Operation Deadly Hazard

A vacant Washoe County elementary school was the scene of a hazardous materials spill, resulting in mock fatalities. This was the scenario used on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 for a full scale training exercise for the Washoe County region.

North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Washoe County School District (WCSD), Washoe County Coroner/Medical Examiner Office (WCMEO), and the Washoe County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Office took leading roles in the planning for this event. The exercise took place at the old, vacant, Incline Village Elementary School on Southwood Blvd. The day started at 0800 hrs with the arrival of many Community Emergency & Response Team and Sierra Nevada Job Corps Center volunteers to set the stage. Throughout the day, more than 15 different agencies participated in this full scale training exercise– to include Haz-Mat teams from California.

Annually, the Local Emergency Preparedness Committee (LEPC) must have a hazardous materials exercise. As a part of regional collaboration and training, this year, the LEPC partnered with the Mass Fatality Committee to have a more involved exercise that captures real-world situations. This was the first time the WCMEO has had an opportunity to train in the field with first responders.

Not only was this training used for the first responders, but for the WCSD Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the Regional EOC. Each EOC was activated to assist with the resources needed to secure and clear the scene and to practice the required interaction between the separate EOCs in the event of a school district emergency. In addition, the State Department of Emergency Management Preliminary Disaster Assessment Teams took the opportunity to train new staff and new Public Information Officers.

The purpose of these types of emergency response exercises is to train responders and support personnel for the real thing. At the end of the day, more than 100 people in the Washoe County region had participated. It is the goal of the region to always “Be Ready!”

If you have any questions about this or any other emergency preparedness issue, please contact our office.

Businesses Partner with Local Emergency Management

Fifty-nine participants, representing forty-four different businesses around the Truckee Meadows, met on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 to learn more about emergency preparedness. The working group learned about continuity of operations planning (COOP), the H1N1 Virus, and social media tools for emergency management.

The main premise of the partnership is to improve the collaboration between local businesses and local government. Citizens look to local businesses as a measure of recovery from an emergency. Therefore, Washoe County Emergency Management wants to work with local businesses to help them to plan and prepare.

In an effort to assist with preparedness, Aaron Kenneston, Washoe County Emergency Manager, gave a presentation on COOP. These plans can be utilized during any type of emergency to ensure the business is able to protect their investment and stay in business. The campaign Be Ready that Washoe County promotes encourages businesses to learn ways to protect their people, business property, and building structures to prevent business loss from a natural disaster.

This working group is a standing committee, meeting quarterly, to continue to strengthen the partnership between local business and local Emergency Management personnel. If you are interested in joining this committee, please contact our office at (775) 337-5855.

Nevada Trains for Mass Fatality Situations

On Thursday, September 3rd and Friday, September 4th emergency response professionals from across the State of Nevada gathered to train and learn more about Mass Fatality. The attendees were from different jurisdictions and professions – from the Coroner’s offices, Law Enforcement divisions, Health Services, and EMT personnel. The attendees learned about family assistance centers, response expectations, resources available, and equipment needs to respond to any event that has the potential to have mass fatalities.

Nevada has begun a three year initiative into Emergency Preparedness for Mass Fatality. In this first year, a task force was formed and equipment has been purchased. The Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office partnered with the Washoe County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Office to oversee this project. The rural communities will be given trailers with supplies needed to assist the communities, in the event of an emergency. As part of the initiative, three training workshops were held. At the conclusion of the first year, over 120 professionals throughout the State have been trained on Mass Fatality emergencies.

Washoe County Prepares for Full Scale Exercise

Annually, the Hazardous Materials team conducts a training exercise to ensure all members of the team are ready in the event of an emergency. The team is comprised of public safety officials from Washoe County, City of Reno, and City of Sparks. This year, the exercise is being expanded to include a mass fatality component. This will allow the Coroner’s office from Washoe and Clark Counties to exercise their mass fatality plans.

