Cincinnati/Hamilton County
Pandemic Influenza Task Force
February 14, 2007
Initial Meeting
Task Force Make-up
• Five public health departments
and their medical directors
• Advisory Committee
Representatives – business,
faith, schools, and
colleges/universities
• Emergency Preparedness
Collaborative
• HC Fire Chiefs Association
• Cincinnati Fire
• Cincinnati Police
• HC Police Association
• HC Sheriff's Department
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Coroner’s office
EMS Caucus
Red Cross
Federally Qualified Health
Care Centers
Hospitals
Emergency Management
Agency (EMA)
HC Commissioners
City of Cincinnati
Coroner’s Office
Funeral Directors Association
Pan Flu Target Capabilities
• Framework for pan flu planning
• 15 target capabilities
Task Force Purpose
• Determine who is responsible for which
target capability and who plays a
supporting role
• Identify and address gaps and challenges
• Determine what actions will be taken
within each target capability
• Determine the approximate point in time in
which these actions will occur
Public Health
• Epidemiological Surveillance and
Investigation
• Public Health Laboratory Testing
• Isolation and Quarantine
• Emergency Public Information and
Warning
• Mass Vaccination Distribution
Responder Health and Safety
• Develop a program that ensures the safety of all
essential personnel
 A list is available designating which responders will receive
prophylaxis and antivirals, if available, and priority order.
 Enough PPE (gowns, gloves, masks) and necessary hand
washing/cleaning supplies are available for each responder for
the first 14 days of pandemic.
 Firefighters have been educated on pandemic influenza.
 Priority level for antiviral and vaccine administration has been
established for firefighters.
 Procedures have been established to monitor influenza-like
illness among firefighters and EMS.
Public Health Safety and Security
• Have procedures in place to secure affected areas and
location of response operations and to safely divert the
public from hazards
 An assessment is conducted of what is needed from local law
enforcement and the report is written and available for review.
 An agreement is in place designating the role of local law
enforcement staff available in a pandemic influenza.
 Law enforcement mutual aid agreements have been reviewed
and updated.
 A joint training program on securing critical sites including
hospitals, medical supply, and distribution points is written for
law enforcement and firefighters.
Fatality Management
• Manage fatalities during an incident including but not limited to
recovery, transportation, storage and identification of dead
 A fatality surge plan has been developed in conjunction with local
partners which includes procedures for mass fatalities, death
registrations and personal property processing.
 A training program has been established and personnel have been
trained on fatality management issues (identification, isolation,
transportation of human remains).
 Physical and personnel capacity to process, autopsy, and store remains
has been assessed. Additional capacity has been identified. Procedures
to utilize additional capacity, as needed, have been developed.
 Recommendations for use of personal protective equipment to protect
persons involved in decontamination, identification, postmortem
examination, disposition of human remains have been written.
 The ability of local partners to access the Electronic Death Registration
System has been assessed and additional capability has been provided
as needed.
 Legal issues affecting local partners’ participation in a mass casualty
event have been identified. Questions regarding potential barriers have
forwarded to appropriate legal counsel for action or recommendations.
Triage and Pre-Hospital Treatment
• Have procedures in place to transport, track, triage, and
treat patients during an incident
 Facility and staffing level preparedness have been assessed
through meetings with local stakeholders.
 Triage procedures, which include all components of the prehospital care delivery network, have been developed.
 Critical personnel and materials resources necessary for
effective and appropriate triage and transport have been
identified.
 A transportation plan, which includes the identification of mutual
aid agreements and designation of alternate triage sites to which
patients can be taken, has been developed.
 A system for patient tracking has been identified or developed.
Medical Surge
• Have procedures in place to provide medical care to an
exceptionally large number of patients
 The capacity to response to a medical surge with the local
jurisdiction has been assessed.
 State and/or federal officials have been made aware of
inadequacies of the local infrastructure capacity in response to a
medical surge and needs for assistance.
 A plan is in place to train medical personnel on hazards
mitigation during a medical surge (i.e. medical waste,
decontamination, PPE, infection control precautions).
