Emergency Response in Franklin County
Emergency Response "Disaster in Franklin County"
Julie Beal, RN
Western Governors University
HAT 1
725.8
April 24, 2013
Emergency Response "Disaster in Franklin County" The role of major health personnel in an emergency is to manage the safety and well being of the people in their community during and after a natural or man-made disaster. This is done by assessing the details of what occurred, what needs must be met and facilitating a team to organize information about the event and provide logistics as quickly as possible. This is seen in the simulation exercise for the “Disaster in Franklin County”. (Olson, Larsen, Scheller, & Johnson, 2006) Roles are appointed in a chain of command format. It is ideal that all personnel have received some type of emergency management training, but even if not, skill sets must be assessed and duties assigned accordingly. An Incident Commander will be appointed and the Public Health Director assigns rolls that include finances, planning, logistics, public information liaison and operators. The Public Health Team will work closely and concurrently with other entities, such as the Fire Chief, Police Chief, Hazardous Materials Team, Public Works and EMS teams. The public health department is mostly concerned with the safety and logistics of sheltering victims and being sure that food and water provided is safe for consumption. The community health nurse is primarily concerned about the immediate welfare and safety of the public, including issues of safety in homes, sanitary food options and safe water availability. It is important to have press releases ready to go that are clear and informative, yet simple. Any public statement made by the nurse should be thoughtful and considerate, assuring the community that they are in good hands and that things are being taken care of by appropriate people and in a timely manner. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are an opportunity to gain trust and respect and show
Julie Beal, RN
Western Governors University
HAT 1
725.8
April 24, 2013
Emergency Response "Disaster in Franklin County" The role of major health personnel in an emergency is to manage the safety and well being of the people in their community during and after a natural or man-made disaster. This is done by assessing the details of what occurred, what needs must be met and facilitating a team to organize information about the event and provide logistics as quickly as possible. This is seen in the simulation exercise for the “Disaster in Franklin County”. (Olson, Larsen, Scheller, & Johnson, 2006) Roles are appointed in a chain of command format. It is ideal that all personnel have received some type of emergency management training, but even if not, skill sets must be assessed and duties assigned accordingly. An Incident Commander will be appointed and the Public Health Director assigns rolls that include finances, planning, logistics, public information liaison and operators. The Public Health Team will work closely and concurrently with other entities, such as the Fire Chief, Police Chief, Hazardous Materials Team, Public Works and EMS teams. The public health department is mostly concerned with the safety and logistics of sheltering victims and being sure that food and water provided is safe for consumption. The community health nurse is primarily concerned about the immediate welfare and safety of the public, including issues of safety in homes, sanitary food options and safe water availability. It is important to have press releases ready to go that are clear and informative, yet simple. Any public statement made by the nurse should be thoughtful and considerate, assuring the community that they are in good hands and that things are being taken care of by appropriate people and in a timely manner. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are an opportunity to gain trust and respect and show
References: Olson, D., Larsen, S., Scheller, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). Disaster in Franklin County: a public health simulation. Retrieved from http://cpheo.sph.umn.edu/umncphp/franklincounty.html