Emergency Preparedness & Response

Plans and Protocols

1. The City of Chesapeake writes and develops an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) to establish the legal and organizational basis for operations in response to any type of disaster or large-scale emergency situation.

2. In addition to the Health Department’s assignments and responsibilities in the City EOP, the Health Department has developed its EOP for detailed agency responses to specific hazards.

Training

1. VA Training web address https://va.train.org/DesktopShell.aspx

2. MRC Training web address https://www.mrc.train.org/DesktopShell.aspx

3. FEMAraining web address https://www.training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp

4. ICS forms http://www.nimsonline.org/download_center/index.htm#forms

Bioterrorism

Defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “A bioterrorism attack is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs (agents) used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. These agents are typically found in nature, but it is possible that they could be changed to increase their ability to cause disease, make them resistant to current medicines, or to increase their ability to be spread into the environment. Biological agents can be spread through the air, through water, or in food. Terrorists may use biological agents because they can be extremely difficult to detect and do not cause illness for several hours to several days. Some bioterrorism agents, like the smallpox virus, can be spread from person to person and some, like anthrax, can not.”

1. Frequently asked questions- http://www.bt.cdc.gov/

2. Resources:

• Virginia Department of Health- http://www.vdh.state.va.us/EPR/index.asp
• Department of Homeland Security – Bioterrorism Information and Preparedness
• Department of Homeland Security – National Response Plan
• American Red Cross – Terrorism Preparedness
• The American Medical Association’s – Bioterrorism: Frequently Asked Questions
• The Food and Drug Administration – Drug Preparedness and Response to Bioterrorism (information on antibiotics and dosage)
• Environmental Protection Agency – Water Security
• National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health Medline Plus – Biodefense and Bioterrorism

3. Anthrax fact sheet- http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/

4. Small pox fact sheet- http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/needtoknow.asp

5. Radiological emergencies- http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/emergencyfaq.asp