room phone line list

Periodically perform a maintenance check of the items on this list. You may find it helpful tolabel your wall jacks and corresponding phone sets to facilitate room set up.

PhoneNumber

JackID#

Type(Digital/

Analog)

Active JackNeeds

Repair

MatchingHandset

UCD/ACDCapable

Jack Test/Comment Last Date Tested


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Benton County Health Department


30

Operator log

To be completed at the end of every shift. For calls needing more in-depth notation, use theIndividual call sheeton the following page.

Shift summary sheet

Public Information Call Center(PICC) page _____

Please complete for every shift .

Date ________ / ________ / 200__ Shift ______________

Operator ___________________________________ Location ___________________________________

Required informationTotal calls this shift___________

Tally each call here:

Tally each caller who reports technical difficulty reaching an Operator:

Busy signal

Disconnect

Long wait

Other

Optional: Use this section to highlight important issues from your Individual call sheets.

Unique questions (not answered in Operator Guide materials):

Unique information (limited-English speaker, eye-witness reports, difficulty reaching Operator, distress level,other):

NOTES:


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Communications Plan

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Operator log

To be completed for an individual call as needed.

Individual call sheet

Public Information Call Center(PICC) page _____

Please complete for an ind ividual call when more detail is needed.

amDate ________ / ________ / 200__ Shift ______________ Time__________ pm Call #___________

Operator ___________________________________ Location ____________________________________

Unique questions (not answered in Operator Guide materials:

Unique information (limited-English speaker, eye-witness reports, difficulty reaching Operator, distress level,other):

NOTES:


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Communications Plan

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Referral Guide

Caller Need Referral Contact Information

(name event)

Information Line(PICC)

recorded messages andlive operators, subjectmatter experts

(phone number, email, Web

site)TTY (deaf, deaf-blind, hardof hearing, speechdisabled)(Web site)

(other) (phone number, email, Website)

Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention(CDC)

(800) CDC-INFO(888) 232-6348 [email protected]

Non-medical information

about event: where to gofor care, facts on themedication/vaccinationbeing administered,symptoms (if event is adisease), preventivesteps to take

Federal Emergency

Management Agency(FEMA)

(800) 621-FEMA

apply by phone(800) 462-7587 TTYwww.fema.gov

Diagnosis of symptoms,complications/allergicreaction to medication/vaccination, mental-health issue

Callers healthcareprovider

(phone number, email, Website)

Mental-health issue orquestions about

Crisis Line (phone number, email, Website)

Human services or othercommunity resource(s),

including referral tohealthcare provider

2-1-1/CommunityInformation Line

211

(Web site)

Basic life services(shelter, clothing, food,water, etc.)

American Red Cross (phone number, email, Website)

Language interpreter (phone number, email, Website)

General Public

TTY service(for deaf, deaf-blind, hardof hearing, speechdisabled)


Media Information about eventor situation update

(This might be your JointInformation Center

(Number provided at time ofevent)

Health CareProvider

Information aboutdiagnosis and/ortreatment



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Communications Plan

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Post event evaluation form

1. Thinking specifically about the role you had in the Public Information Call Center, please tellus: (a) what was good, (b) what needed improvement and (c) your ideas for solutions.

(A) WHAT WASGOOD? (b) What needed

improvement?

(c) How can we fix it?

Communication flow(how information wastransmitted among allPICC staff)

Staffing/schedulingprocess

Decision-makingauthority (clarity

about who was incharge of distincttasks)

Debriefingopportunities (back-up, support)

Physical Work Space

Workstation comfort(chairs, spaceallocation, etc.)Room environment(temperature, accessto snacks/beverages/restrooms, etc.)

Materials, Training & Equipment

Resources andinformation (clarity,organization, etc.)

Information updates(process, frequency,etc.)

Equipment usage(training, instructions,etc.)


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Communications Plan

(continued)

Post event evaluation form page 2

2. Is there anything else you suggest we do to improve PICC planning, operation orefficiency?

3. What was your role in the PICC? Supervisor External Liaison Operations, Administrative or Logistics Lead Operator Subject Matter Expert Support Surge support

Other (please specify)____________________________________________

4. What is your regular job?

5. How well do you feel your role in the PICC matched the skills you use in yourregular job? (Please circle one)

1 2 3 4 5

not well very well

6. Other comments:

Thank you for responding.

Your feedback will help us improve future call centers.

sup annex communication plan

Documents