United States Department of
Health & Human Services
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
Regional Emergency Coordinators
COA Category Day
21 June 2012
CAPT Jim Imholte, RP MPH
Supervisory REC, Region VII
HHS/ASPR/OPEO
Objectives
• History of REC Program
• Structure of ASPR
• REC Backgrounds
• REC Response Roles
• REC “Peace Time” Roles
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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Regional ESF #8
Standard Federal Regions
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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REC History
• 1980’s – Office of Emergency Preparedness
• 2003 – Transferred to DHS/FEMA as NDMS
• 2005 – Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness
• 2007 -
ASPR created, NDMS reunited in HHS
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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ASPR Organization
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Mission - Lead the nation in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the
adverse health effects of public health emergencies and disasters.
Vision - “A Nation Prepared” to prevent, respond to, and reduce the adverse health
effects of public health emergencies and disasters.
ASPR
Principle Deputy
ASPR
Office of Biomedical
Research and
Development
Authority (BARDA)
Office of
Preparedness and
Emergency
Operations (OPEO)
Office of Policy and
Planning (OPP)
Office of Acquisitions
Management,
Contracts and Grants
(AMCG)
Chief Operating
Officer (COO)
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
Office of Financial
Planning and Analysis
(FPA)
Office of Preparedness and
Emergency Operations (OPEO)
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
ESF#8 Response
Coordination and Control
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Emergency Management Group (EMG)
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Operates from the SOC or virtually
Includes Operations, Plans, Logistics, Admin & Finance
Federal and Interagency partner LNOs
Disaster Leadership Group (DLG)
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Provides executive decision support to the Secretary
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
Emergency Management
Group (EMG)
• Headquarters personnel who manage day-to-day and initiate
emergency response requirements
• Provides a link between deployed resources
and HHS
leadership
• Liaisons from HHS Operating Divisions and ESF #8 Primary
Partners
• Resources requests for ESF#8 Assistance (RFAs) and
Mission Assignments (MAs)
• Aligned with ICS Sections to facilitate interoperability
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REC Backgrounds
• 33 in 10 Regions and NCR (1 open position)
• 17 Commissioned Officers – 16 Civil Servants
• Varied Backgrounds
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Nurses – 8
Environmental Health Officers – 6
Administration – 2
Psychologist – 1
Engineers – 3
Physician Assistants – 3
State HD/NGO – 5
EMS – 3
Pharmacists – 2
• Retired Military – 6, Includes 2 PHS Officers
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Regional Emergency Coordinators (RECs)
•ASPR’s representatives at the regional level and in the
field.
•Coordinate preparedness and response activities with
federal, state, local, private sector and tribal officials
within their region.
•Serve as liaison between state and local health officials
and ASPR headquarters in Washington DC during
emergency preparedness and response.
•Assume the role of Incident Response Coordination Team
(IRCT) commander during public health emergencies.
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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Regional Emergency Coordinators
• Coordinate with departmental, interagency,
state, local and Tribal counterparts
─ Co-located with/near FEMA regional coordinators
─ Identify capabilities, gaps, capacity and
community resiliency thru deliberate planning at
the state and regional levels
─ Recommend courses of action to take during an
incident
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Identify potential requirements for federal support
Assist in matching requirements with federal
capabilities
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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Regional Emergency Coordinators (RECs)
Response activities include:
• Serving as the National Response Framework ESF #8 (Public
Health and Medical Services) coordinator and Incident Response
Coordination Team (IRCT) commander in the affected region
during an emergency.
• Holding operational responsibility for deployed federal public
health and medical assets.
•Deploying from home region to support the RECs in the affected
region in roles such as the ESF #8 planning or operations chief,
or in a key liaison capacity at a state EOC.
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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ESF#8 Coordination
and Control in the Field
• Federal Public Health and Medical Official – JFO/UCG
• ESF #8 Unit Leader – JFO Operations Section
• Incident Response Coordination Team (IRCT) – forward
deployed at/near operational site
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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Incident Response Coordination
Team (IRCT)
• Forward deployed coordination & control element at the
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incident/operations site
Directs and coordinates activities of all HHS / ESF #8
personnel deployed to the incident/operations site
IRCT Liaisons (as needed)
─ Liaisons dependent on situation
─ Typically sent to state Emergency Operations Centers and
Health Departments
─ We bring in: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department
of Defense (DoD), American Red Cross (ARC), CDC, FDA
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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Regional Response to PH Emergencies
• It’s about building networks and being able to leverage those
networks to achieve favorable public health outcomes
• Proximity and availability of resources is key
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The Regional Offices
• The Regional Offices are critical to the effective management
of a public health emergency:
─ They know the people
─ They control the local federal resources
─ They know the turf
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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Regional Strengths
• Established networks that extend into every aspect of public health
• Ability to coordinate regional OPDIV resources
─ Regional OPDIVs further extend HHS’s reach into State
governments and communities
─ OPDIVs have developed valuable relationships that are much
different then those developed by RHA, REC or RD
─ Regional Advisory Committee provides the structure to tap into
this regional capacity
• Established trust with constituents
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Regional Strengths
• Established working relationship with elected officials
• Long standing relationships with non-elected public health
officials
• Able to establish working relationship with regional media
• Provides forum to discuss and coordinate interstate mutual
assistance during disasters
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Regional Networks
Local Health Officials
State Health Officers
Tribes
Community Volunteer Based Organizatio
Faith Based Organizations
RHA
Universities
Private Industry
Local Elected Officials
Regional
Leadership
Congress
Network
Governor’s Offices
RD
FEMA
DHS
State EMA
REC
Reg OPDIVS
Public Affairs
Other Federal Agencies
VA
DoD
ESF #8 Response Ass
Public Health Preparedness
Directors
Regional OPDIV Partners: ACF, FDA, CMS, HRSA, FOH,
OGC, OCR, IHS,
AoA ,People.
SAMHSA
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Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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Local Health Officials
State Health Officers
Tribes
Community Volunteer Based Organizatio
Faith Based Organizations
RHA
Universities
Private Industry
Local Elected Officials
Regional
Leadership
Congress
Network
FEMA
DHS
Governor’s Offices
RD
Public Affairs
VA
State EMA
REC
DoD
ESF #8 Response Ass
Other Federal Agencies
Public Health Preparedness
Directors
Overlapping Spheres of Influence
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Spheres of Influence
REC
Public Health
Emergency Preparedness
and Operations
Regional Advisory
Committee
Intergovernmental Affairs Public Health Infrastructure
Regional OPDIVS
and Programs
RD
RHA
RAC is located where the spheres of
influence converge
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Response Cycle
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“Peace Time” Cycle
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Questions
CAPT Jim Imholte, RP MPH
Supervisory REC, Region VII
601 East 12th St., Room S1801
Kansas City, MO 64106
816-426-3490
816-985-5589 cell
Jim.Imholte@hhs.gov
ASPR: Resilient People. Healthy Communities. A Nation Prepared.
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