Today was an opportunity for the regional partners to plan and coordinate the response efforts for the full scale exercise. The Emergency Operations Center was “activated” and each section of the Incident Command System was filled with qualified personnel ready to work. The Incident Action Plan was developed and the objectives for the November exercise were identified. Some regional partners include the Washoe County School District, the City of Reno, the Air National Guard, and the Department of Emergency Management.

The full scale exercise, being facilitated by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, is scheduled for November. If you’d like more information about this or any other Regional Emergency Management Preparedness activities, please contact our office at 775-337-5855.

9 Health Hazards Hidden in College Dorms – The hazard: Meningitis – Health.com

Very good article detailing the hazards in dorm rooms. Take a moment and review the slides, since Washoe County is home to the University of Nevada, Reno.

9 Health Hazards Hidden in College Dorms – The hazard: Meningitis – Health.com

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Washoe County Prepares for H1N1 Response

As we have all been hearing through various media sources, a new type of influenza (originally referred to as ‘swine flu’) has been making headlines. This new influenza appears to be affecting the young (6 months through 24 years) of our community the hardest.
The Washoe County Health District has been monitoring planning efforts at both the federal and state level. Most notably has been the federal government’s plan to immunize those members of our nation most at-risk of complications from this new strain of influenza.
Washoe County has been preparing for similar events such as this as part of its ongoing bioterrorism and mass illness response plan preparations. A key component to these preparedness plans has been what is referred to as ‘PODs’ or points of dispensing.
The Health District has compiled a long list of pre-screened and assessed POD sites spread throughout the entire county. Some of these sites have already been tested during the Health District’s annual POD exercise (usually held in October): Reed High School in 2007 and Bishop Manogue High School in 2008.
These full-scale exercises have assisted the Health District is accurately forecasting how many POD sites would need to be opened when H1N1 vaccine arrives in-state from the federal government. Both PODs and private-sector clinics will be used to dispense these vaccines to those target groups identified by the CDC. These target groups have been identified as:
1. Pregnant women
2. Household contacts of children under six months of age
3. Healthcare workers (HCWs) and emergency medical service personnel
4. Children and young adults aged 6 months through 24 years
5. Non-elderly adults aged 25 to 64 years with underlying conditions that put them at greater risk
In the last couple of weeks, the county has been continuing preparations by reaching out to elected officials, volunteer organizations like Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), schools and other key stakeholders within the county, etc. The Health District has been in regular contact with national and state partner agencies (e.g.: The CDC, the Nevada State Health Division, etc.) while preparing for the H1N1 response.
As vaccine development, production, testing, and distribution continues at the federal level, our state and local partners are moving forward with their preparations to receive and dispense these vaccines within our county. County and private-sector partners have collaborated for years on both POD and vaccination clinic events, and will use these experiences to help bolster the county’s response to H1N1 this fall.

Preparing for H1N1

Government Prepares H1N1 Flu

Is Swine Flu Over?

Of late, the media has not been paying much attention to the swine flu virus. Does that mean the virus is gone? Does it mean the virus is something of the past? Not at all!
Just because the media has been busy with the health care reforms, Sotomayor confirmation and Michael Jackson stories, has not stoped the virus from working its way silently in the background. Out of the limelight, the virus continued its journey into the heartlands of American and further South into the Southern hemisphere, which is currently in Winter.
Mr. Daniel P. Mackie, Washoe County ‘s Mass Illness Response Coordinator said in a briefing today that there is fear that the looming avian flu (H5N1) and swine flu (H1N1) viruses may combine and mutate. If this happens, the virus may return by fall as a highly transmissible and high mortality virus. If this happens, the scenario will not be a pretty one nationwide.
The leaders of Northern Nevada ‘s Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters were meeting to evaluate current challenges and take stock of upcoming activities.
Based on this fear and uncertainty regarding the viruses, we will continue to provide updates on what the county is doing and what individuals can do as well.
By Gideon F. For-mukwai, CEM
Social Media Facilitator

Swine Flu Readiness