 Surge need for three, six and nine months have been
determined and include potential influx from neighboring areas
with adequate response capacity.
 In cooperation with stakeholders a procedures has been
developed to help facilitate sharing and distribution of resources
and staff within the operational jurisdiction of the health
department.
Citizen Protection-Shelter-In-Place
Protection and Mass care
• Plan for and execute in-place sheltering. Prepare to
transport special needs populations
 Procedures are in place for determining the need for effective
sheltering-in-place (i.e. at home) of the at-risk population.
Procedures for implementation have been written.
 A plan is in place that describes what additional resources
special needs populations (minor children of essential workers,
disabled, physically or mentally ill) may require in sheltering-inplace (home) and how those resources would be provided.
 Plan to ensure provisions of essential services and supplies to
persons sheltering-in-place (home) including food/water,
medicines, medical consultations, mental health services,
transportation and medical treatment.
 A plan is in place to provide sheltering, feeding, and medical
services for special needs populations or to provide shelter
guidance to agencies responsible for special needs population
care.
Volunteer Management and
Donations
• Effectively identify, determine uses for, manage
and deploy volunteers and donations, before,
during and after and incident
An affiliation with local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
unit has been established with no more than one
MRC unit per county.
An arrangement is in place to coordinate local
volunteer activities with the local Citizen Corps
Council and/or other volunteer organizations in the
county.
A list of locations for the receipt and distribution of
donations has been written.
Citizen Preparedness and
Participation
• Educate citizens on flu prevention, protection, and
recovery. Have procedures in place to educate and train
volunteers in necessary positions in preparation for an
outbreak or disaster.
 Plan for dissemination of information, includes specific products
to be developed throughout WHO pandemic phases.
 Messages are written for the public to be used by PIO based on
WHO phases. A procedure has been established to refine and
expand messages as needed.
 Procedures for hotlines/information lines and internet updates
are in place to communicate pandemic influenza information.
Economic and Community
Recovery
• Assist local businesses with business continuity plans in
order to minimize business disruption. Assess losses
and damages, identify recovery needs, and coordinate
recovery efforts. Businesses should be education on
incident preparedness and recovery
 A plan is in place for educating the business community on
general pan flu and mitigation strategies.
 Made available a methodology to forecase employee absences
during a pandemic due to factors such as personal illness,
family member illness, community containment measures and
quarantine, schools and/or business closures, and public
transportation.
EOC Management
• Provide for multi-agency coordination during an
emergency through EOC management
including, but not limited to, activation,
notification, staffing, and deactivation.
A procedure is in place to determine which staff go to
the EOC and how they will get there. Identification
badges are provided and confidentiality agreements
signed.
The plan notes other local agency roles and
responsibilities in response.
EMA, law enforcement, EMS, and hospitals have
signed off on plan which includes roles and
responsibilities, notifications, and coordination issues.
Critical Resource Logistics and Distribution
• Having procedures in place for management (identification,
mobilization, activation, deactivation, accurate tracking, and
recording) of human and materials resources necessary for the
preservation of life, safety and security
 Procedures for staffing during and influenza pandemic are in place and
consistent with ICS/NIMS. Procedures to address recruitment, training,
dispatching, mobilization, and security.
 A place exists for the procurement, storing and replenishing of general
materials necessary to support personnel during a pandemic
(disinfectant, hand hygiene supplies, food, office supplies)
 Facilities have work place necessary to support pandemic influenza
response personnel have been identified (MOU’s, mutual aid) have
been executed if necessary.
 Sites appropriate for treatment, mass vaccination, triage and holding
areas have been identified. Agreements for use (MOU, mutual aid) have
been executed if necessary.
 A waste disposal vendor, capable of operating 24/7 has been identified
 A plan to transport personnel and resources has been developed. The
place addresses needs such as appropriate vehicles, fueling,
maintenance/repair, and communication with driver.
Next Steps
• Additional representation
• Future meeting dates